The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-20

EdsoD free, which is un- derstandable to every age.
 Leaving to art critics and people who know about such things the technical adoration of the nearly 1000 masterpieces of painting and sculpture and etching hung in the 100 galleries. making 1t unquestion- ably one of the worlds greatest art collections, there are plenty of other reasons why you will want to see this newest of washington sights.
 In the first place, 1t is approxi- mately and conveniently half way between the Capitol and the White House. Also, the G-man depart ment, which is one of Washington's s most popular attractions, is just B. round the corner. This association Is not made fiippantly or irrever- ently but Actually, of whatever 1t may be worth.
 Second, the building is complete ly air-condltioned. and as c haven from Washington's notorious broil- ing sidewalks of July and August, this will offer the most painless way of taking capital-AArt ever de- vised by man. There are comfort. able davenports in some of the galleries, too, and you can pick out your favorite Rembrandt or Fl Gre. co, park yourself in front of 1t, and give your soul good soaking in beauty. As a relief from tired dogs, b,,reucrats and congressional ora. tory, there's nothing like 1t. There is a cafeteria, in case you suffer from bodily, as well as spiritual hunger.
 ALMOST AS BIG
 AS CAPITOL
 The building itself Is @ thing of wonder and beauty, even If 1t didn't have an etching in 1t. It is of graded pink" or rose-white. Ten nessee marble, darkest near the base of the building, fading gradual ly through 8 imperceptible shades to & shell-pink at the top, but the casual observer might call the whole thing white.
 It covers an area nearly as big AS the Capitol, though 1t isn't as high, and the simple design of the gallery makes the Capitol look @ little gingerbreadish in comparison. The site was originally an old swamp at the foot of Capitol Hill. With no rock bottom within reach. 8.eo0 concrete piles were driven as foun- dalton, and the friction be, 7oen these piles and the earth supports the massive weight of masonry and steel.
 Most striking features of the in- terior are the rotunda in the cen- ter. and two garden sculpture courts, at either end. For the open ing, these garden courts were mass ed with most magnificent collec- ton of more than 500 acaciaS, dozens of varieties of all sizes and shades of yellow. The rotunda, 100 feet in diameter and that high, is supported by 24 big columns of Italian variegated green marble, qiarried, slid down mountain and shipped just before the war broke out, then turned in Vermont to 100 or more seven-foot drums" When they were all done, matching them became @ problem, so a man was put in Q cradle at the end of @ l00.foot boom, and by crane he was moved over the yard, directing the shifting of these l0-ton blocks till they were al lin order. Precision masonry In the building was so exact that when the 22-ton blocks in the rirg which these columns support were hoisted into place, they At to an eighth of an inch. Similarly, the 35 900 pieces of marble in the exter- Tor were all machined and matched at the quarries before they were shipped to Washington in 30 cars, for re-assembly.
 AMERICANS
 REPRESENTED