Year: 1862

English international Exhibition of 1s81.


The works Of the Exhibition Building,
says the London Nelcs of the 10th,q have
been pushed with the greatest energy dur
ing the past week, but, as the principal ex-
ertions were concentrated on the domes
much progress could not be observed. As
these domes are now rapidly approaching
completion, a few detailed particulars re-
specting them may not prove uninterest-
ing:


These domes are the largest that have ever
yet been executed. The Exhibition dome
are one hundred and sixty feet in diameter.
the dome of st. Peter is one hundred and
ffty-seven and half feet, and that of st.
Pauls one hundred and twelve feet But,
although our domes are in themselves larger
in every way than any yet constructed, they
will not rise to so great hight above the
ground as either of those. The Exhibition
domes spring from hight of one hundred
and fourteen feet, which makes the top Of
the final two hundred and sixty feet above
the ground, while the cross on st. Peters is
four hundred and thirty-four feet, and that
of St. Paups three hundred and forty feet
above the pavement.


So much for the domes upon which at the
present time nearly all the energies Of the
contractors are concentrated for the rest
of the work we have only to say that it
progresses in the most rapid and satisfac-
tory manner. Marty the whole building
may now be said to be rooTed in, giving the
enormous total Of nine hundred and eighty
eight thousand square feet of roofing as
against nine hundred and fifty-three thou
sand of the Paris Exhibition, and being two
hundred thousand more than that of the
London Exhibition of 1851. The eastern
courts are nearly finished, and the picture
gallery is now perfect work. Great things
are expected from the principles adopted in
lighting this important department of the
building, and Captain Philpotts gives the
following description of the thing to be
done and the mode in which it is proposed
TO be effected:


"The chief desideratum offs picture gallery
is an equally distributed light throughout,
admitted in such a way as will prevent its
rays bing directly reflected from the surface
of the picture to the eve of the visitor. A
light, therefore, satisfying this condition,
when the observer is standing at a conven-
lent distance, is the only one which can be
called perfect. No one can have observed
pictures lighted by ordinary windows with
out experiencing the unpleasant effect pro-
duced by the improper reflection of the rays,
or glitter from the pictures, as it is called.
1t is for this reason that one is often puz-
zled where to find place from which to
see the whole of large picture to advan-
tage. The defect exists in many of the
finest galleries. both in this country and on
the continent, and the result is that some
pictures can scarcely be seen at all, while
others can only be observed from one or two
points, which are always more or less
crowded according to the merits of the sub
ject. This is Obviated by admitting the
light at particular angle from the roof
by means of skylight extending along its
entire length, and which in the present case
measures thirty-one feet in width. In this
case transparent calico ceiling thereafter
to be replaced by ground glass; is intro
duced, which is raised forty seven feet seven
inches from the floor. These proportions
will afford the gallery as much light as pos
sible, and glitter from the surface of the
pictures will be avoided" o..