926 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION J. 



adapted for forming arches which may span far greater 

 distances than the giant builders of Egypt ever dreamt of 

 covering. 



Arches, indeed, are one of the great charms of brick 

 architecture; they are more picturesque than the lintel, and 

 provided sufficient abutment can be obtained, they are 

 decidedly stronger. Yet it is a fact that notwithstanding all 

 the advantages conferred by the introduction of a legitimate 

 arch, human intellect has sunk so low as to invent that in- 

 artistic and unconstructional abomination called the " flat 

 arch." This is nothing less than an imitation of the lintel. 

 Beauty it has none, and it would really seem as though it 

 were considered meritorious to execute the weakest of con- 

 structions with the most inappi'opriate of materials, simply 

 because it offends good taste. Notwithstanding all the draw- 

 backs of the flat arch, it still lives in reigning popularity, and 

 pages have been written in works on Building Construction 

 informing the student how it is possible to build this unlovely 

 arch so that it will not fall. 



Within the limits of a short paper it would be im2)ossible 

 to enumerate all features which should be avoided in brick 

 construction, or to mention all those which may be legiti- 

 mately employed. 



I will merely say that such features as projecting quoins, 

 pediments, architraves, large cornices, columns serving no 

 constructional purpose, together with any ornament or em- 

 bellishment which may serve to suggest the employment of 

 any other material, should be rigorously avoided. There is 

 more connection between art and common sense than most 

 people imagine, therefore if a building violates no principle 

 of construction, participates in no imposture, is decoi'ous in 

 its embellishments, and truly serves the purpose for which it 

 was erected, it can scarcely fail to achieve some artistic merit. 



The practitioner of the present day is no doubt crippled in 

 his endeavours to produce the best types of artistic brickwork 

 on account of the uniformity in the size of modern bricks. 

 It may not be generally known that the present shape is the 

 result of a tax which was imposed on bricks during the early 

 part of the present century, ]"endered necessary by the long 

 and costly wars in which England was then engaged. 



The brick tax no longer exists, even in England, yet not 

 only in that country, but here also, we must confess to being 

 so much the slaves of habit that we have been unable to 

 enjoy the sweets of liberty now that our freedom is declared. 



