26 



NATURE 



{May 9, 1889 



There is no ambiguity in his statement as to the 

 choking up of the Kensington Estate with private houses 

 and mansions. The sites to be occupied by private 

 houses are bounded on the north by the Albert Hall 

 and the adjoining semicircular arcades or quadrants, 

 on the east and west by portions of the galleries con- 

 taining the Museum of Science and the India Museum, 

 and on the south by the Imperial Institute. They 

 form the gardens and terraces so well known to the 

 public who flocked to the evening al fresco entertain- 

 ments which were given in connection with the series 

 of International Exhibitions recently held at South 

 Kensington. The various public announcements issued 

 by Her Majesty's Commissioners during the last thirty- 

 five years conclusively show that this land was acquired 

 for more useful and comprehensive purposes than those 

 of speculative house builders. 



Let us briefly refer to those announcements. On 

 the close of the Exhibition of 1851, H.M. Commis- 

 sioners found themselves the possessors of some ^200,000. 

 They were impressed with the fact that many public 

 institutions founded to promote science and art had 

 been " subject to the disadvantages of being placed 

 in such a situation from the crowding of surrounding 

 houses that they were without light or air, and had no 

 convenient access." They therefore determined to pur- 

 chase a large estate of unoccupied land, and in 1852 

 became the landlords of what has since been commonly 

 known as the South Kensington Estate. For the ulti- 

 mate use of this large property they proposed to trust to 

 the "voluntary efforts of individuals, corporations, and 

 authorities, to carry out the promotion of the different 

 interests with which they are themselves connected." In 

 their Report for 1856, the Commissioners, alluding to 

 " the question of the site that has been purchased by us," 

 show that, d'lring the intervening years, "the great 

 natural capabilities of the site have been properly deve- 

 loped by means of the construction of important lines of 

 communication and other improvements ; and that we 

 are still occupied in taking the remaining steps requisite 

 for perfecting the estate, and rendering it in all respects 

 fit for the great national objects to which it is to be 

 applied." Very shortly afterwards a large area of the 

 Estate was leased to the Royal Horticultural Society. 

 This was laid out as an ornamental garden surrounded 

 by arcades and galleries. The late Prince Consort 

 opened this garden in 1861. His Royal Highness 

 made a speech on the occasion, in the course of which 

 he said, " We may hope that at no distant day this 

 garden will form the inner court of a vast quadrangle of 

 PubHc Buildings rendered easily accessible by the broad 

 roads which will surround them. Buildings where Science 

 and Art may find space for development, with that 

 light and air which are well-nigh banished from this 

 overgrown metropolis." This was but six months 

 before the death of the Prince. For some years 

 the Prince Consort's superior policy in dealing with 

 the Estate was respected and followed by Her Majesty's 

 Commissioners. The Natural History Museum arose 

 on the land at the south of the Horticultural Gardens. 

 Galleries were built above and at the side of the 

 long eastern and western arcades of the gardens ; 

 other galleries were erected between these gardens and 



the Natural History Museum. The Government secured 

 a tenuie of all these galleries as a temporary home 

 in which the Government has placed the National 

 Science Museum, the Collections of Historic Machinery, 

 the India Museum, and the Collections of Modern In- 

 dustrial Art. On the far north of the Estate was built 

 the Royal Albert Hall : then followed the Royal Col- 

 lege of Music. Later still sprang up the Technological 

 Schools of the City and Guilds of London Institute. But 

 with all this steady realization of the Prince Consort's far- 

 seeing policy the Commissioners were not satisfied. 

 Pleading necessity to find money for defraying the 

 expenses of certain not over-wise experiments undertaken 

 by them, they began to let land on the margins of their 

 Estate for the erection of private dwellings. And the 

 more prominent result of this is the beetling mass of 

 mansions opposite Hyde Park, overshadowing the Albert 

 Hall on one side, and frowning ominously upon the 

 " inner court of the vast quadrangle " of the Estate. 

 Then came the movement for an Imperial Institute. A 

 great sHce out of the "inner court" was allocated for 

 this mysterious Institute, which is rapidly asserting its 

 architectural entity. At this point in the development of 

 the Estate, the Commissioners, it would seem, succumbed 

 to the hopeless temptation of washing their hands of 

 further trouble. And, as we have already stated, their 

 present intention is to block up the remaining portion 

 of the " inner court " with private houses and mansions, 

 and thus disencumber themselves of any responsibility 

 for institutions for science and art. 



Now, an explanation, which has been offered, of 

 this volte face on the part of the Commissioners 

 is this. The subscriptions for the Imperial Institute 

 are insufificient for its endowment. It must be re- 

 membered that the Imperial Institute is the outcome 

 of the "Jubilee" loyalty. The possible utility of this 

 Institute has been debated without success. To lay the 

 foundation-stone, and to pay for a staff of subscription- 

 touters and what not, during two years, have exhausted 

 some^25,ooo of its capital, which does not reach ^300,000. 

 The ingenuity of Lord Thring and Sir Lyon Playfair has, 

 it is said, been accordingly taxed. Their united wits are 

 credited with having proposed the sale to private house 

 builders of the unallotted land as well as of portions of 

 land already occupied by galleries containing the Science 

 Museum and India Museum. The money thus realized,, 

 or most of it, is to go into the coffers of the Imperial 

 Institute. Such are the statements made. If they are 

 wrong, they should be contradicted. 



Another minor incident which further exemplifies the 

 Commissioners' attitude is the projected removal of the 

 monument raised twenty-five years ago on their estate to 

 commemorate the Exhibition of 1851. This monument 

 is surmounted by a statue of H.R.H. the late Prince 

 Consort. This too is to be swept away to make room for 

 private houses. 



WARREN DE LA RUE. 



A PROMINENT and representative figure has just 



"^^ disappeared fi-om scientific circles, whose absence 



will be deeply felt by the many eminent men with 



whom, for a long time, he had been associated. In the 



