304 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[August, 



inunicalions from olliers in sliort replies to questions relative to build- 

 ings at a distance, and by carefully measured details of mouldings, 

 arclies, doors, \vindows, &c., stained glass, beraldry, and otber equally 

 inleresling subjects. It would be also the means of drawing out muoli 

 valuable information from members who are well qualified, but who 

 do not feel sufficient confidence to communicate a paper of tlieir own 

 suggestion. A letter from tlie committee requesting information from 

 a member would be sure to produce some reply, and in most in- 

 stances tlie information received would be a certain gain to the pro- 

 fession. 



Year after year the Report of tlie Council lias contained a request 

 that communications should be made bv the members, but the request 

 being general the result has been very unsatisfactory, whereas a direct 

 request from an authorized committee, for any information upon a 

 building in a particular locality, would be sure to receive attention, 

 and however brief the reply something is likely to be obtained, at 

 least from those persons who felt an interest in this branch of the art. 



The mere correspondence in a pursuit of this nature would be con- 

 siderable, and the labours of the committee would necessarily be ar- 

 duous, but as the result of such labour would be of the greatest value 

 to tlie profession and all lovers of the art, they would be amply repaid 

 by the gratification afforded to them in being the means of contributing 

 something for the general benefit of the public. A collection of 

 authentic drawings of existing buildings, or parts of buildings with 

 dimensions carefully taken, together witli such information as may be 

 intelligibly conveyed in a few words, pointing out such records, facts, 

 or even legends, as may tend to fix a date, would form the most 

 valuable precedents, independent of actual examples or casts, which 

 could be |)laced before the professional student. Means, too, might be 

 afforded for the public to obtain access to these documents, of course 

 under certain restrictions, in order that sometliing might be done to 

 inform the public upon a suhject of which, at present, they know so 

 little. — The knowledge of the general forms and dimensions of exist- 

 ing buildings, acquired in various countries by the architectural stu- 

 dent, has hitherto been applied in reproducing ancient forms, as the 

 countries he lias visited and the buildings lie has seen have been 

 necessarily limited. In consequence of this, the investigation of prin- 

 ciples has seldom been bis object; content that at Athens or Rome, 

 Cologne or York, remains of fine building? in their several styles still 

 exist, they are adopted as precedents on all occasions, and Lmidon as 

 well as most other large cities, teems with Compo Temples withthree 

 tiers of narrow holes in the wM called windows, or else miniature 

 York Cathedrals, divested of all ornamental tracery and paneling. 

 Precedent if properly used and not abused would form the foundation 

 of a sound system, and it is in this way a collection of Gothic fragments 

 or authentic drawings would be the means of familiarizing the mind 

 with noble inventions; this should be the study of the architect, and 

 precedent be left for the public to form their taste and judgment, in 

 order that they may hold in check the ignorant pretender, w ho decks 

 cut his productions with ornament both flimsy and spurious, ill under- 

 stood and grossly misapplied. 



I am fully aware that there may be many objections and difficulties 

 to surmount before much progress could be made in this desirable 

 object : a committee competent, and at the same time willing, to act 

 must necessarily be formed of men of sufficient standing in the profes- 

 sion to insure the carrying out of such a scheme ; and this would press 

 upon valuable time, but those who regarded the art as an enlightened 

 study, and not as a mere means of yielding pounds, shillings and pence, 

 wouldnot deem a little time bestowed in its advancement a sacrifice. 



It is singular that the National Art should be considered so little of 

 in the National Museum : several packing cases of marble fragments 

 have recently been imported at a great expense, and some part of the 

 new building is to be prepared to receive them ; and these subjects no 

 doubt are curious and interesting, and may serve to add anotiier link 

 to the chain of Ancient Art, but assuredly are of little practical use, for 

 in our practice of Grecian Architecture" we have not got a single step 

 beyond the examples provided by Stuart and his contemporaries, not- 

 withstanding so much— or rather so ma;;;/ things have since been 

 discovered— have first been hailed as valuable acquisitions, then 

 treasured up and forgotten, certainly not turned to any account what- 

 ever as studies. Surely if so much cost is incurred and so much space 

 is allowed for subjects which are merely curious, something should be 

 done for the useful ; and at the present time when information on 

 Gothic architecture is eagerly sought for by all, some space might be 

 allowed in the British Museum for fragments of this branch of art. 



A knowledge of Gothic Architecture is to be obtained only by close 

 attention to existing examples, and those examples are frequently 

 nearly inaccessible ; whereas were a collection formed inihe Museum, 

 or even in a shed adjoining, it would be hailed by the profession and 

 the public as another step^for the general benefit of all— of the public 



no less than the profession, of the profession no less than the public. 

 At all events, as an individual in the profession, I can have no parti- 

 cular interest in thus earnestly recommending what might prove even 

 more serviceable to many others in it than to myself. Were I actuated 

 by selfish considerations, I should hardly urge any scheme that would 

 tend to advance others in the same career; or did I take — as has been 

 done before now — a narrow and jealous view of the interests of the 

 profession to which I belong, hardly should I insist upon the expe- 

 diency of rendering the public better informed in the study of our art. 

 Yet unless the public do become so, they will either be indifferent to 

 the art, or injudicious, therefore mischievous patrons of it. Mere 

 building there will always be, — that will take of itself, but architecture 

 can flourish only in proportion as it is seconded by a popular feeling 

 for it, based upon sound principles of taste generally diffused among us. 



I am. Sir, yours most obediently, 

 26, Charlotte Street, Portland Place, E. B. Lamb. 



August 8, 1844. 



GOLDSMITHS' HALL. 



Instead of putting them into an "£;va/a," where they would pro- 

 bably be overlooked, we adopt this mode of correcting one or two 

 mistakes and inaccuracies in the article and its ilhistr.ilions in our 

 last number, because by so doing we can at the same time give some 

 additional explanation. — In the plan of the building there is an over- 

 sight on the part of the engraver which will probably have puzzled 

 many of our readers, for owing to those parts being filled up with 

 shadow, it now looks as if there was a square pillar put between the 

 four columns on each side of the staircase, in such a manner as to be 

 the centre of a group : whereas those squares are intended to repre- 

 sent only the pedestals of two statues — viz., an Apollo and Diana — 

 which so placed add considerably to the general effect. There are 

 besides, on the pedestals or angles of the first flight of stairs, four 

 other statues of smaller dimensions, representing the "Seasons," per- 

 sonified as children. Creditable, however, as are these last to the artist, 

 (Mr. S. Nixon), they do not seem to carry much meaning with them : 

 perhaps even symbolism would be puzzled to find one for them ; never- 

 theless we risk one — which is that a banquet at Goldsmiths' Hall is 

 always stasonable, let it take place when it may, in summer or winter 

 — autumn or spring. 



In the letter-press, — one error — of no very great importance indeed 

 — occurs in the note at the foot of the first column, where it should 

 have been printed " hardly need we recommend the ' London hiteriors' 

 for the manner in which the literary part ;'s extciiled," but the two last 

 words being omitted, the sense is rather muddled. An error of a 

 more serious kind disfigures the last paragraph, where after it is said 

 that the oak screen mars the general effect of the B.mquetting Hall, 

 we should read thus : " far better would it have been had the order 

 been continued quite round the room, and the screen forme<l by filling 

 up the lower part of the intercohimns to the height of the present 

 screen." In addition to this correction, we may now further remark 

 that besides being objectionable as breaking up the uniformity, and 

 we may say the inltgrity of the design, this screen very ill accords 

 with the rest of the architecture in regard to colour and material. 

 Oak columns cut but a poor figure alongside others in scagliola with 

 veined sienna shafts and white capitals and bases. One way or the 

 other uniformity of character ought to have been kept up : either all 

 the columns ought to have been oak, or those of the screen ought to 

 have been scagliola. At present the south end of the room is quite 

 out of keeping with the rest; nay, does not seem to belong to it. 

 Fortunately, offensive as the error is, it is not irreparable : what ought 

 to have been done at first, may very easily be done now; the question 

 is only one of expense, and the expense would not exceed that of one 

 of the Company's banquets. Let that end of the room, then, be made 

 to correspond with the opposite one, by giving it like that scagliola 

 pilasters, which would differ from the others only by becoming insu- 

 lated square pillars above the screen, — which latter would of course 

 require to be refronted also, and made to harmonize in colour with 

 the walls. 



Prepak-vtion OF A nEAUTiFLL Green Colouu wiTuoiiT Aksenic. — 481b. of 

 sulphate of copper and 2 lb. ot bichromate of potash aie dissolved in the requisite quan- 

 tity of water, and 2 lb. of carbonate of potash (pearlash} and I lb. of chalk added to the 

 clear solution. The precipitate is pressed, dried, and rubbed to a powder. This colour is 

 not so beautiful as the Schweinfurth green, bnt is peculiarly well adapted .tor painting 

 dwelling rooms and work shops, there being no fsar of any poisoning from arseiric. By 

 varying the proportions a number of different tints of this colour maybe obtained. 

 Bittheilungen des Bohtu. Gcwerbevereins, 1842.' 



