1850.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCIHTECTS JOURNAL. 



11 



our local institutions, and in the fiimiliarity of every district wit^h 



these exhibitions, the means of surpassing any foreipn effort. H 



any one comes to consider the number of our Societies, and the 



large sums yearly disbursed by tliem, he will feel little doubt ot 



our resources. • i- » 



Agricultural institutions descend from national associations to 



county and district societies; from these to agricultural clubs 



and cattle clubs. 



Horticultural and floral exliibitions are held in every town. In 



London alone, 3,000/. are yearly given in prizes. 

 The migratory sections of the British Association, the scientific 

 conversaziones, the Polytechnic associations, and the local 

 exliibitions, afford yearly' displays of mechanical inventions. 

 The exhibitions of the Society of Arts, and those of the bchools 



of Design, are rallying points for the designers. 

 In 1851, these are to be brought tosfether, and nothing but gross 

 mismanagement can afford a cliance for failure. At any rate, we 

 have invited the world to a competition in this its metropolis ; we 

 have thrown down the gauntlet, and we must not be beaten on our 

 own ground and at our own weapons. 



The French Exposition is a kind of advanced guard ot our 

 rivals, by which we may in some deifree take measure of then- 

 strength. AVithin the walls of exhibition rooms— though those in 

 George-street, Hanover-square, are large— it is not easy to give a 

 complete illustration of the great Paris Exposition; nevertheless 

 the French Exposition constitutes in itself a line exhibition, and 

 affords no mean idea of the resources of our 'yond-Channel neigh- 

 bours. Brought together on the suggestion and by the exertions 

 of iM. SaUandrouze de Lamoniaix, it necessarily partakes much 

 of the character of a private undertaking, and to some extent ot 

 a iirivate speculation. . . 



Monsieur SaUandrouze holds a high position in connection with 

 the industrial interests of France, being the director of the great 

 national manufacture of tapestry, and a member of the General 

 Council of Manufactures, formerly a deputy, and in 1839, 1844, 

 and 1849, one of the central jury or commission for the National 

 Exposition. IMany of the exhibitors held back from sending their 

 productions, from 'doubts of the results of the Exposition, from 

 jealousy of the proposer, or of the English ; and many of those 

 who seiit did so from motives of speculation, in the hopes of making 

 a sale of their goods. It is, therefore, as much a bazaar as an ex- 

 hibition : but in either case M. SaUandrouze has achieved no mean 

 success. 



Macliinerv and the heavier productions have a very small share 

 in the collection; neither have the coarser but more important 

 manufactures more than a nominal representation, so that there is 

 little to gratify technical interest; hut it is as a demonstration of 

 Parisian artistic skill, as a display of objects of luxury, that this 

 Exposition remains as yet without an equal in England. '1 1 ■ ' 

 the better for us: for our cottons and our iron we do not fear 



This IS 

 ; but 

 it is in articles of taste that we are behindhand, and for which we 

 have the struggle to make; therefore we again thank M. SaUan- 

 drouze for this Exposition. Taken altogether, the tapestry, the 

 silks, the porcelain, the glass, the bronzes, the cabinet-work, tlie 

 knick-knackery, present a gorgeous display of cultivated taste, 

 which the English public will see with surprise. 



These things are not, however, to be seen and wondered at, and 

 never again thought of, but as sights which have been; they must 

 be considered and canvassed, and some profit be drawn from the 

 lesson,— for this Exposition is suggestive of many striking thoughts. 

 Why is it that France, which is neither so wealthy a land, 

 nor has so wealthy an aristocracy, is able to beat us in these attri- 

 butes of wealth ? Have we the power of struggling with her for 

 the mastery, or have we not— and is it worth our while? 



To our liiind, there is nothing disheartening in these considera- 

 tions, but every gi-ound of encouragement. Our army, it must be 

 remembered, has not yet been brought together on the field; and 

 when we look at that of our rivals, and acknowledge we have not 

 yet seen a force so imposing, we must not give up hope for our- 

 selves, but institute, so far as we can, a comparison of the details, 

 which admit of it. " Have we as good a staff— as good engineers, as 

 good artillery, infantry, cavalrv, and train?" If we can answer 

 "Yes" in each case — or if we can answer that though such an arm is 

 worse, another is better— then we have no need to fear the result; 

 and this, it strikes us, is what ought to be done here— to examine 

 each branch, and then to review the whole. If this be done, those 

 of our readers who know the resources of the country, will feel 

 more confidence for 1851. 



Tapestry we give up, for it is a government fancy in France, a 

 "specialty," as are the great productions of Sevres; and France 



must have the glory of these, as Rome of mosaics, Russia of grena- 

 diers, and England of first-rates. 



As to the porcelain and glass, putting the Sevres demonntrations 

 aside we do not consider we are at all inferior to tlie French In 

 looking carefully at the invention, shape, colour, details and finish 

 there is not that perfection on tlie part of the i rench which should 

 reduce us to despair; but on the contrary, some very strong 

 reasons for measuring weapons with them. There is to our seem- 

 ing a purer taste in shape in England, and a richer taste in colour. 

 We do not believe that in any branch of the arts, liigh or low, the 

 French are our masters on these two heads. The French SO^T"- 

 ment have spent enormous sums at Sevres, but our outward trade 

 in earthenware is a much better stimulant. In porcelain, and in 

 glass, we can make as good masterpieces; while the state of those 

 manufactures is with ourselves much more healthy than in h ranee, 

 or any other country. 



Our weavers can 'produce those specimens of silk which are the 

 boast of the Lyons looms, but we are inferior in design in the 

 general trade, because we have not reached the same height of 

 cultivation. Spitalfields and Manchester will make a show in 

 1851; but this is not the test of a healthy condition. Our manu- 

 facturers, pattern drawers, weavers, buyers (as the Art-Journal 

 well shows), mercers, and public, are not so well trained as in 

 France. We want more and better schools of design, more pic- 

 ture galleries, and above all, more public botanic gardens. A free 

 botanic garden in Victoria Park, and another at Manchester, will 

 do more for Spitalfields and Manchester than almost any measure 

 which can be proposed. Under decent management, tliese two 

 botanic gardens could be established and upheld at a very mode- 

 rate expense. ., , ... 

 In the case of the Victoria Park, the twenty acres of land, which 

 is the chief outlay, is already provided. Say, for laying-out paths 

 1 000/ If no show conservatory is tried, 5,000/. will make a good 

 provision of hothouses and gi-eenhouses. A curator can be had for 

 200/. a-year and a house. Gardeners are very cheap even in Lon- 

 don—fourteen shillings each a-week for twelve men, will provide 

 a sufficient establishment; for this 450/.; for materials plants, 

 coals, and other stock, 350/. a-year. Say 8,000/. for establishing the 

 garden, greenhouses, and dwellings, and 1.000/. a-year for keeping 

 it up. The 8.000/. might be got by public subscription; and the 

 1,000/. be raised by a rate or additional ground rent on the houses 

 benefitted by Victoria Park. 



Something of this kind must be done, for the establishments ot 

 London as now organised are inefficient. Kew is too far off; Chel- 

 sea, although admission is freely granted, is small, and a physic 

 garden- Kensington and St. James's Park present little more than 

 an arboretum. The Horticultural Gardens at Chiswick are too 

 far off. The Royal Botanic Gardens in the Regents lark are 

 only accessible to artists, and not to the public. The Zoological 

 Gardens are more acccessible, but even sixpence is too much tor 

 weavers. The gardens of the Messrs. Loddige, and other 



poor «ca*ci3. i .IV, ^i..v.^..~-. .--. cj / .. 



nurserymen, cannot he looked upon as available to the public. 

 The Ornithological Collection in St. James's Park is very limited 

 in its use; and the Surrey Zoological Gardens is a pay place. 



Putting Kew out of the question, the only places open even for 

 artists are the Royal Botanic and Zoological Gardens; and more 

 students of the Royal Academy than of the School of Design go 

 to either— indeed, very few from the School of Design. It is true 

 plants are used at the 'Schools of Design; but free study from the 

 growing plant is what is most wanted. For the instruction ot the 

 public at large, the means are quite inadequate; and besides the 

 Victoria Park, we would ask for botanic gardens at Battersea and 

 Greenwich. . , j 



The bronzes at the French Exposition are well executed; and 

 this branch of art, which includes clock-cases and gilt plate, is 

 carried on far beyond us. One reason is, that silver ijlate here 

 takes the place which in France is held by gilt bronze. The latter 

 can hardly be said to have an existence with us; not because we 

 have not the means of execution, but because the fashion and the 

 material are different. The works of Eck and Durand, Marchand, 

 Deniere, .Matifere, Susse, and Villemsens, will be looked upon with 



admiration. , ,_^ r n. 



The specimens of cabinet-work are most remarkable tor the 

 inlaying Grohe, Marcelin, and Marchal, have some excellent 

 work. In design, carving, and finish, we think we can meet the 

 French ; but we have not>et reached them as to price. W e would 

 particularly direct the attention of our readers to some of the 

 inlaying, a'nd the prices charged for it. ,, -r. v i. 



For gilding, we are inclined to give the palm to the English; 

 but they beat us in silks for upholstery. It is, however, rather in 



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