220 [Assembly 



(Copy.) 



The Committee, to whom the November 1847 Meeting of the 

 American Institute referred the work of Mr. William Vose Pickett, 

 of London, " On a new system of Architecture,''^ presented at that 

 meeting, by Mr. Serreli, on behalf of the Author, respectfully 

 report; 



That the work is divided into about ten chapters, which, com- 

 mencing with an investigation into the forms that can be obtained 

 with stone, as a building material, proceeds to show, that these forms 

 are limited by the nature of the substances employed; that the most 

 beautiful ornamental forms in nature, cannot be produced in stone, 

 without a cost that prohibits the employment of these forms; that on 

 this ground the genius of the architect is cramped, and confined, the 

 beauty, both internal and external, of private and public buildings, 

 is confined to the limited range of certain orders of architecture, 

 commenced by the ancients, and matured by time and the efforts of 

 successive generations, to the present conditions; but still bearing 

 about them the impress of the fact, that the nature of the material, 

 and the cost of working it into forms of natural beauty, prevent any 

 great improvements in the style of buildings; and finally, that the 

 monotony of the color acts against the possibility of embodying any 

 new and harmonious association of colors, in the interior or exterior 

 ornamental portions of buildings, constructed with stone. 



The author then proposes iron and other metals, as substitutes for 

 stone; and goes, ably and lucidly, into the general questions of cost, 

 durability, economy of space, security from fire, dryness, cleanliness, 

 temperature, light, and other general conveniences, the facility of 

 construction, taking down and removing, and re-constructing without 

 injury; all of which are pertinently put and ably sustained, in the 

 work under review of your committee. 



Mr. Pickett then elucidates the subject of ornament, as applied to 

 constructions of metal materials, and shows how vastly this division 

 can be extended, by using metal in place of stone. The positions 

 stated and maintained, show that an immense increase of means may 

 be used to effect both an entire change in the character and number 

 of architectural ornaments, as these can be multiplied into almost all 

 the endless varieties of natural form, and additionally beautified by 

 the use and harmonious blending of the natural colors of the parts 



