October, 1905 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



267 



NEW BOOKS 



Picturesque English Cottages 



Picturesque English Cottages and their 

 Doorway Gardens. By P. H. Ditch- 

 held, F.S.A., F.R.H.S. With a Pref- 

 atory Note by Ralph Adams Cram. 

 Philadelphia: The John C. Winston 

 Company, 1905. Pp.112. Price, $2.00 

 net. Postage, 20 cents. 



For sheer pure picturesqueness few buildings 

 surpass the little old English cottage, the mimic 

 building built, in most cases, without thought 

 of effect, without regard for environment, 

 without purpose to please, without a single 

 underlying idea than to be a simple home in a 

 quiet, unpretentious, simple way. As a matter 

 of fact, this one idea is quite sufficient to serve 

 as a basis for good home building in all times 

 and ages and under all conditions, but the 

 modern searcher after the utilitarian rarely 

 reaches picturesque forms, certainly nowhere 

 approaches the satisfying charm of these very 

 charming old English houses. 



Yet it would be a mistake to assume that 

 this charm simply came of itself and without 

 guidance. It would be easily possible for the 

 analyst to indicate several definite circum- 

 stances that have produced the final result- 

 ant. There was simplicity first and all the 

 time, no manifest effort, no thought of form, 

 no idea of being other than a simple little 

 house. Being small houses there was no effort 

 at expansion ; they were built low and neat, 

 within the compass of a narrow pocket. The 

 native materials of the soil were used, just 

 such materials as, in many cases, could be had 

 for the taking. Hence cottages in different 

 parts of England have quite different and 

 thoroughly characteristic forms and features, 

 for the house must be built as the materials 

 permitted. Because native materials were used 

 the finished dwelling set well with the sur- 

 rounding landscape; it was but part of the 

 landscape put into a new form. And with all 

 this was a native natural taste ; no understand- 

 ing of great things in art, no knowledge or 

 appreciation of art, but a quiet natural taste 

 that simply would not go wrong, and which 

 used such humble materials in so humble a 

 way that it was impossible to step far aside 

 from the simplest path. 



And to all this must be added the over- 

 whelming advantage of old age. Newness is 

 on^ of the most difficult qualities to handle in 

 an artistic way ; in a certain sense it is an artis- 

 tic impossibility. Just how we would regard 

 the old English houses were they brand-new is 

 impossible to determine. Fortunately this is 

 a purely academic question, of no value at all 

 before the great wealth of picturesque fine old 

 houses that still remain in England : houses of 

 every size, great and small ; houses of every 

 cost, large and little ; houses built at one time 

 and houses added onto, changed, bettered or 

 even made worse with succeeding generations. 

 England is a rare country for old buildings oi 

 ever}' sort, albeit it is active enough in modern 

 undertakings. And then the great natural 

 beauty of its scenery, the deep greenness of its 

 rain-soaked fields and lawns, its rich flower- 

 ings, its fine gardens — one need not step off 

 English soil to view the uttermost delights in 

 all that appertains to the house and garden, 

 in fine and beautiful form. 



That England is full of beautiful old dwell- 

 ings is doubtless known to most travelers, 

 but the singular beauty and penetrating charm 

 of the cottage, of the small dwelling house, is 

 perhaps less fully appreciated, and Mr. Ditch- 

 field's beautiful book, dealing with a subject 

 he has somewhat made his own, is, therefore, 

 very welcome. Given a handsome dress by its 



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