4-io 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



December, 190^ 



Chicago Embossed Moulding Co. 



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paratively few can have entrance are buildings 



and places that excite the utmost curiosity. 



Were these houses possessed of no interest as 

 houses, had they no architectural merit, were 

 they not interesting to see within as well as 

 without, it would he simply catering to a 

 natural curiosity to include them in the con- 

 tents of this magazine. It would be giving a 

 fictitious interest to our pages. But, as a 

 matter of fact, these houses have other points 

 of interest. The building of a large house 

 calls forth the finest skill of the expert archi- 

 tect. Many of these buildings arc thoroughly 

 notable as examples of domestic architecture, 

 many of them have the deepest interest as types 

 of contemporary dwellings, and in many ways 

 are worthy of serious study, quite apart from 

 the fact that a Mr. A or Mr. B lives in them, 

 or that the house is simply big, or that the 

 estate includes so many acres. 



As a matter of fact, the creation of a great 

 modern estate calls for the best that the crea- 

 ting and governing mind can give. Let it be 

 granted that some large houses to-day are built 

 that have not the interest that should be the 

 result of large expenditure. This still hap- 

 pens, and is likely to happen for some time to 

 come. But the actual number of such in- 

 stances is rapidly decreasing. Hence there are 

 very few " great " houses that are devoid of 

 interest, very few that, as houses, have not real 

 interest to the general reader as well as to the 

 architect. 



Most large property owners are content to 

 leave the external design and the entire struc- 

 tural design to their architects. A very differ- 

 ent condition prevails as to the furnishings and 

 interior decorations. A highly trained and 

 skilful architect may be commissioned to de- 

 sign a house, and the furnishing given to 

 another party or undertaken by the owners 

 themselves. Architects often supervise the 

 furnishings of a house, but not always, and it 

 would be exceedingly unfair to attribute to any 

 architect the effect of the furnishing of a house 

 unless this work was positively known to be 

 his. 



Hence the astonishing crudities and anachro- 

 nisms that are frequently seen in photographs 

 of house interiors, large and small, modest and 

 great. It is impossible to tell how these ob- 

 jects found their present resting places, nor the 

 circumstances under which they were obtained. 

 If any one, as our correspondent, does not like 

 them, it is a matter of congratulation for the 

 superior discernment in questions of furnish- 

 ings. But if you happen not to like a par- 

 ticular lamp, let us suggest, do not blame 

 American Homes and Gardens for it. 



There is another question suggested by our 

 correspondent's letter which might be referred 

 to here. Mr. Ferree's articles are descriptive 

 and not critical. The difference between a 

 descriptive article and a critical one is very 

 great. The scope of each is distinct, and com- 

 pletely so. These articles are based on per- 

 sonal visits to the houses described, supple- 

 mented, in most cases, with talks with the 

 owners and the architects. It is impossible to 

 prepare critical articles under such circum- 

 stances. One can not go into another's house 

 for the purpose of describing it in a magazine 

 and then find fault with what one sees. Our 

 correspondent should be aware of this without 

 expressing surprise that no criticism is offered. 

 This series of descriptions of " Notable Ameri- 

 can Homes " is notable not only because the 

 houses illustrated in it are notable, but because 

 the articles themselves are notable. These 

 descriptions are by far the most complete that 

 are being published to-day, and American 

 Homes and Gardens believes they give pleas- 

 ure to its many readers and add greatly to the 

 interest of its pages. — Editor. 



