January, 191! 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
113 \ 
(({ ata Ne ( Z ‘ 
— Z, SOSA oz ZN: 
; >>>) LX e—FA 
‘AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS FOR3?1911 
HE publishers extend a Happy New Year greeting to 
-T the readers of AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS. 
They welcome the approach of the New Year for 
it presents every promise of being a most successful one. 
The scope of the paper will be continually broadened in 
order to meet the needs of the various tastes of its readers, 
and will present everything progressive in house and ground 
development. 
A brilliant program for the next twelve months has been 
arranged, which will introduce many new features, while 
the departments already established will be strengthened and 
enlarged. New problems centering in the home and in the, 
garden will be prepared by experts who have given their 
best thought to the subjects which are to be presented. 
Many practical and stimulating suggestions will be found 
in each month’s issue. The aim of the magazine will be to 
help the home builder and the home maker, and if this is 
accomplished the publishers will feel that their object has 
been realized. While they appreciate the interest which 
the readers have shown in AMERICAN HOMES AND 
GARDENS, they desire to ask a further co-operation in order 
that the class of articles published may be of greater service. 
CEMENT SHOW 
HE greeting extended to the many cement industries 
represented at the ‘Cement Show,” which is now be- 
ing held in Madison Square Garden, was one that 
demonstrates the interest manifested by architects, builders 
and laymen by their presence at the opening of the exhibi- 
tion. 
While the object of the show is to bring together all the 
facilities for the use of cement in the building of the small 
working man’s home, as well as the more pretentious build- 
ing, it is also its purpose to present in a practical and in- 
structive way the great utility of cement as a structural 
material. 
The exhibition serves to show how broad is the field that 
is embraced in the term, ‘‘cement construction,’’ and to teach 
how to practice economy in every type of building. 
With the advent of the use of cement for building small 
houses economically, a problem arose difficult to solve, but 
the idea has now been conceived of using standard shapes in 
order that they might be manufactured and assembled at a 
minimum cost. 
The substantial character of concrete construction is no 
longer a question, but the cost entailed on account of the 
lumber wasted and the labor required to make the forms for 
the molds, has made it prohibitive in competition with the 
building of frame houses. 
The experiment of erecting worl memicn’ s small houses 
by the use of the Atterbury sectional shield has made it 
possible to build a house in five working days. ‘This 
is an important result in comparison to the time usually re- 
quired to build a modern wooden house of the same size 
and proportions. 
The “Morrill Mould” also makes the building of concrete 
houses much cheaper. The equipment and method is, of 
course, new, but it has been tried out, and the system has 
proven most satisfactory. The forms are made of steel, 
24 inches by 24 inches, which are easily joined together, and 
almost any size and style of building can be made with one 
outfit. 
A demonstration of Edison’s method of building a house 
with poured cement is exceedingly interesting. 
With the invention of these devices, there has been 
brought about a great saving in the cost of construction. 
This being accomplished, there is no reason why the small 
house can not be built for less money than has formerly 
been the case, and prove a much safer and a better invest- 
ment in maintenance than could possibly be secured under 
any other method of construction. 
THE SOCIETY OF CRAFTSMEN 
Che annual exhibition’ of the National Society of 
Craftsmen, which is now being held in the galleries 
of the National Arts Club of this city, shows the 
progress which has been made during the past year by the 
Society in craftsmanship. Some of the work of the mem- 
bers includes tiles with delicate landscapes, vases of purple 
iridescence, and a case of forms with gray-green mat glaze, 
lent by Charles Binns, the Director of the New York State 
Ceramic School. A corner of the exhibition is devoted to 
frames, hand carved and gilded, and to other pieces showing 
the wood carver’s art. ‘The display is distinctly American, 
for though there are objects of the ancient art shown, they 
are introduced chiefly for the purpose of contrast. A fine 
collection of Chinese pottery from the Han dynasty (202 
B. C., 220 A. D.) serves as an incentive to the craftsmen of 
to-day. ‘The beauty of form and the delicacy of color are 
two of the elements which make the collection so delightful. 
This exhibition ought to be of service to all those interested 
in the expression of simplicity in house decoration and fur- 
nishing. 
EXHIBITION OF THE FURNITURE OF THOMAS 
CHIPPENDALE 
T is a long time since there has been exhibited in this city 
so rare a collection of Chippendale furniture as is now 
being shown at the Hotel Plaza. The rarity of the 
pieces of furniture exhibited demands the attention of all 
art collectors and those interested in the antique, and this 
collection is certainly worthy of serious consideration. 
One of the most excellent pieces is a Chippendale ma- 
hogany cabinet from the Dean collection; another from the 
same collection and also one of the rarest models presented, 
is a Chippendale mahogany settle, whose open back work 
is of triple design in ribands, and reverse C-shaped scrolls. 
A grandfather’s clock, also from the same collection, is of 
the Chinese lattice work and design, and is carved in an 
exquisite manner. A carved circular table from the Lord 
Foley collection, a pair of arm chairs from Bradfield Hall, 
an exquisite old cabinet from the Spottiswoode collection, 
and a suite of mahogany furniture from the collection of 
Lord Clifton, represent some of the best pieces, though 
everyone exhibited is a work of art. 
