THE NINETEENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION 
OF THE ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE OF NEW YORK 
T he nineteenth annual exhibition of the 
Architectural League of New York shows, 
in some degree, the effects of the reduction 
in building operations during the past year, 
by the diminution in the number of exhibits; 
but the chief cause of the decrease in its 
accustomed size is a more careful discrimi¬ 
nation than heretofore exercised on the part 
of the jury of admission. To mention indi¬ 
vidually every exhibit that deserves notice 
would be to reprint the greater part of the 
catalogue; and it is perhaps more interesting 
to refer to those that do the most in forming 
the general impressions made by the exhibi¬ 
tion as a whole. 
These are the designs for public buildings. 
The impression they give is of a tendency 
to look at things en grande , and of a growing 
recognition of the advantages, utilitarian as 
well as esthetic, of planning entire municipal 
and institutional groups of buildings to be 
constructed, as future needs demand and re¬ 
sources permit, on lines laid down once for all. 
Cleveland, for ex¬ 
ample, has had plans 
drawn up by Messrs. 1 ). 
H. Burnham, John M. 
Carrere and Arnold W. 
Brunner for grouping all 
of its future public build¬ 
ings. It is evident that 
practical use has been 
the controlling factor in 
the design; and it is 
equally evident that the 
prominence which must 
be given to matters of 
convenience is not only 
not incompatible with, 
but is an actual assistance 
to, such a successful 
architectural treatment. 
No such project has yet 
been completed, though 
that for the improvement 
of Washington has been 
commenced by the adoption of the design 
for the Union Station by D. H. Burnham 
& Co., and it is to be hoped that as it pro¬ 
gresses, the advantages of systematic plan¬ 
ning will be so apparent that it will become, 
as a matter of course, the only way to be 
followed in the seemingly inevitable recon¬ 
struction of our cities. 
Another plan, less comprehensive, that 
would do much to bring this about is the 
design by Henry Hornbostel for a bridge 
terminus and municipal buildings for New 
York. There is no need to point out the 
artistic qualities of the design : they will be 
apparent to those who can appreciate them ; 
and for those who cannot, it should be 
enough to have once seen the degrading 
herding of passengers at Brooklyn Bridge, 
and to reflect upon the sadly needed amelio¬ 
ration of manners that the adoption of such 
a plan would bring about. If that, and a 
proper pride in seeing the municipality de¬ 
cently housed, is not enough, at least the 
H5 
