April, 
19 2 0 
31 
AMERICAN DECORATION 
Is Decoration a Form of National Expression ? Do American Interiors Picture the 
20th Century Woman Or Are They But Made-Over Relics ? 
VICTORIA WILLIAMSON 
T he histor}' of a race is written in its 
architecture. 
All our knowledge of that period preceding 
the erection of any buildings must be more or 
less conjectural. 
But once advanced to a stage of civilization 
where buildings become a necessity, the aspira¬ 
tions and limitations of a race will be very 
clearly portra)’ed. This is true for five rea¬ 
sons, because geography, geology, climate, his¬ 
tory and religion will pre-determine what form 
these structures shall take. 
The buildings which re¬ 
main to us of ancient Egypt, 
express perfectly the soul of 
a people. Not only were 
they restricted geograph¬ 
ically, but there was more 
or less limitation as to ma¬ 
terials. 
Wood was rarely used, 
but there was an abundance 
of limestone, sandstone and 
granite. Consecjuently, in de¬ 
sign, architecture progressed 
along lines which offered 
the most effective expression 
in these materials, having 
due regard to the climatic 
demands of comfort. Any 
latitude in artistic expres¬ 
sion was impossible owing 
to the strict surveillance of 
the priests. All this, and 
more, is plainl}" shown in 
the Egyptian architecture 
and decoration. 
In Assyria, such ma¬ 
terials as the foregoing 
were lacking, but there was 
in Chaldea and IMesopo- 
tamia a quantity of rich 
alluvial clay from which ex¬ 
cellent bricks could be 
made for building. 
Wall Decorations 
This poverty of Iruilding 
material imposed a certain 
amount of restraint on the 
type of plan that could be 
used, but what the plans 
lacked in variety was more 
than counterbalanced by 
the magnificence of the wall 
decorations. These were of 
alabaster, painted plaster. 
and enameled tiles, whereon were depicted in 
brilliant colors hunting scenes and battles, 
drawn by an artist whose hand, unrestrained 
by superstition, followed the soul’s yearning 
after truth. 
Each succeeding race, in developing its 
architecture, took something from that of its 
predecessor, but so controlled by and adapted 
to existing conditions that the results are very 
definitely characteristic of the later builders. 
The Greek temples are models of perfect 
proportion and beautiful ornament. But when 
the Romans conquered Greece, their pre-emi¬ 
nently practical minds took this beauty and 
adapted it to the many uses of civilization. 
We find this principle holds good through¬ 
out the ages. Certain countries became cele¬ 
brated for the skill of tlieir craftsmen- in over¬ 
coming and subjugating structural difficulties 
and giving these masterpieces to the world 
transformed into national expression.-. That 
ancient tendency has a modern application. 
Today, architecturally 
speaking, the United States- 
unquestionably stands in a 
l)Osition unrivalled in the 
world's histor}'. Fabulously 
wealthy, touched but lightly 
Ijy the destructive influences, 
of war, unhampered by tra¬ 
dition, it has all these strong 
{)oints richly conducive to a 
high form of individuality. 
But with one notable ex¬ 
ception, we seem so far to 
have been content to follow 
and not to lead. 
Adapted Gothic 
The New York skA- 
scraper 
is a 
into 
geographical 
lirought 
development 
being by a 
condition. 
ingle nook is an inheritance from the English cottage and is applicable 
rooms in that style. Peabody, Wilson & Brown, architects 
to 
Needing inspiration for 
the clothing of the steel 
skeleton, the architect went 
to the. most logical source 
in all the world. The struc- 
turally-perfect stone skele¬ 
tons of the 15th Centur}" 
Perpendicular Gothic pe¬ 
riod met this demand. 
They were adapted and 
subjugated to 20th Cen¬ 
tury American require¬ 
ments. 
What is true of Ameri¬ 
can architecture is even 
more true of interior dec¬ 
oration. Were it possible: 
for a stranger to pay a fly¬ 
ing visit to a dozen of New 
York City’s famous man¬ 
sions, he might, in the ab- 
■sence of information to the 
contrary, assume that their 
various onmers, when con- 
{Continued on page 35) 
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