Editorial 
House&Garden 
1 ' 1 ’ *'*' ' BgMBBMB — II III I fHOT lI J 
Vol. I. NOVEMBER, igoi. No. 6. 
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Address: 
HOUSE AND GARDEN, 
1222 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Penna. 
Copyrighted, /go/, by The Architectural Publishing Company. 
Entered at the Philadelphia Post Office as Second Class Mail Matter, 
June, /go/. 
T he f irst International Exhibition of 
Modern Decorative Art, to be held at 
Turin in 1902, promises to be an event 
of unusual interest. The prospectus just 
issued by the American Committee deserves 
serious consideration. Acknowledging the 
esthetic progress in architecture and the deco¬ 
rative crafts, which has been made in America 
by the intelligent co-operation of artists and 
manufacturers, the committee on behalf of its 
Italian colleagues, invites exhibits under the 
following heads:—“ I. The Modern House 
and its Decorative Elements, II. The Mod¬ 
ern Room and its Decorative Whole, and 
III. The House and Street in its Deco¬ 
rative Whole.” Phe visitor to Turin may 
expect to find thus classified every sort of do¬ 
mestic object, from wall decorations, glass 
and pottery, to clocks and stoves. The pro¬ 
spectus goes on to say that “It is not 
a question of bringing together many objects 
of a different character, but rather of pro¬ 
ducing the decorative whole in harmony with 
the essence of modern life.” We are very glad 
to welcome so admirable a sentiment and so 
practical a program for carrying it out. 
That the work of the architect does not cease 
with the mere walls of his building, but 
must include the more subtle task of har¬ 
monizing all the objects gathered within those 
walls, is a fact of the utmost importance to 
the future development of all our arts and 
crafts. It is gaining recognition on both sides 
of the water, and it is particularly significant 
that this new and very practical expression 
comes from awakened Italy. 
Plans of buildings and of their parts, of 
streets and squares, and designs of gar¬ 
dens, bridges and porches are invited under 
the third of the above divisions, as well as 
designs and models of all the details which 
apply to the “exterior decoration of the house 
and street.” It is here where architects will 
find L'Art Nouveau invading the domain 
heretofore held by the distinct styles of the 
past. That the object of the exhibition is to 
be the promotion of this new art is shown by 
the following significant words of the pro¬ 
spectus : “ As this exhibition is not to be the 
reflection of other industrial exhibitions so 
oft repeated, neither reproduction of styles 
already known , nor simply industrial productions 
wanting of an artistic stamp will be admitted.” 
The departure from the cherished historic 
styles is all too tender a subject for many 
to view the coming exhibition at Turin with 
any other feeling than that of curiosity. But 
it should be at least a hopeful curiosity. Has 
not the recent work emanating from Dresden 
and Munich,—work without precedent ex¬ 
cept in the far East,—been marked by pro¬ 
ductions of permanent artistic value ? When 
the bizarre and the extreme have disappeared 
by reason of their own weakness the vitality 
of a new artistic impulse will surely remain. It 
is to this new impulse that Italy now holds 
out her hands. It is an acknowledgment that 
she has, herself, too long regarded the monu¬ 
ments of the past, and desires to-day to cast 
in her lot with the party of progress. 
P RACTISING architects can find surpris¬ 
ing news upon their profession in an article 
which appeared recently in a popular magazine. 
The point of view is purely mercenary. The 
profession is represented as an investment, 
and an investment yielding dazzling profits 
from work of the largest scale. The ex¬ 
penditure of time and money for academic 
education and office experience is measured 
against enormous commissions to be won 
later on, from million-dollar office buildings. 
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