The desire for
the picturesque, which has been until recently the ruling motive with
American architects, has had its day, and trained and conservative
designers have gradually taken the place of the pyrotechnic draughtsman
of the past. The change has been working gradually to be sure, but scale
and detail drawings both in the exhibitions, which of necessity are
intended to appeal to a more or less popular taste, and in the
professional journals are from year to year growing more prominent. In
their recognition of this tendency, the Philadelphia catalogue committee
are to be highly commended.
The same trend may be observed in a little less marked degree in the
Architectural League catalogue. The exhibitions of the League have for
years been the models by which minor exhibitions have been ruled, and
its catalogue has been a guide to all others. As usual there is a great
deal of valuable and interesting material presented in its
illustrations.
The Catalogue Committee of the St. Louis exhibition have made a
departure from the general rule, and increased the size of their pages,
allowing the use of much larger plates. In some of the drawings this is
a distinct advantage, and their catalogue gains in consequence.
The Boston Society of Architects and the Boston Architectural Club will
hold a joint exhibition in April, and their catalogue now promises to be
a very creditable publication.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25