Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/244

 200 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [Sept., architect beards the public disapproval, and plants himself doggedly on his own opinion, as though he had a monopoly of art-judgment, and the community, for whom he builds, had no right whatever to think adversely to him. That the public decision on matters of taste in design, is, after all, the true test of its actual value, may be a subject for close consideration. For the same object may produce very different effects upon various minds, and that which succeeds in winning the approbation of the ma- jority may surely be considered as agree- able to taste. It is true that the general public is ignorant of the rules which govern our time-honored art. But those rules were themselves made to produce effects taste- ful to the public eye. Therefore, the majority has to be consulted ; and, in such case, any architect who desires to succeed should seek as wide a range of opinion on his designs as he can obtain. In this connection, we would urge the necessity for a more extended association of professional and amateur talent, aided by the frequent exhibition and critical observation of designs, before they be- come built-up facts, for better or for worse. That work, which will not stand the scrutiny of criticism, while on paper, most certainly will not gain favor in construction. The profession would find it very ad- vantageous to their art, to give as many opportunities as possible to the public to acquire a knowledge of the outlines of architecture. Popular lectures, public exhibitions, evening conversazioni, and the like, each winter, would, any or all, be desirable. London laudably led the way, years ago, in this matter. Why should not New York and her sister cities follow ? We have, at present, a small soci- ety, entitled THE INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ARCHITECTS; but its existence is almost unknown to the com- munity at large, and it is ignored by many architects in fine practice. Now, this certainly does not meet the require- ments of our progressive day ; and can conduce very little, indeed, to the ad- vance of the Great Art. An institute, to be of real utility, should be such an one that every ambi- tious member of the profession would desire to belong to it, and be proud to attach to his name the initials of his membership. We do not advocate the mere copying of the British Institution, founded, as it unhappily is, on aristocratic exclusive- ness. What we aim at is a purely republican association, for the friendly interchange of art ideas, and the unselfish union of architects, patriotic enough to make it their conscientious duty to ad- vance the national taste, and elevate the character of American Architecture, if we may be allowed so to term it. More depends upon this subject, as concerning our country, than appears at first sight ; and the positive necessity for an effort in this direction, becomes more and more imperative, as our mighty Nation develops itself, year by year, and has its majesty freely acknowledged amongst the dynasties of Europe. „ Steamship lines for Philadelphia should be the special aim of our mer- chants. With proper organization and effort, they could obtain, from Con- gress, subsidies for a term of years, in consideration of mail service, until the enterprise should be, in all respects, self-supporting. We, as the chief man- ufacturing centre of the nation, and the place of greatest expanse, are really first, not second, of the cities of the Union ; yet without direct steam communication with Europe, we shall always be held and reported " Number Two," unless we aid our natural advantages with all possible fair, social and artificial means.