Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/322

 232 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [October, admixture of chrome, is a pale green, varied in some specimens by a darker shade of the same, and when it is placed in contrast with material of another color, such as Pictou or Connecticut stone, the most pleasing architectural effects are produced. This stone is composed of nearly equal parts of silica and magnesia;* and is by most writers classed among the marbles ;f differing, indeed, but slightly in its constituents from the celebrated verde antique of the South of Europe. It derives its name from the tortuous [* The average of the analyses of some eight or ten dif- ferent specimens of Serpentine instanced in Dana's Mine- ralogy, gives: Silica, 43. Magnesia, 41. Water, 13. Protoxyd of Ir in .75 Carbonic Acid, .... 2. Lime, .125 Alumina, .125 100. Translucent varieties of Serpentine, often very beauti- ful in color, are distinguished by the epithet Precious, or Noble ; and the sub-transluceut or opaque varieties are called Common Serpentine, such as is mentioned in the text. ■f All true marbles have Carbonate of Lime as their chief constituent. — Eds.] character of the veins in which it occurs ; and which, in this region, though their general direction is northeast and south- west, show themselves on the surface at points having apparently very little rela- tion to each other. One of the best defined and most readily accessible of these points is in Birmingham township, Chester county ; and it is there are located the quarries from which most of the stone now in use is taken. Amongst the buildings in this cit} r for which this material has been used, are the Baptist Church, now in course of erection at the northwest corner of Broad and Spruce streets, a chapel at Broad [or, rather, Ontario] and Master streets, and a row of dwellings on San- som street, West Philadelphia, in which latter it has been used for window dressings. There is very little doubt, that, as this stone becomes moi'e widely known, its A T alue as a building material will be more fully recognized; affording, as it does, so pleasing a variation from the monotonous effect produced by long rows of brick and brown stone buildings. ILLUMINATING — As most of our readers are aware — is the art of adorning manuscripts, elegantly let- tered, with colors and gold. In the early Christian period, and during the Middle Ages, the vehicle was generally parchment or vel- lum; but since the partial revival of the prac- tice, within a few years, paper is occasionally employed. For deeds and patents — if sub- jected to heat in fire-proofs, through the acci- dent of conflagration — paper is preferable to prepared skins, as the latter shrivel and be- come a kind of glue, whereas the former are only a little discolored. Paper also admits finer drawing. In all other respects, fine skins are superior. The antique display, with regard to the linear contrast and har- mony of the entire page, was poor and stiff; but the antique predominant capitals were often exquisite in drawing and gorgeous in coloring, besides being pervaded with an in- genious intricacy, defying modern analysis, let alone successful imitation, as in the case of the Book of Kells. We should expect, however, modern art to excel iiuthe entire harmony of the subject of any particular page. With respect to color, the generality of modern imitations are very good specimens of ornamental printing ; but not fairly, in any sense, illuminations. The great secret of the purity and brilliancy of color lies in the fact, that the old monks, in the best ages of the art, drew without showing any black outlines ; and, while generally successful in the harmo- nious contrasts of color, invariably separated all colors from each other by slender lines of white. C J. L.