Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/897

 1869.] Drawing Instruments. 729 NOTICEABLE THINGS. DRAWING INSTRUMENTS. TO be a good draughtsman there is nothing so necessary as reliable in- struments. No matter how much genius and practical ability in drawing may be the portion of any person, one bad or indifferent instrument will offer oppo- sition to his best efforts, and frequently, if not always, cause them to fail. The manufacture of drawing instruments has improved in proportion to the vast strides which drawing has, of late years made, and the Swiss as well as the French and English makers have been well remunerated for their efforts to produce instruments that would facili- tate the labors of the drawing desk. But our American manufacturers, deter- mined to keep pace with the spirit of their nation, struck out for independence even in this — and now we have Ameri- can instruments which fully equal the best of foreign production, " Philadel- phia make" being the test of that which is most desirable. A good drawing-pen is, like a good razor, rather a chance thing to meet amongst the supply that comes from abroad ; but here at home the make is certain, and all alike good. We would therefore strongly recommend all our Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Mechanical draughtsmen, to patronize our home manufactured instruments, if they would secure the best and surest for constant work and unfailing fine finish. The Capitol Extension. — The deco- rations of the extended buildings of the capitol at Washington have, since the year 1855, consumed over $320,000. The report, recently sent in to Congress by the architect, gives the following items : Brumidi, an Italian fresco painter, was paid about $61,000 for painting various ceilings with allegorical pictures of gods and goddesses. The American sculptor, Crawford, received $20,000 for models for the pediment of the north wing, and the models of Jus- tice and History over the doorway to the main entrance of the same ; $3,000 for the statues of Justice and His- tory from the above-mentioned models ; $6,000 for the model of his bronze door, and $3,000 for the figure of Freedom, in plaster, to surmount the dome. Randolph Rogers received $8,000 for the model of a bronze door to match Crawford's. The casting of Crawford's door was done by James T. Ames, an American, at a cost of $50,000 ; while Roger's door was cast by F. Von Miller, a German, for only $17,000. Hiram Powers has been paid $10,000 for a statue of Jefferson, and $10,000 for one of Frank- lin, leaving $5,000 to be expended on other statues, in order to exhaust the appropriation of $25,000 made in his behalf. Emanuel Leutze has received $20,000 in part payment for his picture of Emigration, on the wall of the west- ern stairway of the House of Represen- tatives ; while Miss C. L. Ransom, of Cleveland, Ohio, has received the com- paratively small sum of $1,000 for her portrait of the Hon. Joshua R. Giddings. The rest of the money, over $100,000, has been divided among artists of less note, such as marble cutters and bronze casters. Boston has organized a " New Eng- land Mechanics' and Art Association." Such should be established in each of our great cities, to aid in drawing forth the latent genius of a very large and, at present, very much neglected portion of our communities. Ex-Governor Bul- lock of Worcester, Massachusetts, is the first president.