Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/905

 THE ARCHITECTUEAL REVIEW AND AMERICAN BUILDERS' JOURNAL Vol. I. — Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S6S, by Samuel Sloan, in the Clerk's i Court of the United States, in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. See of the District MONTHLY REVIEW. TO OUR READERS. IN concluding with the present num- ber, the First Volume of The Archi- tectural Review, we deem it appro- priate to the occasion to make some remarks connected with the enterprise which has been undertaken at a hazard- ous venture, and which has thus far proved to us a very nattering suc- cess. The reason why this publication was be- gun may be briefly yet distinctly stated in the fact, that Architecture had then no serial literary representative on this side of the Atlantic. Europe had her national publications, and England, es- pecially, was putting forth many monthly and weekly periodicals conducive of the best interests of the great art of construction. Our many-citied country was dependent solely on those foreign publications for such information as might chance to be available to our professional brethren here at home. But this state of total dependence was not suitable to the rapid growth of Architecture amongst us, nor was it altogether agreeable to the national pride to be thus situated with regard to the passing thoughts and efforts of the age. Realizing this state of things in our own personal experience, we clearly saw the full extent of the want, and came to the determination to establish such a monthly medium of information and communication of thought as we felt the profession and all connected with it required. Our lead was soon followed by others, whose efforts have been, like our own, to make up for the want hither- to experienced. In the pioneer advance we have made, obstacles were at first numerous, but they gave way before our avowed determination to establish the claim of a national architectural maga- zine ; and now we have the satisfaction to say, that our efforts have been suc- cessful, and the most discouraging of our acquaintances have gladly acknowl- edged the correctness of our calculation on that nationality of feeling which before they feared was but an empty dream. To those kind and generous friends who stood by us with ready pens and never failing words of good cheer, we tender our heartfelt thanks, for their companionship in the past twelvemonth effort, and give to them an invitation, one and all, to still stand by us in the year to come. The Architectural Review is be- coming widely known — simply because a publication of the kind was very widely wanted in this country ; and we are re- solved that no effort shall be lacking on our part to make it meet, as far as in (131)