Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/965

 1869.] Geometrical Drawings and Models. 789 son cannot look out of them ought to be shaded several degrees darker. The same ought to be done in regard to small closets ; for if a closet be merely in a recess in a wall, shut up with a door, it will not explain itself so well as it ought to do, but convey the idea of there being a recess open to the room ; but, of course, the tint employed for this pur- pose should be still fainter than that made use of to show any window or opening in the upper part of a wall ; nor should it be at all deeper than is requi- site to define that such recess is not in- cluded within the actual limits of the room. " Sometimes it might be useful to have flap plans, showing, as in a kind of model, all the floors of the building in their respective situations. The plan of each floor being drawn on Bristol board, and neatly cut out ; upon another piece of the same material, an orthog- raphy of one of the external walls, which may be either an inner or outer eleva- tion, is drawn ; and to this the several flaps or plans are to be affixed, accord- ing to the respective floor lines or heights, by means of narrow strips of linen, which will serve as a hinge, and allow the flaps to fold freely ; so that the whole model, if it may so be termed, will lie perfectly flat, and ma}' be kept in a portfolio. Or else, two or more projecting tongues ma} r be left in cut- ting out each plan, and corresponding slits be made to receive them in the up- right part, so that all the pieces would be separate, and lie flat one upon another, and could be put together when required. Should this latter mode be preferred, there might then be two uprights or ex- ternal walls, into both of which the floors would be inserted ; and thus the whole might be rendered capable of standing firmly, without being supported by the hand while examined. Such flap models would be of limited application, because they would be suited only to rectangular plans ; and, even in these, difficulties would frequently occur that would require some management." ARCHITECTURAL LIBRARIES. The following item, which we find in the columns of the Evening Standard of New Bedford, Mass., is really so truthful, as applied to many of our pub- lic libraries throughout the land, that we cannot help giving it, verbum verbo : " It is proposed to erect a new build- ing for the Free Public Library in Boston. The present building is a com- paratively new one, and it would seem as though the science of architecture might have advanced sufficiently at this day that a suitable structure for such a pur- pose could be erected. Yet the Boston library building is pronounced very ill adapted for its purposes. It is in a contracted space, and in the interior, everything, says the Boston Traveler, has been sacrificed to a grand show room, while the alcoves are dark and difficult of access, and impose a great deal of labor on the librarians. The same may be said of other library build- ings. Convenience for practical use is sacrificed to what is considered archi- tectural effect. The public admire a broad staircase, a large and lofty hall, massive columns with plaster capitals, a heavy entablature, while the librarian groans over the waste of room, the want of light, the ill-adapted arrangements which increase his labor and try his patience. If architects would consult the actual wants of those who have to administer the affairs of a large library, instead of their desire to make an idle show, these buildings would be much better adapted to their purposes. Per- haps, in Boston, where they have an unlimited amount of money, after three or four trials, they will get an approach to a model library building."