- JAN. 12, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 29
‘the portraits of those English nobles most alluding to an exceptional house here and | inducement torecommend anovelty, as it can-
favourable to the principles of the Reformation, | there. In our own professional calling, it is
and began to make his religious opinions
frankly known by his designs for woodcuts.
As he had adorned the first German Bible,
so he did also Coverdale’s English Bible,
which is but a more complete edition of
Tyndale’s version. The precise date at which
Holbein entered Henry VIII.’s service is not
‘known, but he is mentioned in a letter as the
King’s painter in the year 1536. From hence-
forth he is essentially limited to portrait
‘painting, which probably at that time ranked
as the highest branch of the art in England,
and was therefore assigned to the best master.
Besides his portraits, however, he was much
engaged by virtue of his office in designing for
goldsmiths’ work, and for pageants. Many
beautifully-executed drawings by him for
such works remain, while those for triumphal
arches and gateways serve to show that the
architecture of the time, then a period of
transition, is indebted to his genius for much
of the richness and redundancy of ornament
that characterises the Tudor Renaissance.
Holbein died of the plague in London in
1553, in the prime of life. Some biographers
thaye described him as of an_ entirely
licentious disposition, but this seems untrue.
He was fond of pleasure and of good living,
and his character will not bear comparison
with the upright, honest, God-fearing nature
of his great contemporary, Albert Diirer. He
is said to have been entirely without educa-
tion, unable either to read or write, but this
is proved not to have been the case, both from
his illustrations to books and his writings and
signatures on portraits. He does not appear
to have had any fortune to leave, but his wife
and children in Basle had been fortunately
already provided for by a relative. Holbein
distanced all his brother artists of that day
in his comprehension of the beauty of form, in
his power of delineating individual character,
in his artistic richness of imagination, and in
his bold treatment of the new Renaissance
style. Without giving an entire adhesion to
all Dr. Woltmann’s opinions on Holbein’s
works, or agreeing with him altogether as to
their originality or non-originality, we can
highly recommend his book, which gives a
strict and conscientious account of Holbein’s
life and labours, and reveals many details
about a painter of whom too little is known
in this country, considering his pre-eminence
in art and his wonderful power of drawing.
We advise all art-students to make themselves
acquainted with the book.
ee ene ee
HOW TO BUILD SCIENTIFICALLY
WITH THE AID OF MODERN IN-
VENTIONS.
HIS is s subject which must commend
itself to all. No one can doubt that the
improyement of the dwellings of the noblest,
or most ignoble, the richest or the poorest in
the land, is of paramount importance.
I will therefore proceed to consider the
details of the subject, and show why s0 little
has been done generally ; then I propose to
enter into the various trades, showing what
inyentions and patents are ready for appli-
cation to buildings. I will also explain why
so few are produced, and why those that are
have been so little used in modern buildings.
Let us first, then, take an entire building, and
work from thence to details. Probably I do
it in this form, as being the usual course pur-
sued in designing, and the injunction so to
do is given by some poet, whose words I
remember, though I have forgotten his name.
“Consider what you undertake,
And analyse it well;
And ever work from whole to part,
Grand principle of master art,
That makes that work to tell.”
Well, then, let us consider in what does
the house of to-day differ from the house
built a century ago. I must be understood
to mean the ordinary houses which are being
built all over the kingdom, and not as
sometimes wise to imitate the prudent trades-
men who just now are ‘‘stock-taking,” but I
am afraid if we take stock, and look upon
the houses of to-day and those built a
century ago, aud draw comparisons between
them, we must acknowledge that our prede-
cessors built much stronger and better houses
than we do, and that the patents and inven-
tions of the present day (useful as many of
them are) are being so little utilised that,
even in the matter of conveniences, the old
houses will almost equal the modern.
It is strange that this should be the case,
when one considers the almost appalling
number of inventions and patents that are
granted yearly. Take, for instance, our own
country ; here the ayerage number of appli-
cations for patents per annum, during the
last ten years, was a little over 3,000, of which
more than 2,000 were granted. The number
applied for last year was 3,500, and of these,
according to the average, two-thirds would
be granted. And yet, see how slow old Eng-
land is. In the United States, for the year
ending 30th September, 1871, 19,429 appli-
cations for patents were filed in the Patent
Office (including re-issues and designs) and
as many as 12,950 patents were issued.
And, startling as this may appear, I find that
this number was not so great as that of the
preceding year. I notice the fees received
during the year by the United States Patent
Office amounted to £671,583 !
I cannot say what proportion of the above
patents relate to buildings and sanitary
matters, but from time to time such long
lists of them appear that one feels confi-
dent the thought must arise in the mind of
the public, why, then, are these inventions
and patents not more used? I will explain.
A man, if he can invent something which will
enable him to produce an article of general
consumption at a reduced price, say, for
example, cotton, $d. per pound cheaper, or
some machine which shall be a perfect sub-
stitute for hand labour in some department
where the demand is unlimited, why he may,
out of such single invention, amass a large
fortune, the one condition of such success
being that the article manufactured shall be
in great demand, and that the invention either
saves money in its production, shall produce
a superior article at the old price, or that by
the invention useless materials may be made
available. As an example of the latter, much
iron is now utilised by the application of the
hot blast that formerly was useless ; I do not
say to the improvement of the iron manufac-
tured, but that originally such material could
not be used at all. Now you will observe in
all cases that the basis of large profit depends
upon the extended demand for the article,
because the supply is regulated by the de-
mand. Itis, therefore, evident that an in-
ventor who turns his attention to patents in
connection with manufactures has the pros-
pect, if he is successful, of making larger
profits than he who devotes himself to patents
connected with buildings. This may account
in some measure for the relatively small pro-
portion of inventions relating to the latter.
Having, then, shown that the inventive
genius is somewhat allured from building
patents by the temptation of larger gains, a
few words will be well to indicate the diffi-
culties that beset those who, having devoted
their time to this class, succeed in producing
a valuable and useful article. The architect
who is about to build may hear of, and pro-
bably go to see, the invention before deciding
whether he will specify its use—he likes it,
thinks he will try it, hesitates, and finally in
most cases decides against its employment,
the reason very frequently being that he is
afraid it may not be successful. Yet I think
little blame can attach tohim. If the inyen-
tion succeeds, the merit is given to the in-
ventor ; if it fails, all the blame falls on the
architect for selecting it—such would be the
decision of his client. He therefore has no
not benefit him in his practice, and by so
doing he may offend or even lose a client. Is
it, then, to be wondered at that we are so
conservative in our views when new inven-
tions are produced to us for adoption ?
Cwi bono? You may ask all this explana-
tion if there is noremedy. Well, I havea
remedy, and one that might be used to advan-
tage both by my profession, the inventors
and patentees, and the public at large. It is
the formation of a Commission with unpaid
members who should inquire into patents and
inventions, when (and not till then) they are
being manufactured for sale, and they should
test them and further invite the opinion of
allwhouse them. These commissioners, from
time to time, should report the result of their
investigations. J would base their operations
very much on the mode of proceeding adopted
by the commissioners of the Lancet, and I
think my readers will agree with me that
these commissioners have done much good.
I feel sure the commissioners I propose would
be of great service if the gentlemen were
carefully selected.
I have said that the houses now are built
very much as they were years ago. Go into
any ordinary house in any of the suburbs of
London, and what difference do you find
between it and the old house? Why the
house is as nearly as possible a counterpart
of any old house, except that it is not so
strongly built; and perhaps instead of the
old thick sash bars (which, by the bye, some
architects of the present day are again intro-
ducing) large squares of plate-glass are in-
serted. In fact, the house, when ready for
letting, usually has not one of the modern
appliances.
This being the ease, let me consider what
a house should possess, having reference to
all the improvements of the nineteenth cen-
tury. It would first have a good damp-course
to prevent damp arising. Every room should
have an air flue to let the foul air escape, and
those rooms where gas is burnt should also
be provided with a ventilator communicating
with the external atmosphere. The pipes
from closets should be carried up in an in-
ternal recess to prevent frost affecting them,
and should be accessible by merely opening
the wooden casing or covering, which might
be hinged. The bells should also be so carried
up. ‘There should be a hydraulic lift where
the house is large. Water, hot and cold, should
be laid on to the bed-room floors, and in the
lavatories attached to the water-closets.
Where cupboards are put they should be
fitted having regard to the uses they will be
put to. For instance, in bedrooms they may
be made like wardrobes. To see what is
being done out of this country, look at any of
the modern houses in the cities of the United
States. Nota servant (or help, as I should,
perhaps, call them) wanted upstairs, every
room being always ready ; the bed, a spring
mattress (no making required), a tap to
regulate the temperature of the room, wash-
stand with hot andcold waterlaidthereon and
waste therefrom. So that positively while
weare quite helpless without our domestic
servants, they can do everything upstairs
without any.
Surely the picture I have drawn illustrates
a striking contrast, and shows how much we
have to do before we can call the Englishman’s
castle really a home fit for this century. Well
may I quote those lines—
“So slow
The growth of what is excellent; so hard
T attain perfection in this nether world.”
In continuing this subject I propose classify-
ing the materials under the different heads,
according to the uses to which they applied.
Thus, in alluding to ROooFs, we shall be able
to see all the materials applicable thereto, and
at a glance compare one material with another
in regard to price and qualities, advantages
and disadvantages. ‘The same with regard to
walls, and generally throughout the house,
and considering carefully the sanitary appli-
