An Architect's Experiences; Professional, Artistic, and Theatrical (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 edition. Excerpt: ...with which I have been associated, including the great "Scotch City," in the Curzon Hall, Birmingham; the "Fortified Town," in the St. James's Hall, Manchester; the "Shakespeare Show," in the Albert Hall, London; and lastly, the magnum opus in this line of art, "Old Manchester and Salford," at the Royal Jubilee Exhibition, in 1887. I recall these efforts with satisfaction for many reasons. They were successful from an artistic point of view (thanks to the clever painters who worked on them); they realised large sums of money for their respective objects--the profits from the German Town realised a sum exceeding 15,000;--they secured many friendships of which I have pleasant memories. The history of these "Shows" would form a fair-sized volume, but I must confine myself in these pages to a brief record, and only touch upon the main points of interest. These exhibitions were not realised without much research, anxiety, and some troubles. My duties did not end with the representations of bricks and mortar, timber and stone, but I had to design the costumes appropriate to the different periods of architecture, and to the respective nationalities in connection therewith. I sometimes wonder how I got through these costume troubles without serious quarrels but somehow they were got through, and I cannot remember that any woman really detested me for my autocratic behaviour. N I hit upon the happy idea of addressing the ladies en masse at a meeting devoted to the consideration of costume. I explained how necessary it was that the dresses should be correct, even if unbecoming a nineteenth century woman. The dresses were made from my drawings, and when tried on I was called in to pass judgment on the...