Routledge's Guide to the Crystal Palace and Park at Sydenham (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. 1854 Excerpt: ...expresses clearly and forcibly the merits of doors of this kind, and how admirably the design is suited to the material and the purpose for which it was constructed. " Hinges, locks, bolts, and nails," he says, "which are always concealed in modern designs, were rendered in pointed architecture rich and beautiful decorations: and this not only in the doors and fittings of buildings, but in cabinets and small articles of furniture. The early lunges covered the whole face of the doors with varied and flowing scrollwork. Of this description are those of Notre Dame at Paris (one of which is now before the visitor), St. Elizabeth's Church, at Marburgh, the western doors of Lichfield Cathedral (in the English mediieval court), the Chapter-house at York, and hundreds of other churches, both in England and on the continent. Hinges of this kind arc not only beautiful in design, but they are practically good. We all know that, on the principle of a lever, a door may be easily torn off its modem hinges by a strain applied to its outward side. This could not be the case with the ancient hinges, which extended the whole width of the door, and were bolted through in various places. In barn-doors and gates these hinges are still used, although devoid of any elegance of form; but they have been most religiously banished from public edifices as unsightly, merely on account of our present race of artists not exercising the same ingenuity as thoseof ancient times in rendering the useful a vehicle for the beautiful." The wall at the back of the court is covered with a collection of most interesting monuments from the Cathedrals of Itheims, Chartrcsj and Notre Dame. The visitor now passes from the latest phase of Gothic art to the earliest revival of classic...