West Brompton.] LITERARY CELEBRITIES AND FORMER RESIDENTS. 103 THE CONSUMPTION HOSPITAL, BROMPTON. (See page 104.) Canning, when he fought the duel with his colleague, Lord Castlereagh, and both before and during his premiership. Mr. Rush, in his "Court of London," gives us many accounts of his official interviews with Mr. Canning here, and also of his dinner parties, at which he met all that was illustrious and brilliant in the society of the time. While residing here too, at a later date, Canning's son, the future Governor-General of India, was born; and here he received several visits from the Princess of Wales, whose cause he so nobly and honourably espoused. voluntary contributions, the expenditure being about £10,000 a year more than the fixed annual income. On the south side of the road is another of those excellent institutions which minister to the most formidable "ills that flesh is heir to." This is the Cancer Hospital. This building, which was founded in 1851, is constructed of plain white Suffolk bricks, relieved with bands of red bricks, and keystones and cornices of terra-cotta. The principal ground floor, approached by a flight of steps, contains the hall and a handsome stone staircase, apartments for the house surgeon and medical officers, and wards for patients. Apparatus for heating and ventilating the building is to add to the comforts and assist the recovery of the patients. The Archbishop of Canterbury, preaching on behalf of the funds of this hospital, observed, "There is no disease more pitiable than that to which this institution is specially devoted. This, therefore, is a case in which I may justly ask your liberal contributions." Chelsea Hospital for Women, a handsome red-brick building in the Fulham Road, was built in 1880. Large property round about this neighbourhood belongs to Lord Onslow's family; Onslow Square is so named in consequence, and Cranley Place is so called after the second title of Lord Onslow. In the Fulham Road, near Pelham Crescent, is the Hospital for Consumption. The original building, on the north side of the road, is a beau- provided-everything, in short, that is calculated tiful Elizabethan structure, consisting of a centre and wings, about 200 feet in width. It stands on a square piece of ground, about three acres in extent. The foundation-stone of the hospital was laid by the late Prince Consort in 1841. On the ground floor, the west wing contains physicians' rooms, laboratory, museums, rooms for the resident medical officer and clinical assistants, and servants' hall; and the east wing contains the apartments of the lady superintendent, store-rooms, secretary's office, board-room, &c. The kitchen and sculleries abut on the north side of the central basement corridor, and are built altogether outside the hospital. The first floor is devoted exclusively to female patients, and the second floor to male patients, the total number of beds being 210. The wards, galleries, and corridors are well lighted, and fitted up with every attention to the comfort and convenience of the patients. The chapel, which stands on the north side of the hospital, parallel with the central portion, was founded in 1849 by the Rev. Sir Henry Foulis, Bart., in memory of a near relative. It is approached from the hospital by a corridor, so that the patients may not be exposed to external air in bad weather. It is fitted up with wide cushioned seats for the patients, and is capable of accommodating the whole of the inmates and a few visitors. In 1879, the first stone of a new extension building of the hospital was laid on the opposite side of the road. It was built mainly from the proceeds of a bequest of Miss Read, and was completed in 1882. This building is constructed of red brick, and is connected with the parent hospital by a subway. It is about 200 feet in length, and 100 feet high, and besides increasing the accommodation to nearly 350 beds, contains a large out-patient department, lecture theatre, &c. The Hospital receives patients from all parts of the kingdom, and is almost entirely dependent on In Pelham Crescent died, in 1869, aged seventyfour, Mr. Robert Keeley, the comic actor. Hard by, in Onslow Square, at No. 36, Thackeray was living in 1858, when he stood his unsuccessful contest for Oxford city, and when he commenced the editorship of the Cornhill Magazine. Eagle Lodge was at one time tenanted by Mr. Bunn, so well known as the lessee of Drury Lane Theatre. Here he used to entertain Malibran, Thalberg, De Beriot, Mr. J. R. Planché, and other friends of music and the drama. Thurloe Place and Thurloe Square, near the junction of the Fulham, Cromwell, and Brompton Roads, are of too modern a growth to have any historic associations. Cromwell Road, a long and open thoroughfare, extending from Thurloe Square westward to Earl's Court, was doubtless so named after the Cromwellian associations connected with the neighbourhood, as described above. At the eastern end of the road, a considerable space of ground lying between it and the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, was the site of the International Exhibition of 1862. The site was purchased by the Royal Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851, with a portion of the surplus money arising from the receipts of that exhibition. The edifice, which was altogether different from its South Kensington.] THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION OF 1862. predecessor in Hyde Park, was built from the designs of Captain Fowke, R.E. It was constructed chiefly of brick, and the ground plan in its general form was that of the letter L, the short limb being the annexe for the machinery in motion. It consisted of a nave and two transepts, each point of intersection at the extremities of the nave being marked by a polygonal hall, surmounted by an immense dome. The southern façade ran along the Cromwell Road, and the building had also a frontage on the east in the Exhibition Road, and on the west in Prince Albert's Road (now Queen's Gate). Between this and the Horticultural Society's boundary was a semi-detached portion of the building, comprising the departments for implements and machinery in motion, extending over an entrance by a covered way or bridge, so that this section was kept entirely separate from the main body of the building. Its entire length was only about 1,150 feet, or 700 feet shorter than its crystal prototype in Hyde Park. The external appearance of the structure was not very striking. It was massive; but its unbroken length left a feeling of painful monotony on the observer, which the enormous domes at either end, 260 feet in height and 160 feet in diameter, failed to vary. Almost in the centre of this mass of brickwork was the grand entrance or portico, built according to an Italian plan. The picture-galleries occupied the first compartment in the front portion of the building, facing the Cromwell Road, and were two in number; they were lighted by clerestory windows in the roof, and formed perhaps the most attractive feature of the Exhibition. The basement storey of this part of the building was devoted to the exhibition of carriages, carts, and other descriptions of road vehicles. Adjoining the picture-gallery, but on the ground floor, was a large space, upwards of 1,000 feet in length, glazed from end to end, which was devoted to manufactures and art productions from every country in the world. Advancing across this court, the nave was reached; this extended the whole length of the building, and was 80 feet in width, or eight feet wider than that of the Crystal Palace of 1851. The nave was 100 feet high, and was crossed at its extremities by two transepts, each 692 feet long by 85 feet in width, and 100 feet high, resembling the nave in the last two respects. At each of the points of their intersection with the nave, rose octagonal halls 160 feet in diameter, each surmounted by a magnificent glass dome 200 feet in height internally, and 250 feet externally, reaching to the top of the pinnacle. These were the largest domes ever built; St. Paul's being only 108 feet in diameter at 105 the base, St. Peter's at Rome being 139 feet, and that of the British Museum reading-room 140 feet. The floors of these dome-covered halls being raised sixteen feet above the floor of the rest of the nave and transepts, afforded an admirable opportunity to the spectator for taking in grand views of the main lines of the building. The extreme ends of the building presented an extraordinary and beautiful appearance when viewed from the floors of these halls. At the angles of these halls were staircases, communicating with the galleries of the main building. On the side walls beneath the roof of the nave and transept were the clerestory windows, twenty-five feet high, of iron and glass, very light and elegant, which, together with the light from the glass domes, brought out in soft relief the architectural and artistic decorations. The nave and transepts were roofed in with wood, coated with felt, meeting in an angle at the centre; this roof was supported by semi-circular arches of timber, springing from iron columns, in pairs, by which the roof was supported at a height of sixty feet from the floor. A very pleasing effect was produced by the combination of the circular ribs and the angular girders carrying the roof; these double columns, girders and ribs, were repeated sixteen times in the nave, and their decorations produced fine polychromatic effects. The coup d'ail standing under either of the domes, and looking down the nave, was one of unequalled beauty; the fine proportions of the columns made. the immense vista appear as if looking along a kind of iron lace-work. The columns supported on each side of the nave galleries fifty feet in width, one side commanding a view of the nave, and the other looking upon the industrial courts on the ground floor. The principal entrance, in the Exhibition Road, was situated in the centre of the eastern transept, and led directly to the orchestra erected for the opening ceremony, under the eastern dome, which took place on the 1st of May, 1862. Space will not permit us to do more than notice a few of the most important objects here brought together. In the centre of the nave stood a trophy of small arms by the Birmingham gunmakers, flanked on either side by an Armstrong and a Whitworth gun. The Armstrong was mounted on its carriage of polished wood, and presented in every detail the delicate finish of a trinket. Indeed, the Exhibition seems to have been rich in the display of these marvellous weapons. Elaborate fountains and trophies of a more peaceful kind-such as articles of food, and animal and vegetable substances employed in manufacture, together with others of different 1 manufactured articles-made up the miscellaneous enamel or on pottery, destined to be applied to a collection. Dividing the British from the foreign piece of furniture, or a sculpture in wood intended. portion of the nave was a huge screen in iron-work for a picture-frame, however great its merits, would of elaborate design. At this end of the nave were find any place in the Exhibitions of the Royal some noble groups of bronze statues from various Academy of London, or in any of the numerous countries, and some magnificent candelabra and other exhibitions of the works of artists. Still columns in polished jasper and porphyry from less would a Cashmere shawl or a Persian carpet, Russia. A very fine collection of Berlin porcelain the chief excellence of which depended upon its manufactures was placed on raised counters under combination of colours, find in any of these exhithe western dome. Sèvres, Vienna, Berlin, and bitions its proper place. Such a complete separaDresden made great efforts to recover their lost tion of artistic work from objects of utility might ground in their previous competitions with the indeed be said to be only the characteristic of English porcelain manufacturers. The attractions modern times; for in the ancient and mediæval of the western dome balanced very fairly the periods the highest art is to be found in alliance features of interest at the other end of the building. with the meanest materials of manufacture. The The central object was a circular stand, displaying Etruscans painted on vases of clay subjects which the Prince of Prussia's collection of China, all of still charm us by their beauty of composition and Berlin manufacture, which rivals the richest and skilful drawing; and the finest works of Raffaele most delicate Sèvres. An adjacent parterre was were designed as decorations for hangings to be appropriated to the exhibition of the silver objects made of wool. It was intended that these exhipresented by the City of Berlin to the Princess of bitions should furnish the opportunity of stimulating Prussia as a wedding gift. The great Koh-i-noor the revival of the application of the artist's talents diamond was placed in the English portion of the to give beauty and refinement to every description nave near the jewellery classes, and created, of objects of utility, whether domestic or monudoubtless, as much interest as it occasioned in mental. In these annual Exhibitions it was con1851. Her Majesty's magnificent dessert service tended that every work in which Fine Art is a of Worcester porcelain was exhibited near here: it dominant feature would find proper provision made is said to eclipse the finest specimen that Sèvres, for its display. Painting, on whatever surface, or Dresden, or Vienna have yet produced. in any method; sculpture in every description of material, engravings of all kinds, architectural design as a Fine Art, every description of textile fabric of which Fine Art is a characteristic feature-in short, every work, whether of utility or pleasure, which is entitled to be considered a work of excellence from the artistic point of view, might be displayed in the exhibitions under the division of Fine Art. The industrial portion of these exhibitions was to be confined to educational works and appliances, and new inventions and scientific discoveries. Every artist-workman, moreover, it was stated, would be able to exhibit a work of merit as his own production, and every manufacturer might distinguish himself as a patron of art by his alliance with the artistic talent of the country. In the Fine Art section the artist might exhibit a vase for its beauty of painting, or form, or artistic invention; whilst a similar vase might appear in its appropriate place among manufactures on account of its cheapness, or the novelty of its material. That this second International Exhibition was a success no one will pretend to say; it is enough to admit that with the first great gathering in 1851 the charm of novelty was worn off, and that even the lapse of eleven years was not sufficient to cause a repetition of that great influx of visitors to London from every part of the civilised world, which we have already noticed. Although the building was so substantially constructed, it was not destined to remain standing in its entirety long after the closing of the Exhibition in October. Piece by piece it gradually disappeared, till only the inner portion, which had served chiefly as refreshment departments, overlooking the gardens, was left; and this part has since been made to serve various purposes. In 1870 it was announced that a series of annual International Exhibitions should be held here, commencing from the following year (1871), under the direction of Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851. Hitherto, as we learn from the official announcement of this series of exhibitions, the exhibition of works of Fine Art had been too much limited to the display of pictures and sculpture, dissociated from purposes of utility; and it might be doubted whether a picture on Albert Hall, of which we shall have more to say presently. On the south side of the Albert Hall, and facing the gardens, is the splendid conservatory of the Royal Horticultural Society, and at each end are long curved arcades, named respectively the East and West Quadrants. Flanking these, and enclosing the gardens, are the buildings in which the principal part of the Exhibition was held. They consist of lower and upper galleries, about 550 feet long and twenty feet wide, with corridors open to the gardens. The lower storeys have side lights; the upper are lighted from the roof. The whole of the Exhibition buildings are in the Decorated Italian style, and harmonise well with the adjacent South Kensington Museum. The mouldings, cornices, and courses are in light-coloured terra-cotta, and red brick is the material used in the construction. The first of these annual Exhibitions was held in 1871, and in addition to the two permanent features mentioned above, included woollen and worsted manufactures, pottery, and educational apparatus. These were replaced in 1872 by cotton and cotton fabrics; jewellery, including articles worn as personal ornaments, made of precious metals, precious stones, or their imitations; musical instruments of all kinds; acoustic apparatus and experiments; paper, stationery and printing. These various classes comprised also the raw materials, machinery, and processes used in their production. The third Exhibition of the series, held in 1873, comprehended several classes of subjects not included in the displays of the two previous years. The fine arts, scientific inventions and discoveries, and galleries of painting and sculpture by British and foreign artists, continued as special features of the Exhibition, as before; but this year visitors were enabled to add to the knowledge they had gained of the processes employed in one great department of the textile manufactures which forms so important a part of our national industry, an acquaintance with the mode of producing the beautiful fabrics silk and velvet. Cutlery and edged tools, for which this country has been famous for centuries, were exhibited, Fine-art furniture and decorative work, and stained glass-not entirely absent from the previous Exhibitions, but appearing there in a subordinate position-had now more justice afforded to their claims on our attention. One novel feature in the Exhibition of 1873 was a School of Cookery, where lectures were delivered and admirably illustrated by the practical experiments of neat-handed cooks. Ladies, natually, formed a large portion of the audience, and Her Majesty and other members of the Royal 107 Family did not fail to give the sanction of their presence to these novel lectures. The building used for these lectures was subsequently placed at the service of the National Training School for Cookery, by whom the work has since been carried on. The manufactures selected for the fourth Exhibition, which was opened in the year 1874, were lace, the show of which was magnificent; civil engineering, architecture, and building, including sanitary apparatus and constructions on the one hand, and decorative work on the other; heating by all methods and every kind of fuel, selected in consequence of the high price of coal and the necessity for teaching economy in the combustion of fuel; leather and saddlery, harness, and other articles made of leather; bookbinding; and foreign wines. Whether these Annual International Exhibitions were successful or not in imparting that knowledge as to the best means employed in various arts and trades, and the best results achieved, we will not pretend to say. They were not, however, sufficiently attractive to the masses of the people to warrant their continuance year after year, and with the Exhibition of 1874 the series terminated, and the various buildings were set apart for other purposes. In one series of rooms is the National Portrait Gallery, which was originally established in Great George Street, Westminster, in 1859. It is a most interesting collection, from an artistic as well as an historic point of view, and embraces the "counterfeit presentment" of many of England's greatest worthies, whether as sovereigns, statesmen, warriors, poets, authors, &c. Here are the famous Chandos portrait of Shakespeare, several of Queen Elizabeth, and between four and five hundred likenesses of some of the most remarkable men and women in English history, many of them executed by the first painters of the periods. Besides the portraits, there are a few highly interesting casts of effigies from monuments in Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral, and other places; and also an interesting collection of autographs. In 1868 was deposited in the building the Meyrick collection of arms and armour, from Goodrich Court, Herefordshire, formed by the late Sir Samuel Meyrick, the author of "A Critical Inquiry into Ancient Armour," and lent to the Museum by its then owner, Colonel Meyrick. It was arranged for exhibition here by Mr. J. R. Planche. The collection of naval models, and of the munitions of war, lent by the War Department, and on view here, contains examples of British ship-building, from the earliest period down to the construction of the turret-ship of the ill-fated Captain Coles. |