Architectoral Review Of The Year.

Belvoir Castle ; the equestrian statues of the Duke of York aud tbe Marquis of Angelsea ; the statue of George the Third , at Charing Cross ; the great statue of the Duke of Wellington , at Hyde Park Corner ; besides some smaller tombs and works of art . It will be advisable to allow these works to remain in the indifference to which they have sunk , for they are hy no means characterised by the high principles of art that now ornament our sculpture ; yet I would urge those who may seek to

compare Wyatt with our times to weigh him with the tendencies of his age , and to compare his works with the false taste which then prevailed ; if so , Wyatt will bear the comparison . The next man we have to regret is Professor Barlow , of the Academy of Woolwich , a man whom every engineer and architect must esteem . The researches of this gentleman upon tho strength of timber , and the best form to be given to railway bars , are amongst the most valued productions on the subject .

Indeed , all the Professor's inquiries into the qualities of iron must be considered as text-books upon the various subjects investigated . Professor Barlow passed from us on the 1 st of March last , aged about 83 years . On the 2 nd of April died Mr . James Elmes , an author on architectural legislation of eminence , who was principally known by his work upon Architectural Dilapidations , The Life and Times of Sir C . Wrena volume of Lectures on Architecture

, , and some minor publications . Mr . Elmes lived to a very great age . On the 9 th of the same month , in his best days , and just as bis fame was beginning to be established , John Thomas was snatched away from the future which began to spread before him , and from the brilliant prospects which seemed to crown his labours . We have few instances upon record in our profession of the fate of a man being so marked with the character of his genius as was that of Mr . Thomasand I think that we may

, congratulate ourselves upon the result of his labours . He was not highly educated , he was not a genius of a description to take the world by storm ; but ho was purely and simply a firm believer in tbe importance art should bear to architecture ; he was convinced that they could mutually throw light upon one another , and he laboured to make the two branches of sculpture and architectm-e to which he had devoted his attention combine to work out the end he had in view . His success was justified by

Ins labours , and in Somerleyton House and in Arlosford Hall he had surpassed himself in the fancy of bis design . I would urge you to think or Mr . Thomas ' s success . It seems to me to he fraught with lessons of deep importance to the artists of future generations , aud in proportion as they work in the spirit he infused info his work , so will they merit tho good opinion of their posterity . Happily this review will show that amongst the class of actual

architects our losses in this country have been few . Amongst our neighbours in Scotland the losses have even been fewer , for I do not know that we have any other than Mr . George Henderson , of Aberdeen , to mention ; he was a good mediaevalist , and erected some creditable specimens of his skill in the counties on the east coast , especially at Aberdeen , Montrose , Burnt Island , and Arbroath . Ho was a sensible restorer , and seems to have been rather before his age in his

love for tbe mediaeval style . In Franco I am called upon to notice three deaths : viz ., M . Nepveu , architect of Versailles ; i \ l . Halevy , and M . Bruaet de . Baines . Tbe first gentlemen I leave in the able bauds of my friend Mr . Professor Donaldson , who proposes to address to you a few words on his loss . Mr . Halevy was the secretary of the Academy des Beaux Arts , and his death his well deserving of our deep regretas he was the exponent of the feelings of tbe

, Preneh educated society towards our profession , and as he possessed , to a great extent , tbe feeling that all lovers of art are equally entitled to consideration ; the other gentlemen claimed to be ranked amongst our honom-ary members by the great skill he had displayed in the construction of the Museum of Havre , the Caserne des Douanes , 1 'Entrepot des Tabacs , and finally the Hotel de Ville of that town , and in the new buildings of the Hotel des Invalides .

Though we architects have happily escaped , death has left his mark strongly amongst the engineers , ' who have to regret three gentlemen well known to myself , and with two of whom I have acted professionally to a considerable extent . The first was James Walker ; he had an immense practice , lived to a great age , and was certainly one of our most successful private engineers . He was one of the earliest supporters of the Institution of Civil Engineer , and I recollect well belonging to that now flourishing body with him , when , many years

Architectoral Review Of The Year.

ago , it met in an " upper chamber in the Adelphi , with the humblest of all arrangements and applications ; but Telford was the President , and under his great name the society soon became important ; and after his death , Mr . Walker was elected to fill his place , a position he retained with success for many years . The profession of engineering owes a debt of gratitude of a singular kind to James Walker , for he succeeded in establishing the enormous scale of charges now universall y

adopted by engineers , which leave all the earnings of architects far behind , aud are very different indeed from those recorded and quoted by Mr . Smiles in his charming Lives of the Engineers . John Errington , the partner and friend of Joseph Locke , died most unexpectedly in July . He was content to live quietly under the shadow of his great associate , and though a man of ability , I am not aware of any great work which may

be attributed to him . With Mr . Locke and Mr . Errington in earlier days I had much to do on tbe Paris and Rouen , the Rouen and Havre , the Caledonian , Scottish Central , and other lines of railway , where I was the architect , as they were tbe engineers . They confined themselves strictly to their departments . ; Mr . Locke having at an early period laid down tho rule that as regarded buildings , " an ineer ' s functions ceased with the platforms . " One of

eng Mr . Errington ' s latest works , and which I had the pleasure of co-operating with him , was the Yeovil and Exeter Railway . It was his last work , as it probably will be mine ; aud I may be permitted to remark , as somewhat curious , that influenced either by the "Genius loci , " or by other considerations , mediaeval architecture was introduced . At Carlisle and at Perth , and more recently on the Exeter line , I have done my best to mould the forms and modes of thinking of mediaeval architects to the

unusual requirements of railways . At Rouen , in the two stations , at Havre , and at Southampton , Gosport , Blackwall , and other places , 1 adhered to the more usual styles , and perhaps with better success . The last name I mention is that of James Berkley , who fell a sacrifice to the effects of the banefal climate of India , at a comparatively early period of his life ; he was a pupil of the younger Stephenson , who recommended him to this appointment ,- he did ample justice to the recommendation ; his works in India in ascending the Ghauts are spoken of in the highest terms as monuments of engineering skill and perseverance .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

MS . BEETON'S PUBLICATIONS . "We have received our usual monthly parts of publications issued by Mr . S . 0 . Beeton , of the Strand—that for September , by the bye , never came to hand—and can again bear testimony to the excellence of everything which issues from that gentlemen ' s publishing office

. Pirst ' and foremost is that book of books ,- —the Illuminated Family Bible . Great care has evidently beeen bestowed on every portion of it , the typography , paper and illuminations are admirable , the engravings have been executed with groat skill , and the notes well selected . This work now approaches completion , —when it will be a very acceptable lodge present .

The Englishwoman ' s Domestic Magazine contains the interesting tale of Constance Chorley , the historical female biographies ( worth the whole price of the magazine ) , Wayfe Summers , and contains many other papers of interest to lady readers . The illustrations , as usual , especially of the fashions , and the needlework , being admirably executed . We perceive that a shilling

edition is about to be issued ( without interfering with the sixpenny edition ) containing additional iDacterns and illustrations of fancy work . Parts two and three of Home Games is a continuation of Billiards , to be completed in in No . 4 . The rules laid down by Captain Crawley are clear and explicit , and will be read with interest by those who understand , as well as by those who wish to make themselves masters of the game .