Isolation may be made complete in the “flat,” the private halls and front doors of each suite being in every respect the equivalent of those in the “tower”; the only difference being that with the “flat” the outer world begins with the public hall and its elevator, while with the “tower” it begins with the public street and its horse-car.
Add to these advantages the possibility for a greatly enlarged and delightful social intercourse which a properly arranged and conducted apartment-house provides, and we have as near an approach to the ideal of a human habitation as has yet been devised.
J. P. Putnam.
ARCHITECTURE IN BROOKLYN.
The city of Brooklyn has at last waked up to realize her size and importance architecturally. Brooklyn, though growing very rapidly and having many buildings of importance, has really had very little good architecture, for the simple reason that the profession, not being in any way organized, could not, as a rule, receive the treatment due respectable architects. For this reason many young men who would not be capable of practising elsewhere, have flocked to this city, and by various methods, many of which are far from honorable, have succeeded in getting control of most of the work. However, we hope for better things.
The Brooklyn Institute some time ago decided to organize a Department of Architecture, and for this purpose a meeting of architects was called, which led to several more meetings and the attendance at these was exceedingly hopeful for the new department, some forty or fifty architects signifying their willingness to help along in the work; finally a public meeting was held in the Institute on Friday December 13, at which some six or seven hundred persons were present, and the Department was fully organized; the constitution carefully thought-out at the previous meetings was adopted, and the following list of officers chosen:
President, G. L. Morse; Vice-President, Louis De Coppet Berg; Secretary, William B. Tubby; Treasurer, Gustave A. Jahn; Committee on Current Work, Richard M. Upjohn, R. L. Daus and Louis De Coppet Berg; Committee on Museum and Library, Walter E. Parfitt, Pierre Le Brun; and Wm. Hamilton Gibson; Committee on Competitions and Awards, R. L. Daus, D. E. Laub, Russell Sturgis; Committee on Professional Practice, Walter Dickson, Albert F. D’Oench, Richard M. Upjohn; Committee on Social Intercourse, H. P. Fowler, Charles T. Mott and General Ingram.
During the necessary intervals of balloting, etc., the President, Mr. George L. Morse, made a short address, setting forth the history of the previous meetings, and congratulating the local architects on the prospect of having a strong and well-organized society.