International studio (60.1916/1917)

The Friars Club, New York

side of the street leading to the business centres
would not be inconsistent with the character of
the way. The advantage of these trees is not
aesthetic only, but they cast a welcome shade
when the sun is hot, and add greatly to the
appearance of the street. It would also be very
commendable if a fountain were placed here and
there in the shade of these trees. Their purpose
in such a location would doubtless be to quench
the thirst of man and beast, but they also per-
form a pleasant function by bringing into the
street the sound of running water—a sound which
has a power to charm in its music that is remin-
iscent of the woodland stream, and nature’s care-
free abandonment. There are other devices that
may be used in adorning our streets, and the city
should do all in its power for this purpose and
should employ an artist who can point out the
most appropriate devices to be used in the dec-
oration of our streets. This done, the people will
be enlightened, and they will then first begin
to see in civic art an education, both moral and
intellectual, that is worth striving for.
In discussing the improvement of the approach
and the main streets of our city, we have viewed
only the focal points. But we should also consider
the residential district. For this place civic art has
a calling that can be higher in no other place.
Civic art must make these districts beautiful—
make the environment in which we spend our
leisure hours refined and truly beautiful. Civic
art finds a field waiting and ready for it to work
in. Its purpose is to adjust this part of the city
to the real purpose of home-making. In order to
fulfill this purpose, it is not enough to beautify
the streets with a row of shade trees along either
side and turf along the curb and walk, but the
individual gardens must be kept in order, and
be beautified with flowers, trees and shrubbery
grouped harmoniously. On the other hand, the
sole beauty must not depend on the private
property. This is not the purpose of civic art,
its greatest purpose in this matter is harmony.
And we may readily see that there could be
nothing more discouraging in civic improvement
than for the city and property owners not to
work out this question in harmony.
When all these civic improvements have been
made; when civic art has stirred up within the
citizens a real love for beauty—civic beauty, we
can truly say that the dreamed “City Beautiful,”
has been made a tangible goal.

HE FRIARS CLUB, NEW YORK
BY W. H. de B. NELSON
The migrating season varies accord-
ing to species. In the case of the
Friars, they happened to select the middle of the


merry month of May, deeming that an opportune
occasion for flight. This then, explains the portly
procession which, on that eventful night, de-
bouched upon 48th Street, New York City, and
drew up outside the portals of No. no, their new


THE FRIARS CLUB

HARRY ALLAN JACOBS, ARCHITECT

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