The City of Domes Part 22

Chanticleer, repeated on highest pinnacles of court, at level with altar. Signifying dawn of Christianity.

"Thought," figure on east and west sides of tower. Candlesticks at sides.

Design on upper part of tower, suggested by the lily, emblem of purity.

Star cl.u.s.ters, at south end of court and in north court, by Ryan, modeled from snow crystal, and deepening the ecclesiastical character of the court by suggesting the golden monstrance, shaped like the rays of the sun, used in the Catholic church and, in the small gla.s.s-covered circle at the center, holding the sacred host.

"Water Sprites," by Leo Lentelli. Girl archers on top of columns at four corners of central court, launching arrow at sprites on base of columns.

Originally designed as fountains.

Serpent cauldrons, around pool, designed by Mullgardt.

"Fountain of the Earth," by Robert Aitken, in center of court. Two Parts to fountain; large central one with globe representing earth, surrounded by panels showing life on earth; and on same pedestal to south, groups representing life before and after death. "Setting Sun," group at extreme south of pool, by Aitken. Man holding golden ball, Helios; serpent, heat of sun.

Figures on west side of southern group, "The Dawn of Life." Hand of Destiny giving life, pointing toward earth; Sleep of Woman before Birth; the Awakening; Joy of Life; Kiss of Life; Birth. Gap to central group represents time between peopling and history.

Panels around earth; South Panel; Vanity in center with handgla.s.s; man and woman with children, representing Fecundity, starting on earthly journey.

West Panel: "Natural Selection;" women turn to fittest male; one rejected suitor angry, other despairing.

North Panel: "Physical Courage" or "Awakening of War Spirit." Two men fight for possession of woman on left. Woman on right attempts to draw one aside.

East Panel: "Lesson of Life." Old woman gives counsel to young man and woman. Old man restrains an angry, jealous youth.

Right of south panel, "l.u.s.t."

East side of southern group: Greed, looking back on earth. Faith offering Immortality, symbolized by scarab, to Woman. Figures of man and woman sinking back into oblivion, "Sorrow" and "Sleep." Hand of Destiny drawing mortality to itself.

Hermae, pillars with head of Hermes, G.o.d of boundaries, separating panels around earth.

Reptilian and fishy forms above panels of central ma.s.s of fountain.

Corridors, walls red, blue vault above, arches of smoked ivory, lines of blue on wall. Illumination by half-globes in cups on inner side of columns.

Murals, by Frank Brangwyn, of London, representing Elements. Best placed of all murals. At corners of court in corridors.

Northeast corner, "Fire." "Primitive Fire," figures around fire nursing it, or feeding it. "Industrial Fire," use of fire in service of man.

Southeast corner, "Water": Fishermen dragging in net, carriers with baskets on backs, "The Net." Women and men filling jars at a spring, flamingoes in water, luxuriant growth, clouds, "The Fountain."

Southwest corner, "Air": Men shooting arrows through trees, birds in flight, "The Hunters." Huge mill, children flying kites, clouds, grain blown by wind, "The Windmill."

Northwest corner, "Earth": Men high in trees and on ground, "The Fruit Pickers." Figures crus.h.i.+ng juice out with feet, group in front with wine, "The Dancing of the Grapes."

Planting in Court: Tall Italian cypress before arches; orange trees; balled acacia; denseness of growth along colonnades; heavy and rank, suggesting tropical flora.

Large cauldrons, at side of steps leading down to sunken gardens, designed by Mullgardt.

North Entrance to Court of Ages

"Daughter of Neptune" or "Aquatic Life," large female figure in north Court of Ages, by Sherry E. Fry.

Planting: eucalyptus, acacia, laurel.

Features that Ought to be in Noted by Night

Illumination

Three kinds of light used; white arc lamps, extensively behind banners and s.h.i.+elds to flood facades of outer walls and Court of Four Seasons; warmer light of Mazda lamps in clear and colored globes; and searchlights concealed on tops of buildings trained on towers and on high groups of sculpture.

Lighting scheme and scope completed long before buildings were up; made possible by advance in illuminating engineering, developed under name of science of lighting and art of illumination.

Chief of Department of Illumination, Walter D'Arcy Ryan, of the General Electric Company, Schenectady, New York; field a.s.sistant, A. F.

d.i.c.kerson.

Ornamental details of lighting standards and fixtures, designed by J. W.

Gosling; designs made at Illuminating Engineering Laboratories, Schenectady.

Keynote of lighting scheme - life and gaiety, without garishness.

Lighting kept subordinate to architecture; walks shaded to throw emphasis on brilliantly lighted facades and to bring out architecture, landscape and flowers. Same lighting principle used throughout; but effect in different courts radically different.

Area of surface illuminated, 8,000,000 square feet; 2,000,000 of wall surface, and 6,000,000 of ground surface.

Number of searchlights used: 373 arc searchlights, in diameter from 13 to 36 inches; 450 small searchlights, called the "Mosquito Fleet"; 250 incandescent projectors for flag lighting.

Fillmore Street Entrance

South facade of entrance, outline illumination, with bare electric lights following outlines of architecture; used elsewhere only in Zone.

Inside Fillmore Street entrance, Zone to right; brilliant lighting, outline illumination, more or less refined; exaggerated effects prohibited.

Zone, element of festivity in arches crossing street at short intervals, ribbons of turkey red suspended from each lamp give warmth and action.