Ala-

& Just did the structural anddecorative iron work.

In 1954 and 1955 the exterior was resurfaced with

Lewinson & Brother furnished the in-

terior marble. Shipway

the columns came fromProctor, Vt. J. H.

*June 1, 1902.Charles T. Wills was the contractor. The Empire City

Marble Co. supplied the exterior marble from NorthAdams, Mass., and the marble for

I?arsons proffered thecompliments of the Bar, Judge George C. Barrett answeredfor the Court.

It was the last important work of James Brown Lord.After a lingering illness, he ’ died on

(came to less than theestimate, it is even more remarkable that a third of thetotal was spent on decoration. Few buildings in thecountry can boast of such a welcome to the arts.

The Court took formal possession on January 2, 1900,at one o ’clock. The justices present were Judges Barrett,Rumsey, Patterson and O ’Brien with Justice Charles H.Van Brunt presiding. Mr. John E.

. 54,300

$633,768

If it is surprising that the final cost

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..__...... 157,000

Mural Painting

..$422.468Statuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mowbray.The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, who at that

time borrowed and appropriated money in the name of thecity, set aside $638,000 to cover the cost of the building,an unusually large sum for those days. The following wasspent:

Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

small-scale figures we see today; La Farge sided with

Mowbray stood out for the

“Transmissi.on of the Law. ” Hehad the largest portion of the frieze, some sixty-two feetin length, while the remainder devolved on Robert Reid,Charles Y. Turner and Willard L. Metcalf. With the friezeonly forty-four inches high and the hall somewhat low inproportion there arose a problem of scale. While his col-leagues wanted life size,

~called Mowbray, the painter responsible for the mural paintingsin the entrance hall

wasmade arbiter.

One instance of his role has been revealed by H. Siddons

tc, the finished muralin attempting to achieve a harmonious scheme. To settledifferences and to distinguish the rights of each one JohnLa Farge, then dean of American mural painters,

follcmw a general schemeof decoration from the first sketch

He had no difficulty with the sculptors,but with the painters he followed an (elaborate procedure.The National Society of Mural Painters wrote out a pro-gram which was adopted by him and his building com-mittee. The artists chosen had to

& Lord. A graduateof the class of 1879 from Princeton he entered the firmof William A. Potter, a leading church architect of theday. Eventually he had a practice of his own. He didmany houses in Tuxedo Park and several restaurants forthe Delmonico family, one of which is still standing on thecorner of Beaver and William Streets.

In designing the Court Building he turned to the highclassical tradition with its columned porches and statues.The 25th Street facade with its Corinthian Order may owesomething to the work of the English architect, GeorgeDance the Elder, the architect of Mansion House, theresidence of the Lord Mayors of London. The building asa whole Ieans rather to the style of Andrea Palladio, thegreat architect of Vicenza. The many statues are one ofthe building ’s chief distinctions. As Bruce Price observed:“If built of marble, as you propose, with the sculptureall complete upon it, it will surely be one of the monu-ments of the city. I cannot impress upon you too strongly,to beg your committee that they allow you all the sculp-ture that you propose; it is its life and soul. ”

Unusual for any architect at any time, Lord enjoyedcomplete control of the artists and their work in decorat-ing the building.

‘a growth of art,art on a large scale, enhanced by architectural setting, willinfallibly establish a standard and create a national faithin the national art. ”

That James Brown Lord should have been chosen archi-tect was most fitting. His family and career were tied toNew York. Born here in 1859 he was, on his mother ’s side,the grandson of James Brown, founder of Brown Broth-ers, today Brown Bros. Harriman, and by his father heclaimed descent from Daniel Lord, senior partner andfounder of the law firm of Lord, Day

signitlcance, but even this is unimportant bythe side of the far greater fact that such

Howland Blashfieldwho was to be one of the muralists in the new court build-ing told The Municipal Art Society in 1893 that it wasincidental which artists did the work of decorating a build-ing. “The fact that the city would annually obtain adignified and adequate work of art, ” he maintained, “isof weightier

as adecorator of public buildings. Edwin

w<a.s the National Society of Mural Painters which wasdetermined to assure the artist his proper place

was one. It had com-missioned the decoration of several rooms in the CriminalCourts Building on Centre Street, now destroyed. There

statues and itsmany mural paintings.

The models were rare and, in the instance of the Chi-cago Fair, temporary, but there were organizations deter-mined to encourage the arts and make them a part of thecity’s life. The Municipal Art Society

Farge’s work in Trinity Church inBoston and in the Church of the Ascension in New Yorkoffered some evidence of what could be done. The World ’sColumbian Exposition of 1893 had captured the imagina-tion of the country with its hundreds of

completed. John La

Shields Clarke.

5

Thotl~asSpring. All are by Sunoner, Aut\cmn, Winter, right frown left tocornice arc, cargatids beneath the The four

by Wil-liam Coupcr. In the middle is Peace by Karl Bitter.

Hcrbraic Law, t,he right is Moesc representing Martiny.

To fucious representing Chinese Law. It is by Philip

Con-Bacnde: The statue on the left is Square >La&son

Ingraham of the General Term of the Supreme Court, thepredecessor of the Appellate Division.

A collection of photographs, prints, etc. of the MadisonSquare area in earlier days and of the justices who havesat in this court and other notable figures of the Bar isdisplayed in the corridors of the Courthouse.

Dowling, Edward R. Finch, Francis Martin and DavidW. Peck, and the portrait of Presiding Justice Daniel P.

H. Van Brunt,and of later Presiding Justices George L. Ingraham, VictorL.

the courts first Presiding Justice Charles

& Co. George C. Flint Co. did the cabinetwork and Herter Bros. supplied the furniture.

In the Conference Room are hanging fine portraits of

“Logi;,” “Knowledge ” and “Prudence. ” “ Phil-osophy, ” for example, is an old man with a scroll on hisknee, contemplating a skull held in one hand while he holdsin the other a sprig of apple-blossom, the flower of whichprecedes the fruit. Philosophy is thus presented as con-cerned with the entire problem of existence.

The stained-glass dome and windows are by MaitlandArmstrong

” “Truth, ” “ Philosophy, ” “ Courage, ” “ Pa-triotism, ”

south beginning at theleft are “Justice

ton the west wall is afrieze of Kenyon Cox entitled “The Reign of Law. ” Join-ing these on the north and south walls are sixteen panelsby Joseph Laubcr called “The Judicial and Other Virtues. ”On the north wall, left to right, are “Moderation,” Venera-tion,” “ Perspicuity, ” “ Eloquence, ” “ Reticence, ” “ Research, ”‘(Unity, ” and “Fortitude. ” On the

‘LWisdom” by Henry 0. Walker and “The Power of theLaw” by Edwin H. Blashfield. George W. Maynard did theSeals of the City and of the State to the left and right ofthe panels. Above and behind the dais

to right, “The Justice of Law ” by Edward E. Simmons,

L. Metcalf.In the courtroom, open to the public, there are three

large panels on the east wall facing the dais. They are, fromleft

011 the right is “TheBanishment of Discord ” by Willard

‘rArts,” also by Robert Reid. The span-drels of the main door arches contain figures of “Equity”and “Law” by Charles Y. Turner.

‘(Law” on her right. On the right we see Robert

Reid ’s “Justice ” giving “Peace ” and “Prosperity ” to the“Arts ” and “Sciences. ” The panels on the south wall,from left to right, represent a seated figure of “Fame ”surrounded by the

symbolic figures such as theRoman emperor clad in a red mantle holding a sword andglobe with a soldier at his side, or the Greek lawgiver andGreek orator with a statue of Athena behind them. Onthe left is to be found Willard L. Metcalf ’s “Justice, ”flanked by, among others, the figures of “Mercy” on herleft and

Mowbray called “Transmission of the Law ” on theopposite side of the hall. It unveils the progress of thelaw in the following sequence, the Mosaic, Egyptian, Greek,Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Common and Modern. Wingedfigures and a scroll join in the

Sid-dons

th&r original form.Construction of another, larger addition is contemplated

on the 25th Street side of the building on land now oc-cupied by a parking lot. This building is now in the plan-ning stage.

On entering the building one will see the frieze by H.

old-fashioned lofty ceilings were dropped; the wood wains-cotting and door frames were replaced with marble; ornateplaster work was covered or removed, and the interiorgenerally refurbished and modernized. The courtroom, lob-by, library and main stairway, being the areas availableto the public and for ceremonial purposes, were, however,left in

&m of Rogersand Butler was in charge of the work, financed by theDepartment of Public Works under Commissioner Fred-erick H. Zurmuhlen. For undertaking this preservationCommissioner Zurmuhlen was honored in 1955 by a citationfrom The Municipal Art Society.

In 1956 a six-story addition was built on the MadisonAvenue side to meet, the demand for more space as thebusiness of the court increased. This structure, while carry-ing no exterior decoration or sculpture, was designed toharmonize with the original building ’. At the same timean extensive modernization project was performed on theinterior of the old building. In the working areas the

Madre marble. The statue of Mohammed by CharlesA. Lopez was removed at the request of the representa-tives of several Mohammedan nations as offensive to theirreligion, which forbids representation of human beings insculpture or painting. It formerly stood at. the westernend of the balustrade on the 25th Street side. The remain-ing statues were moved down one bay, leaving the emptyplace at the eastern end. The architectural

bama

.9

KIRKE BUSH -BROWN , 1857-1935. Born in Ogdensburg,N. Y. Went to National Academy and was pupil of uncle,

r,f the City of New York, main cam-pus. Most successful American muralist between 1895 and 1925.

HENRY

iu Cleveland, Iowa State Capitol in DesMoines, Hudson County Court House in Jersey City, EssexCounty Court House in Jersey City, Essex County Court Housein Newark, the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, the SouthDakota State Capitol in Pierre, the Minnesota State Capitol inSt. Paul, and the College

C!ourt House, Baltimore,Federal Building

iu Paris Salon.One of a group made prominent by work at Chicago Fair of1893. Murals in Library of Congress,

Bonuat. InParis, off and on, from 1866 to 1881. Exhibited

Leon thlsn advised by William

Morris Hunt to go to Paris. Studied under

HOWLAND BLASHFIELD , 1848-1936. Born in New York.Attended M. I. T. for several years

staitue of General Sigel onRiverside Drive, heroic groups for Wisconsin State Capitol atMadison, Chinese figures on Brooklyn Museum, Karl Schurzmonument in Karl Schurz Park, figure of Abundance for thePulitzer Fountain at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street.EDWIN

atlantides on St. Paul Building, now destroyed, onBroadway and Park Row, equestrian

Brooklyn, threecrouching

Asheville, N. C.Did bas-relief for reredos of Holy Trinity,

KULL T. F. B ITTER , 1867-1915. Born in Vienna. Studied art atthe Kunstgewerbeschule and Kunstakademie from 1882 to 1887.Came to New York in 1889 and found work with firm of archi-tectural modelers. Discovered there by Richard Morris Huntwho launched him in career as sculptor. Won competition in1891 for most important of the J. J. Astor doors of TrinityChurch. Did sculptural ornament for “Biltmore,”

P:aris. Did the Abrahamde Peyster statue on Bowling Green.

Corm.Began career in 1870, studying under Tabar and A. Millet.After 1896 lived for the most part in

1839-1920. Born in New Preston,

Arm-atrong Co. to make stained glass.

G EORGE EDWIN BISSELL ,

Maitland four&d the

iu 1874.Director of the American Art Section, Paris Expositions of1878 and 1900. In 1878-1879 he

Il. S. Consul General tothe Kingdom of Italy in 1870. Returned to New York

9. consul to thePapal States in 1869 and later first

Il. Olivier Merson. In Rome where he became

MAITL~ND ARMSTRONG , 1836-1918. Born in Newburgh, N. Y.Trinity College, 1858. Read law and was admitted to the bar.Abandoned the law for painting. Studied in Paris under Luke

McMillanFountain and in Cleveland the statue of Chief Justice Marshall.

D.

sta.tue in Bryant Park,statues on Brooklyn Museum. In Washington the

Cullen Bryant

Merei in Paris.He did several of the bronze doors of Saint Bartholomew ’sChurch, the William

Antoain Born in Concord, Vt. Studied

sculpture in Boston, then under

:“Distinguished for its classic beauty, this small marble

courthouse represents in a civic building, the epitome ofcollaboration between architect, sculptor, and mural painter.Classic Eclectic in design, but influenced by the ItalianRenaissance architect Andrea Palladio, the three-storybuilding, with low basement, expresses the best of Classicaltradition, in its columned porch (portico) and much finesculpture, one of the bnilding ’s chief distinctions. ”

H ERBERT A DAM S, 1858-1945.

meeting of June 7, 1966, the Landmarks PreservationCommission of the City of New York, of which the archi-tect Geoffrey Platt is chairman, voted to designate the mainbuilding of the Appellate Division as a New York CityLandmark. In approving the landmark designation, theCommission adopted the following statement

Bunce. The quotation forWisdom reads, “Every law not based on wisdom is a men-ace to the state. ” Both statues are by Frederick Wellingtonltuekstuhl.

At its

Niehaus.Above the windows within the portico are represented

Morning and Night, with a crescent moon and stars, andNoon and Evening with a bat with spread wings. Theseare by Maximilian N. Schwartzott.

The seated statues to the right and left of the porticoare Force and Wisdom. The quotation for Force reads,“We must not use force till just laws are defied. ” Thehead of Force is a composite of the heads of GeneralsGrant and Miles, and Admiral

Tn the pediment is a group representing the Triumphof Law, in which one will see depicted such attributes oflaw as the crescent moon, the ram, Father Time with hisscythe, the owl, the tables of law. This group is by Charles

tinian representig Roman Law, by Henry K. Bush-Brown.Jus-Lukeman; and rcprescnting Indian Law, by Augustus

Donog-hue; Manu, the mythical author of The Laws of Manu ,

ing Power and Study, all by Daniel Chester French.Continuing to the right, one will see Saint Louis (Louis

IX of France) representing French Law, by John

rcpresent-

Bissell; Solon representin gAthenian Law, by Herbert Adams.

On top of the pediment is Justice with figures

Anglo-Saxon Law. by J. S. Hartley; Lycurgus representing Spar-tan Law, by George E.

Fucadt:: On the balustrade, from left toright, are Zoroaster representing Persian Law, by Ed-ward C. Potter; Alfred the Great representing

Strc:et 25th

“Poetry” murals in Library ofCongress and is represented in Massachusetts State House inBoston, Essex County Court House in Newark and MinnesotaState Capitol in St. Paul.

settled in New York. Did LBon Bonuat. Returned to Boston and

then

Witt Clinton High School and Hotel Martinique.

HENRY OLIVER W ALKER , 1843-1929. Born in Boston. Was inbusiness before turning to painting. In Paris in early 1880 ’3where he was in studio of

Mahoning County (Ohio)Court House, De

Bonnat in Paris. Has work inCourt House in Baltimore, Hudson County (N. J.) Court House,Essex County (N. J.) Court House,

Munkacy and Laurens,

1850-1919. Born in Baltimore.Went to Art School of Maryland Institute in Baltimore, ArtStudents League and National Academy of Design. Studiedwith

MAXIMILI~ N. S CHWARTZOTT , 1855-c. 1926. Little known abouthim, other than he won several medals at expositions aroundthe turn of the century and that he lived in Sullivan County.

EDWARD EMERSON SIMMONS , 1852-1931. Born in Concord, Mass.Harvard, 1874. Pupil of Boulanger and Lefebvre in Paris. Didwork for Frederick Vanderbilt mansion at Hyde Park, N. Y.,Library of Congress, Massachusetts State House in Boston andMinnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.

C HARLES Y ARDLEY T URNE R,

of Minerva on Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn.

Macauley in Library of Congress, statuesof John C. Calhoun in Statuary Hall of National Capitol and

Mere%. Did heads ofFranklin, Goethe and

Antonin Ahace. Studied in St. Louis and under Boulanger and

Lefebvre in Paris, later under tenbach,

Brei-RUCKSTUHL, 1853-1942. Born in

Hoboken and Hackensack and the Francis Scott KeyMemorial in Baltimore.

ROBERT REID, 1862-1929. Born in Stockbridge, Mass. Studied atBoston Museum of Fine Arts School and Art Student8 League.In 1889 studied with Boulanger and Lefebvre in Paris. Ex-hibited in Paris Salon. Represented in Library of Congress,Massachusetts State House in Boston and by a window inChurch of Saint Paul the Apostle.

FREDERICK WELLINGTON

NIEHAUS, 1855.1935. Born in Cincinnati.Studied in Royal Academy of Munich and in Rome. Did sev-eral of J. J. Astor doors for Trinity Church, the John PaulJones Monument in Washington, the Soldiers and Sailors Monu-ment of

Slocum at Gettysburg.

C HARLES H ENRY

Mere% and Fremiet in Paris. From 1883 to1885 in studio of Daniel Chester French. Did lions in front, ofMorgan Library and the New York Public Library, Also didequestrian statue of General

Antonin

8. in 1885. Did murals and decorative work in the Vander-bilt mansion at Hyde Park, N. Y., library of the UniversityClub, the Morgan Library and Morgan Library Addition.

EDWARD COOK POTTER, 1857-1923. Born in New London. Studiedunder

LBon Bonuat. Returnedto U.

Titusville, Pa. Went to West Point, did not stay but turned topainting. In Paris in 1878 in Atelier

AveuueNew York, NY 10010

Firsti

Supreme Court Appellate DivisionFirst Department Library

27 Madison

Appellate Division

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