German composition

Section 182 Sir Joseph Paxton⁠1

Sir Joseph Paxton was acting as gardener to⁠2 the Duke of Devonshire when the Committee of the Exhibition of 1851 advertised for plans of a building. The architects and engineers seem to have been very much at fault⁠3 when Paxton submitted his design, and its novelty and remarkable suitability for the purposes intended, at once secured its adoption⁠4. The first sketch was made upon a piece of blotting-paper in the rooms of the Midland Railway Company⁠5 at Derby; and the first rough⁠6 sketch indicated⁠7 the principal features of the building as accurately as the most finished drawings which were afterwards prepared. The great⁠8 idea of the Crystal Palace was as palpable⁠9 on the blotting-paper as if it had been set forth in all the glory of water-colour and gold-framing⁠10.

Was it a sudden idea,—an inspiration of genius⁠11,—flashing upon the mind of one⁠12 who, though no architect, must at least⁠13 have been something like a poet?—Not at all⁠14. The architect of the Crystal Palace was simply a man who cultivated opportunities⁠15,—a laborious, painstaking⁠16 man, whose life had been a life of labour, of diligent self-improvement, of assiduous cultivation of knowledge⁠17. As⁠18 Sir Joseph Paxton himself has shown, in a lecture before the Society of Arts, the idea was slowly and patiently elaborated by experiments extending over many years⁠19. The Exhibition of 1851 merely afforded him the opportunity of putting forward his idea⁠20—the right thing at the right time—and the result was what we have seen.—S. Smiles, “Self-help.”

Notes

1 Joseph Paxton, geb. den 3. Aug. 1803, gest. den 8. Juni 1865, wurde zunächst Kunstgärtner beim Herzog von Devonshire, zeichnete sich jedoch bald durch seine genialen Schöpfungen so sehr aus, daß der Herzog ihn zum Gartendirektor und Verwalter seiner großartigen Besitzung in Chatsworth ernannte. Die wundervollen Gartenanlagen und Gewächshäuser daselbst legen noch heute Zeugnis ab von seiner Genialität. Das große Gewächshaus, welches aus Eisen und Glas erbaut und 300 Fuß lang und 140 Fuß breit ist, diente ihm später als Grundlage des von ihm eingereichten Entwurfes für das Ausstellungsgebäude von 1851 im Hyde Park zu London und des später von ihm in Sydenham errichteten Krystalpalastes. Seine Verdienste um die große Weltindustrieausstellung von 1851 wurden von der Königin dadurch anerkannt, daß sie ihm die Ritterwürde verlieh. Sir Joseph Paxton wurde im Jahre 1854 zum Parlamentsmitgliede für Coventry gewählt und hat sich um die Baukunst und das Eisenbahnwesen manche Verdienste erworben. Er ist auch der Verfasser vieler Zeitschriften und Werke über die Gartenkunst.

2 to act as gardener to a person, bei einem als Kunstgärtner angestellt sein; advertised — building, öffentlich zur Einsendung von Plänen für ein Ausstellungsgebäude aufforderte. I propose to commence the period with the subordinate clause ‘when — building’.

3 to be very much at fault, in großer Verlegenheit sein; to submit a design (of a building), einen Entwurf ein´reichen.

4 and — adoption = and as the same (agreeing with Entwurf) was quite new and remarkably suitable to its purpose (zweckentsprechend), it was at once accepted.

5 in — company = in the waiting-rooms of the railway station.

6 = hasty, flüchtig.

7 an´deuten.

8 = grand, großartig.

9 klar dargestellt, p. p.

[10] as — framing = as if one had embellished (aus´schmücken) it with beautiful water-colours and gold framing.

11 an — genius = the inspiration of a genius (Genie, n., pronounced as in French).

12 flashing — one = which suddenly (auf einmal) filled the mind of a man.

13 Insert the adv. doch before ‘at least’ (mindestens); something like = more or less.

14 Ganz und gar nicht!

15 to cultivate opportunities, Gelegenheiten zu benutzen wissen.

16 strebsam; of = full of, voller.

17 of — knowledge, und unverdrossenen Strebens nach Kenntnissen.

18 = Like, wie; has shown = declared; in — Arts, in einem vor dem Kunstvereine gehaltenen Vortrage, which place immediately after the subject.

19 ‘by — years’ may be briefly rendered by durch langjährige Versuche or Experimente, which place after ‘idea’; slowly = gradually; patiently, beharrlich; to elaborate, aus´arbeiten.

20 of — idea = to bring his idea before (vor) the public (Öffentlichkeit, f.); the right thing, das Rechte; at, zu, contracted with the def. art.