the americanization of edward bok-第45章

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The　influence　of　his　grandfather　and　the　injunction　of　his　grandmother　to　her　sons　that　each　〃should　make　the　world　a　better　or　a　more　beautiful　place　to　live　in〃　now　began　to　be　manifest　in　the　grandson。　Edward　Bok　was　unconscious　that　it　was　this　influence。　What　directly　led　him　to　the　signal　piece　of　construction　in　which　he　engaged　was　the　wretched　architecture　of　small　houses。　As　he　travelled　through　the　United　States　he　was　appalled　by　it。　Where　the　houses　were　not　positively　ugly；　they　were；　to　him；　repellently　ornate。　Money　was　wasted　on　useless　turrets；　filigree　work；　or　machine…made　ornamentation。　Bok　found　out　that　these　small　householders　never　employed　an　architect；　but　that　the　houses　were　put　up　by　builders　from　their　own　plans。

Bok　felt　a　keen　desire　to　take　hold　of　the　small　American　house　and　make　it　architecturally　better。　He　foresaw；　however；　that　the　subject　would　finally　include　small　gardening　and　interior　decoration。　He　feared　that　the　subject　would　become　too　large　for　the　magazine；　which　was　already　feeling　the　pressure　of　the　material　which　he　was　securing。　He　suggested；　therefore；　to　Mr。　Curtis　that　they　purchase　a　little　magazine　published　in　Buffalo；　N。　Y。；　called　Country　Life；　and　develop　it　into　a　first…class　periodical　devoted　to　the　general　subject　of　a　better　American　architecture；　gardening；　and　interior　decoration；　with　special　application　to　the　small　house。　The　magazine　was　purchased；　and　while　Bok　was　collecting　his　material　for　a　number　of　issues　ahead；　he　edited　and　issued；　for　copyright　purposes；　a　four…page　magazine。

An　opportunity　now　came　to　Mr。　Curtis　to　purchase　The　Saturday　Evening　Post；　a　Philadelphia　weekly　of　honored　prestige；　founded　by　Benjamin　Franklin。　It　was　apparent　at　once　that　the　company　could　not　embark　upon　the　development　of　two　magazines　at　the　same　time；　and　as　a　larger　field　was　seen　for　The　Saturday　Evening　Post；　it　was　decided　to　leave　Country　Life　in　abeyance　for　the　present。

Mr。　Frank　Doubleday；　having　left　the　Scribners　and　started　a　publishing…house　of　his　own；　asked　Bok　to　transfer　to　him　the　copyright　and　good　will　of　Country　Lifeseeing　that　there　was　little　chance　for　The　Curtis　Publishing　Company　to　undertake　its　publication。　Mr。　Curtis　was　willing；　but　he　knew　that　Bok　had　set　his　heart　on　the　new　magazine　and　left　it　for　him　to　decide。　The　editor　realized；　as　the　Doubleday　Company　could　take　up　the　magazine　at　once；　the　unfairness　of　holding　indefinitely　the　field　against　them　by　the　publication　of　a　mere　copyright　periodical。　And　so；　with　a　feeling　as　if　he　were　giving　up　his　child　to　another　father；　Bok　arranged　that　The　Curtis　Publishing　Company　should　transfer　to　the　Doubleday；　Page　Company　all　rights　to　the　title　and　periodical　of　which　the　present　beautiful　publication　Country　Life　is　the　outgrowth。

Bok　now　turned　to　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　as　his　medium　for　making　the　small…house　architecture　of　America　better。　He　realized　the　limitation　of　space；　but　decided　to　do　the　best　he　could　under　the　circumstances。　He　believed　he　might　serve　thousands　of　his　readers　if　he　could　make　it　possible　for　them　to　secure；　at　moderate　cost；　plans　for　well…designed　houses　by　the　leading　domestic　architects　in　the　country。　He　consulted　a　number　of　architects；　only　to　find　them　unalterably　opposed　to　the　idea。　They　disliked　the　publicity　of　magazine　presentation；　prices　differed　too　much　in　various　parts　of　the　country；　and　they　did　not　care　to　risk　the　criticism　of　their　contemporaries。　It　was　〃cheapening〃　their　profession！

Bok　saw　that　he　should　have　to　blaze　the　way　and　demonstrate　the　futility　of　these　arguments。　At　last　he　persuaded　one　architect　to　co…operate　with　him；　and　in　1895　began　the　publication　of　a　series　of　houses　which　could　be　built；　approximately；　for　from　one　thousand　five　hundred　dollars　to　five　thousand　dollars。　The　idea　attracted　attention　at　once；　and　the　architect…author　was　swamped　with　letters　and　inquiries　regarding　his　plans。

This　proved　Bok's　instinct　to　be　correct　as　to　the　public　willingness　to　accept　such　designs；　upon　this　proof　he　succeeded　in　winning　over　two　additional　architects　to　make　plans。　He　offered　his　readers　full　building　specifications　and　plans　to　scale　of　the　houses　with　estimates　from　four　builders　in　different　parts　of　the　United　States　for　five　dollars　a　set。　The　plans　and　specifications　were　so　complete　in　every　detail　that　any　builder　could　build　the　house　from　them。

A　storm　of　criticism　now　arose　from　architects　and　builders　all　over　the　country；　the　architects　claiming　that　Bok　was　taking　〃the　bread　out　of　their　mouths〃　by　the　sale　of　plans；　and　local　builders　vigorously　questioned　the　accuracy　of　the　estimates。　But　Bok　knew　he　was　right　and　persevered。

Slowly　but　surely　he　won　the　approval　of　the　leading　architects；　who　saw　that　he　was　appealing　to　a　class　of　house…builders　who　could　not　afford　to　pay　an　architect's　fee；　and　that；　with　his　wide　circulation；　he　might　become　an　influence　for　better　architecture　through　these　small　houses。　The　sets　of　plans　and　specifications　sold　by　the　thousands。　It　was　not　long　before　the　magazine　was　able　to　present　small…house　plans　by　the　foremost　architects　of　the　country；　whose　services　the　average　householder　could　otherwise　never　have　dreamed　of　securing。

Bok　not　only　saw　an　opportunity　to　better　the　exterior　of　the　small　houses；　but　he　determined　that　each　plan　published　should　provide　for　two　essentials：　every　servant's　room　should　have　two　windows　to　insure　cross…ventilation；　and　contain　twice　the　number　of　cubic　feet　usually　given　to　such　rooms；　and　in　place　of　the　American　parlor；　which　he　considered　a　useless　room；　should　be　substituted　either　a　living…room　or　a　library。　He　did　not　point　to　these　improvements；　every　plan　simply　presented　the　larger　servant's　room　and　did　not　present　a　parlor。　It　is　a　singular　fact　that　of　the　tens　of　thousands　of　plans　sold；　not　a　purchaser　ever　noticed　the　absence　of　a　parlor　except　one　woman　in　Brookline；　Mass。；　who；　in　erecting　a　group　of　twenty…five　〃Journal　houses；〃　discovered　after　she　had　built　ten　that　not　one　contained　a　parlor！

〃Ladies'　Home　Journal　houses〃　were　now　going　up　in　communities　all　over　the　country；　and　Bok　determined　to　prove　that　they　could　be　erected　for　the　prices　given。　Accordingly；　he　published　a　prize　offer　of　generous　amount　for　the　best　set　of　exterior　and　interior　photographs　of　a　house　built　after　a　Journal　plan　within　the　published　price。　Five　other　and　smaller　prizes　were　also　offered。　A　legally　attested　builder's　declaration　was　to　accompany　each　set　of　photographs。　The　sets　immediately　began　to　come　in；　until　over　five　thousand　had　been　received。　Bok　selected　the　best　of　these；　awarded　the　prizes；　and　began　the　presentation　of　the　houses　actually　built　after　the　published　plans。

Of　course　this　publication　gave　fresh　impetus　to　the　whole　scheme；　prospective　house…builders　pointed　their　builders　to　the　proof　given；　and　additional　thousands　of　sets　of　plans　were　sold。　The　little　houses　became　better　and　better　in　architecture　as　the　series　went　on；　and　occasionally　a　plan　for　a　house　costing　as　high　as　ten　thousand　dollars　was　given。

For　nearly　twenty…five　years　Bok　continued　to　publish　pictures　of　houses　and　plans。　Entire　colonies　of　〃Ladies'　Home　Journal　houses〃　have　sprung　up；　and　building　promoters　have　built　complete　suburban　developments　with　them。　How　many　of　these　homes　have　been　erected　it　is；　of　course；　impossible　to　say；　the　number　certainly　runs　into　the　thousands。

It　was　one　of　the　most　constructive　and　far…reaching　pieces　of　work　that　Bok　did　during　his　editorial　careera　fact　now　recognized　by　all　architects。　Shortly　before　Stanford　White　passed　away；　he　wrote：　〃I　firmly　believe　that　Edward　Bok　has　more　completely　influenced　American　domestic　architecture　for　the　better　than　any　man　in　this　generation。　When　he　began；　I　was　short…sighted　enough　to　discourage　him；　and　refused　to　cooperate　with　him。　If　Bok　came　to　me　now；　I　would　not　only　make　plans　for　him；　but　I　would　waive　any　fee　for　them　in　retribution　for　my　early　mistake。〃

Bok　then　turned　to　the　subject　of　the　garden　for　the　small　house；　and　the　development　of　the　grounds　around　the　homes