to improve the manufacture of our hats since the days of the miscalled "beaver hats ;" yet, next to nothing has been done to alter the shape of the hat, except it be to make the wearer more ludicrous: we have read newspaper leaders written upon “hat reform!" A really droll article is the "reversible bonnet," exhibited in this quarter: on one side it is a hat, while, worn on the other, it is a bonnet. Umbrellas were shown in this sectiondoubtless, as coverings for the head. The Bonnet was shown in its ad libitum variety; the Artificial Flowers were of gold and silver; and one exhibitor showed a May-tree made of muslin and cambric, reminding one of the good old days when a wagon was a head-ornament for a lady of fashion.

There

Among the Hosiery novelties was a patent Dress fastening without sewing; Leglets for ladies, to keep the wet and dirt from their shoes; and "a Corset made in fifty parts, to insure elasticity in conformity with the various motions of the body was a Crinoline that expanded and contracted at the will of the wearer, and was so adjusted that when touched by a spring it would contract, and enable the wearer to pass on without inconvenience."-(M'Dermott's Popular Guide.) There may be some truth in fairy tales, after all! Chivalry had its knights in steel; we have our ladies in the same defensative metal.

A large display of Academical, Ecclesiastical, and Civil Robes almost made us imagine ourselves in the High-street of Oxford, instead of the south-east angle of the Kensington Building. Of graver import was the show of the Robes of the Scotch Church, sent by Middlemas, of Edinburgh.

There were Gloves from the ancient city of Worcester; from the still 'town of Woodstock; from Chipping Norton, Milbourne Port, and Yeovil. But more remarkable was a specimen of Gloves made from Australian cotton, soft as silk.

The show of Nottingham Hosiery was good in quality and pattern. The Scotch Hosiery included Belts and Braces from Wilson and Mathewson, of Glasgow, who also showed an Umbrella em. broidered in scarlet and gold, and made to keep off the burning sun of Africa.

Among the novelties (or oddities), was a pair of "Reversible Trousers, for civil and military wear,' sent by M. Mendelson, late of the Garrison, Gibraltar. There were, also, a Seamless Coat and Trousers, by Mr. Halliday, of Dundee, who is stated to have occupied four years in making them: they are felted, soft, and cloth-like in texture.

Boots and Shoes, which really have so much to do with human temper and comfort, were well represented, and must have been specially interesting to all who have undergone the martyrology of tight feet-coverings. To the adage, "many men, many minds," may be added " many feet," and the model is the only certainty to insure ease. Still, here was a legion of contrivances-boots and shoes with adjustable heels, and detached heels and fastenings; self-adjusting and ventilating boots; boots "to prevent splashing;"

"chameleon shoes, changing colour," &c. A case of Boots exhibited by Mr. Gullick, of Pall Mall, presented the more rational qualities of elegance of design and workmanship: they included a lady's Hungarian mauve morocco Riding-boot, which has a spring-spur that will not injure the habit, while it spurs the horse. Next was "the Napoleon Boot," elaborately embroidered with the French eagle, and fitted with a richly-gilt spur, of antique design. This was succeeded by a handsome Austrian long Riding-boot; then, a new style of Top-boot, "the Equestrian," with a spur in the form of a bird, elegantly chased. A military dress Carlton Boot was shown, with, inserted in the heel, a patent Eclipse Spur-box, which raises the spur to the top of the heel; and to illustrate this improvement, the fellow boot had the Spur-box fitted in the old manner. The Two-decker Shooting-boot was of novel make, extremely thick, yet very light. There remain to be noticed some wrinkled Hessian Boots, with steel ornaments, and elaborately chased silver spurs ; a pair of such boots was supplied by the maker to one of the Foreign Commissioners, who wore the same at the opening ceremony of the Exhibition: these boots cost the wearer 27 guineas. To Mr. Gullick, for the excellence of the entire collection, was awarded a Prize Medal.

PAPER-MAKING, AND STATIONERY.

The French paper-makers made a far more satisfactory appearance than the British; and any one, after a stroll through their Court, could form a very fair judgment concerning the peculiarities and excellences of French Paper. In France linen rags appear to take the place of cotton in England, and the average quality of the papers is therefore higher. In the commoner kinds of Printing-papers, such as are used for our newspapers, France cannot compete with England. Very cheap French papers seem to be produced by a free admixture of clay, and they drop apart under tension, like tinder. These Printing-papers are generally unsized, one advantage of which is, that the paper takes the impress of the type with greater perfection. In their Writing-papers they mix their size with the pulp, whilst we commonly spread it on the surface, and often by this skilful glaze a poor paper is passed off for a good. In fancy writing-papers we know nothing in England to compare with the French delicacy of tint and finish; and there were coloured note-papers with a variety of ornamental water-marks. French writing-paper if sufficiently known would, like French gloves, have many purchasers. It is easily written on, is light, and finely finished. For foreign letters there is nothing to compare with the thin French paper. We noticed some foolscap light as tissue-paper, weighing only 6 lbs. to the ream, and which can be written on both sides.

Paper made from the roughest material was shown; and strangely enough the coarsest descriptions of old cordage produce

the finest qualities of paper used in the potteries for fixing the patterns on porcelain. There was also some paper made from the hop-bine, by Barling, amidst the hop-grounds of Kent; and some board made of paper of which the exhibitor, Mr. Towle, more than twenty years ago built himself a house, which has once at least successfully resisted a fire, that burned to the ground the adjoining substantially brick-built residence. The application of silicate of Zopissa, a description of Arabian gum, to paper by Mr. F. Szerelemy has been found to give it so much strength that the material may be used for rocket-tubes, planking for ships' sides, water-pipes; and, it is even said, for heavy artillery. There were specimens of paper made from straw, from the Spanish Esparto; and some charming flowers made from coloured papers by Mrs. Stodhart, Mrs. Weatherfield, and Mrs. Higgins. Mr. Leighton, who had the superintendence of this Class, obtaining a very perfect representation of these important and curious branches of manufacture.

[The exhibition of Bank of England Note Paper, and its manufacture, has already been described at pp. 110-112.]

Mr. Barclay, Bucklersbury, showed his Paper for Cheques to prevent Forgery: and a new paper for press-copies of letters, containing some ingredient which produces a sharper impression than hitherto.

Mr. T. H. Saunders, of Queenhithe, had perhaps the most generally interesting, and, on the whole, unquestionably the best show, of Papers; with specimens of rags from all parts of the world; also other materials for paper. His hand and machine made papers were very good; but his water-marks were surpassingly excellent. One large sheet which he showed contained in its water-mark a very complex border encircling a bust, over which is a wonderfully exact copy of Raffaele's "Madonna and Child"'—a perfect marvel of manufacture. Burgess and Ward, of Mendip Paper Mills, near Wells, showed excellent specimens of Straw Paper, with samples illustrating the various processes of its manufacture and application. These makers claim for their paper superiority over that made of common rags, and to prove its capabilities, showed its adaptability for newspapers, railway time-tables, placards, &c. They also exhibited book-work, music, fine engravings, and lithographs, printed on their papers; also paper-hangings, enamelled papers in various hues, fancy box papers, in gold colours; and a delicate polychromic printing, executed on their paper by Day and Son. All these specimens showed good surface and texture; proving that the richest work tells upon straw-paper as well as on the finest rags; and Ward's paper has less of the objectionable brittleness than any other straw-paper. Greer and Co., of Cork, showed very good writing-papers; and Mr. Routledge, of Eynsham Mills, Oxford, exhibited very creditable paper made from foreign fibre, with which much more is to be done than our paper-makers have yet attempted. Hook, Townsend, and Co., of Snodland, near Rochester, had a very creditable show of Writing and Envelope Papers; and Messrs. Turnbull, of

Shoreditch, exhibited excellent Drawing-paper and fine Cardboard, in the latter of which, however, they were surpassed by Woolley and Co., of Holborn. The best Writing-paper in the Class was found in the case of Marcus Ward and Co., of Belfast, who, collecting from the bleach greens the cuttings and trimmings of unworn linen, send them over to a mill near Maidstone, where they are turned into hand and machine made paper, which in texture and finish was beyond anything of the kind shown in the Exhibition.

In purely Commercial Stationery were some very good accountbooks of Jones and Causton, of Eastcheap, which deservedly got a Medal, but which were not equal to the books of Ward, of Belfast, medalled by the Jury as "superior." Than these ledgers we cannot conceive anything better. The paper of which they are made is manufactured from pure linen; the binding is of vellum, banded, not with Russia leather as is the custom, but with morocco, which is much more lasting and more elegant; and the sewing is double, and secured both at top and bottom, the leaves being sewed with linen thread on stout linen belting in addition to the usual vellum slips. It is, therefore, impossible that the leaves can come out or even protrude without actual violence. All these books open perfectly flat, and the edges, instead of being marbled in the ordinary way, are highly polished, to exclude dust.

Messrs. Goodhall and Dinsdale, of Pancras-lane, City, had a well-earned Medal for account-books, as all they showed were of excellent quality. Hyde and Co., of Fleet-street, who had a Medal for Sealing-wax, of which they showed the best in the Building, also exhibited a clamp Copying-book, which is exceedingly simple and good. As far as the wetting, &c., is concerned, this book is the same as the other Copying-books, but the pressure is effected by a clamp which is slipped on, and which effectually secures an impression. The great advantage of the clamp is that it is portable, and is especially suited for commercial travellers who may require to copy letters, and yet cannot carry with them a press for the purpose. Messrs. Hyde also exhibited Inks in various colours; and their famous Gold Pens; and excellent Sealing-wax. Straker and Sons, of Leadenhallstreet, showed an account-book with a patent index, the "stops of which coming through the binding indicate the letter whether the book is open or closed: for heavy books this index would be very valuable. Letts and Co. showed their world-famed Diaries, with the merits of which every one is acquainted; and which are in their various forms adapted for the merchant, whatever be his line of business, and the professional man, be he clergyman, lawyer, or medicus. A Copying-machine shown by this eminent firm was perhaps the best in the Exhibition.

In the sub-class of Stationery were shown the Pencils of Brookman and Langdon, and Mordan's Pencils and Appliances; and some beautiful specimens of the seal- engraver's art, from the masterpiece of Wyon down to simple letter punches. Here,

among them, was the Great Seal of England-if not the finest, beyond all doubt the most important, of all Wyon's works. Mr. Mansell showed a collection of Decorative Stationery which is curious as exemplifying the uses to which paper has been turned by modern manufacturers: there were ornamental lace-edged paper handkerchiefs, paper flower-pot cases, and cut dish-papers, perspective valentines, &c. Mr. M'Clashan showed the stiff gilt and silver papers which are used for theatrical armour, shields, helmets, &c.; and Messrs. Corfield a collection of marbled papers, in which the English excel.

There were also shown samples of a very successful English imitation of a French manufacture, -the highly decorated Plum, Bonbon, Cake, and Glove Boxes: their tinsellings and coloured velvets, in good hands, might be made effective enough. Mr. Bennet showed a case of these boxes, of various kinds, which in their quiet good taste had no superior in the Building. Mr. John's display was also very good; in fact, both these and the cases shown by Mr. Bauerrichter contained such perfect imitations of similar French articles, that the Jury on their visit required proof that they had all been manufactured in England. This branch of industry has entirely arisen within the last two or three years, and it promises eventually to give employment to thousands of men and women.

We should mention the new manufacture of Paper Collars for ladies and gentlemen; and a Machine for manufacturing them, in the Exhibition, shown by Newbery and Co., President-street West these collars possess the peculiarity of having cloth faces.

PRINTING.

Plate, Lithograph, and other modes of Printing were well illustrated; but it has been aptly observed :-"Printing in all its various branches was shown, except in that most important one of all which ministers so much to the instruction and amusement of all England-that process, by which the thought and eloquence of the kingdom are embodied in a few hours and sent forth in the form of a daily newspaper by hundreds and thousands before daylight. It would require a very large court indeed-more, in fact, than ten times the whole space that is given to this class, to show the various processes which even a paper of small circulation has to pass through before its sheets are submitted to the public."Times.*

In this Class were exhibited specimens of Printing Types from all the chief type-founders, Caslon, Figgins, Besley, Miller and Richard, &c. For good clear-cast and very durable type no country has a higher reputation than England; but, on the other hand, all relating to the decorative parts of the art ranks almost

There was nothing of its Class to match the Illustrated London News Vertical Printing-machine, shown in the Great Exhibition of 1851, at the cost to the Proprietors of 1000l, or 12007.