Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/somegoodbrickworOOfisk INTRODUCTION O Dl'.TAIl. ot A nierican architecture is changing more rapidly at the present time than its tiice hrickwork. d'he smooth, ev'en colored wall ot hvgone days, with its narrow regular nun-tar joints, giving the so-called “paint pot etiect,” is passing away and hrickwork with “lite” and “texture” is rapidly coming into use. I'o secure these important effects, the individual bricks must have elements ot ruggedness and texture, must vary considerably in shade, and must be laid in some interesting style ot true bond with liberal mortar joints ot the proper thickness, color and finish. d'o satisfactoriK' study all these points, w-e believe the architect should have betore him samples ot actual brickwork, real bricks laid up whth real mortar, with a real bond, in sufficient mass to give the effect of the finished wall. We have, therefore, prepared for the inspection of architects and their clients what is belie\'ed to be the first and only comprehensi\'e exhibit of brickwork in existence. This is partly in the form ot stationary panels in our Boston and New York offices and partly in the torm ot portable cases containing brickwork, all of which possess the elements ot “life” and “texture.” It is true that this is a radical departure from the methods heretotore employed by brick manutacturers in the marketing ot their products, but we believe that the architects of the country will appreciate something better ami more compre- hensive than the single sample brick which is often misleading and w'hich can never convey an adequate idea ot a brick wall. The subject of this pamphlet is therefore not bricks but brickwork. No pictures or printed matter can satisfactorily represent these exhibits, as beautitul brickwork, like the artist’s masterpiece, is largely a matter ot color, but the tol- lowing pages will convey some idea ot our work and w'e trust wall induce our friends to visit us and see the exhibits for themselves. Wh ere distance makes this impossible, w'e are prepared to send our large portable cases ot brickwork toryour inspection or to send a set of our small cases as a per- manent exhibit in your own office. II^ISKE 6- COMPANY INC Iace bricks; establish liRE BRICKSl ED IN 1064 BOSTON OFFICE NEW YORK OFHCE ROCHESTER OFFICE SCHENECTADY OFFICE J6I Devonshire St. Flatiron Building German Ins. Bldg. Myers’ Arcade Representatives in BUFFALO PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE WASHINGTON “REAL ROMAN TAPESTRY” BRICKS 'I liis is the first attempt, in America at least, to produce a brick of the length, thickness and texture of those used in the construction of ancient Borne. In the Baths of I'itus, luiilt about the vear A. I). So will be found today bricks having surfaces almost exactU' like those in the picture above. W'e have therefore styled this brick the “Real Roman” and append hereto a technical description of this brickwork. COLOR Ob BRICKS: I hese bricks are best served in the most extreme range of color possible, including clear reds, browns, coppers and blues. Hardly any two bricks are exactly alike; some are clear red, some clear blue, while many have all colors on a single brick, d'he various colors should be laid at random. SIZE Ob' BRICKS: Approximately 17^ inches long by 1 j/2 inches thick by 5j/ inches wide. They are also served in a size ]Hx2x6 inches and in a smaller size, 9x2x4 inches; the large and small bricks can be used together to produce an almost infinite variety of plain and pattern brickwork, l EX rCRE Ob BRICKS: See the cut on the opposite page. d hese bricks have a rough nap-like surface, absorbing the light and having that depth and rich- ness of color peculiar to tapestries and other rough surface textile products; at the same time the bricks are absolutelv frost proof, being made of shale, burned to vitrification. BOND OF BRICKWORK : Alternate stretchers and headers. MORTAR JOINIS: See the opposite page. [^] SUbL 9 Kut.itcnor DETAIL OF TEXTURE AND MORTAR JOINTS MC^RIAR JOIN rS: A brick with “texture” looks good when laid with a mortar joint havinn “texture” also. The joint shown above is made ot a fine concrete mixture having the following composition: 4 barrels of fine gravel, 2 barrels of yellow sand, I barrel of Portland cement, 4 eight-quart pails of lime putty. This mortar is strong and absolutely weather proof and the bricks may be laid almost as rapidly as with ordinary mortar; it is quite unnecessary to use any blocking to hold the bricks up while the mortar is setting provided the mixture is made of proper stiffness, d'he mortar is spread with the trowel and the bricks are tapped down to the line in the ordinary way; the surplus mortar which oozes out between the bricks is allowed to stiffen slightly and is then simply cut off with the trowel, thereby producing the beautiful texture showm above. S To secure perfect work under varying conditions much attention must be given to the size and color ot the gravel and sand, the amount of lime and to the mixing and handling of the mortar; much fine brickwork is ruined by carelessness at the mortar bed. We are prepared to assist architects in drawing their specifications and will furnish a competent superintendent to “start the job off ” if desired. [3] 424830 “ORIENTAL” BRICKS. COLOR OI' BRICKS: A mixture ot dark red, brown, bronze, purple, wine color and olive (including colors heretofore unknown in brick manutacture. ) SIZE OF BRICKS: Approximately, 8 inches long bv i inches thick by 3 inches wide. I'E-XELRE OF BRICKS: Rough, with a nap, like tapestry. BOND OF BRICKWORK : American blind bond. MO R FAR JOINTS : Pink, inch thick, rough cut, flush with the face of the brickwork. GENFR.A.L EFFFX F; Like a Turkish rug with soft, rich, subdued colors. FURl'HF.R SUGGESTIONS : These bricks may be very effectively used with brown mortar, or with moss green, the latter blending most beautifully with their colors. For a country house surrounded by green trees and bright flowers, with the blue sky overhead, no finer combination can be realized. [ 4 ] “WEST POINT” BRICKS COLOR OF BRICKS: Cream white, ivory, light brown and dark seal brown, evenly mixed in the wall. SIZE OF BRICKS: Approximately 8^ inches long by inches thick by 4 inches wide. TEXTURE OF BRICKS: Rough, with a nap, like tapestry. BOND OF BRICKWORK: Flemish bond. MOKTAR JOINTS: Cream white, inch thick, raked out Y deep. GENERAL EFFECT: At a distance, a wall of these bricks looks like a piece of ivory, softened and mellowed by exposure and old age. [5] “CALEDONIAN” BRICKS COLOR OK BRICKS: 'I'hese hricks are manuflictured in ten colors or shades including clear light red, dark Indian red, light and dark hrovvn, weathered copper and Blue: the faces of the intermediate shades have red centres edged with brown, copper and blue; the heads are usually somewhat darker than the faces. These bricks can be served in substantially uniform shades, but a full range of color adds greatlv to the interest and beauty of the finished wall, particularly where blemish, English or Dutch bond is used. SIZE OK BRICKS: Approximately 8 inches long by i% inches thick by 3 ^ inches wide. TEXd'LRE OK BRICKS: Rough, with a nap, like tapestry. BOND OK BRICKWORK: American blind bond. MOR'KAR JOINTS: White, yi inch thick, raked out inch deep. ORIENTAL” BRICKS COLOR O!^' BRICKS: A mixture of dark red, brown, bronze, purple, wine color and olive (including colors heretofore unknown in brick manufacture.) SIZif OF BRICKS: Approximately, 8 ^ inches long by i inches thick by j ^ inches wide. I'LXrLIRE OF BRICKS: Rough, with a nap, like tapestry. BOND OF BRICKWORK: Double stretcher, Flemish bond. MOR FAR JOIN I S : Light gray, iy( inches thick, rough cut, flush with the face of the brickwork; blind joints brown, ^ inch thick. (ibNLRAL F.FFF.CT: A wall of this brickwork has all the charm of age, with the soft subdued colors, and the richness and depth of tone which usually come to good brickwork only after years of exposure to the weather. This effect can be increased by making the color of the mortar joint somewhat darker than that shown above. [ 7 ] NINE INCH “WEST POINT” BRICKS COLOR OF BRICKS: Cream white, ivorv, light brown and dark seal brown, evenly mixed in the wall. SIZE OF BRICKS: Approximately 9}^ inches long by 2 inches thick by 4 inches wide. riyXl'L’Rb. OF BRICKS: Rough, with a nap, like tapestry. BOND OF BRICKWORK: Double stretcher, Flemish bond. MORTAR lOIXTS: Coarse cream white. Horizontal joints 1 inch thick; vertical joints, alternately i inch and inch thick. Joints rough cut Hush with the lace ol the brickwork. GFiNERAL EFFECT : Like a piece of old ivory, softened and mellowed by age and exposure. [«J CALEDONIAN” BRICKS COLOR OF BRICKS: Reds, browns, coppers and blues as described more tully on Rage 6. SIZE OF BRICKS: Approximately 8 inches long by inches thick by inches wide. d'EXl’URK OF BRICKS: Rough, with a nap, like tapestry. BOND OF BRICKWORK: Flemish bond. MORl'AR JOINTS: White, inch thick, struck flush with the face of the wall. [ 9 ] “CALEDONIAN" BRICKS COLOR Ob' BRICKS: Reds, lirowns, coppers and blues as described more fully on Rage 6. SIZE OF BRICKS: Approximately 8 inches long by inches thick by 3^ inches wide. TEXTURE OF BRICKS: Rough, with a nap, like tapestry. BOND OF BRICKWORK: Double stretcher, Flemish bond. MORTAR JOINTS: Black, inch thick, slightly raked out. [. 0 ] ONE OF OUR OFFICE EXHIBITS OF BRICKWORK In our New York office our exhibit consists of 20 large panels containing i 8 different colors of bricks, 7 distinct surface textures, 5 stvdes of standard bonds, 5 colors of mortar joints of varying thickness, 5 styles of finishing the mortar joints. We ha\'e a workshop adjoining this office with a skilled bricklayer at our command to lay up samples “While you wait,” in any desired style of mortar joint or bond. [•'] PORTABLE BRICKWALL” It may be inconvenient tor an architect or his client to visit our offices or he may desire to studv sev^eral ditterent samples ot brickwork at the site of the proposed building in order that the effect of environment may be given its due consideration. If for these or any other reasons he cannot make use of our office exhibits we are prepared to send him one or all of our twentv-five “ Portable Brickwalls” illustrated above. Each case contains a sufficient number of bricks laid up in actual mortar to satisfactorily represent the finished wall and the entire exhibit includes all of our leading colors, textures, bonds and mortar joints. [12] SMALL BRICK CASES 'I'hese cases are sent to architects and builders, upon request, as permanent exhibits in their own offices. They are necessarily of small size, but contain about 6 or more bricks laid in mortar and are therefore far more comprehensive than the single sample or loose samples heretofore used. We furnish samples of any of our bricks laid in these cases with anv ordinary bond or mortar ioint. [‘ 3 ] A GLIMPSE OF SOME GOOD BRICKWORK Detail ol Residence of Hon. John R. McLean, Washington, 1). C. John Russell I^ope Architect; Geo. A. Fuller Co. Contractors. 0«r “ORI ENTAL” BRICKS laid with \ inch gray mortar joints, rough cut flush with the face of the wall ; double stretcher, Flemish bond with blind joints between adjacent stretchers. See Page 7 . [H] Another detail of the of plain bricks and bricklayer. same building showing mortar in the hands the wonderful decorative possibilities of a clever architect and a skillful [15] ZJISKE 6- COMPANY INC ACE BRICKS / ESTABLISH JRE BRICKS! ED IN 1064 [. 6 ] . . . Printed by .... F. \V Robinson Co. I Madison Avc., Sew )'ori iS'tiJ. J j J A.- 1 •< 1^ ; - 4 ■ Ilf ? i *. !l' 3 IT ^ ll ( fUiV I H I' S I. 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