American Architects and Their Books, 1840-1915

by Kenneth Hafertepe, James F. O'Gorman

Overview

Since the Renaissance, architects have been authors and architecture has been the subject of publications. Architectural forms and theories are spread not just by buildings, but by the distribution of images and descriptions fed through the printing press. The study of an architect's library is an essential avenue to understanding that architect's intentions and judging his or her achievements.

In this well-illustrated volume, a chronological sequel to American Architects and Their Books to 1848, twelve distinguished historians of architecture discuss from various points of view the books that inspired architects both famous and not-so-famous, and the books the architects themselves produced. They examine the multifaceted relationship of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architects to print culture—the literary works that architects collected, used, argued over, wrote, illustrated, designed, printed, were inspired by, cribbed from, educated clients with, advertised their services through, designed libraries for, or just plain enjoyed. The result is a volume that presents the intersection of the history of architecture, the history of ideas, and the history of the book. Changes in print culture during this period had a significant impact on the architectural profession, as revealed in these well-informed scholarly essays.

In addition to the editors, contributors include Jhennifer A. Amundson, Edward R. Bosley, Ted Cavanagh, Elspeth Cowell, Elaine Harrington, Michael J. Lewis, Anne E. Mallek, Daniel D. Reiff, Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., and Chris Szczesny-Adams. Among the architects discussed are A. J. Downing, Charles Sumner Greene, James Sims, Samuel Sloan, John Calvin Stevens, Thomas U. Walter, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558496026
Publisher:	University of Massachusetts Press
Publication date:	10/31/2007
Series:	Studies in Print Culture and the History of the Book
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Kenneth Hafertepe is associate professor of museum studies at Baylor University. James F. O'Gorman is Grace Slack McNeil Professor of the History of Art Emeritus at Wellesley College.

Table of Contents

Illustrations     ix
Introduction: Architects and Their Books, 1840-1915   Kenneth Hafertepe   James F. O'Gorman     xvii
Downing's Readings-and Readings of Downing   Kenneth Hafertepe     1
Oliver Smith, Housewright and Itinerant Architect   Ted Cavanagh     31
"Vast Avenues to Knowledge": Thomas Ustick Walter's Books   Jhennifer A. Amundson     63
Samuel Sloan, Pattern Books, and the Question of Professional Identity   Elspeth Cowell     95
"At the Core of His Career": Enoch A. Curtis and Architectural Books   Daniel D. Reiff     129
Edward Townsend Mix: Books and the Professional Architect in Nineteenth-Century Milwaukee   Chris Szczesny-Adams     149
The Architectural Library of Henry A. Sims   Michael J. Lewis     173
"Either in Books or Architecture": Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in the Nineties   James F. O'Gorman     195
John Calvin Stevens's Architectural Library   Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.     215
Books and Libraries in Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park Days   Elaine Harrington     231
Wright and Melville's Chimney   James F. O'Gorman     257
Exotic and Aesthetic: The Library of Charles Sumner Greene   Edward R.Bosley   Anne E. Mallek     265
Contributors     289
Index     293

What People are Saying About This

Eleanor Thompson

Taken with the first volume, these essays tell a compelling story of the maturing of the architectural profession in America and its link with the world of books, which indeed would seem to be essential to their work and thought.

Martha McNamara

This is an important work at the intersection of architectural history and the history of the book.... It will appeal to a diverse group of scholars interested in the built environment of North America, the development of the architectural profession, the transmission of ideas, and the myriad ways in which these phenomena were shaped by books.

Editorial Reviews

"This is an important work at the intersection of architectural history and the history of the book. . . . It will appeal to a diverse group of scholars interested in the built environment of North America, the development of the architectural profession, the transmission of ideas, and the myriad ways in which these phenomena were shaped by books."—Martha McNamara, University of Maine

"Taken with the first volume, these essays tell a compelling story of the maturing of the architectural profession in America and its link with the world of books, which indeed would seem to be essential to their work and thought."—Eleanor Thompson, National Endowment for the

Humanities Librarian, retired, The Winterthur Library

"American Architects and Their Books, 1840-1915, is a fascinating contribution to the history of the book. . . . The result is a coherent and rich discussion of book and print culture and the role it played in forging the architect's profession. . . . This entire collection, in fact, is a joy to read. It is also a joy to look at as the book includes more than one hundred illustrations depicting building plans, architectural details, interiors, and portraits of the architects. Several essays also include helpful appendices listing architects' book inventories."—H-Net Reviews

"American Architects and Their Books provides multiple perspectives on the nexus of print culture and the built environment. . . . Individuals form the focus of this volume, but their participation in print culture comprises a greater narrative that helps fill a void in the history of the book. . . . By directly addressing the professional use of texts along with related matters, American Architects and Their Books, 1840–1915 affords valuable insights into American book culture."—Libraries and the Cultural Record

From the Publisher

American Architects and Their Books provides multiple perspectives on the nexus of print culture and the built environment.... Individuals form the focus of this volume, but their participation in print culture comprises a greater narrative that helps fill a void in the history of the book.... By directly addressing the professional use of texts along with related matters, American Architects and Their Books, 1840—1915 affords valuable insights into American book culture.

Libraries and the Cultural Record

American Architects and Their Books, 1840-1915, is a fascinating contribution to the history of the book.... The result is a coherent and rich discussion of book and print culture and the role it played in forging the architect's profession.... This entire collection, in fact, is a joy to read. It is also a joy to look at as the book includes more than one hundred illustrations depicting building plans, architectural details, interiors, and portraits of the architects. Several essays also include helpful appendices listing architects' book inventories.

H-Net Reviews