Architectural Ragtime

"Architectural Ragtime" exposes the work and accomplishments of the prominent and prolific architectural firm of, Geo. F. Barber & Co. Virtually every major town has a residence designed by the Knoxville-based architect, who created and sold house designs through his various publications and efficient mail-order business. Despite his widespread success, little has been written about Barber, his firm and the artistic taste he sought to create. Michael D. Alcorn and Christopher R. DiMattei provide an unprecedented and comprehensive analysis of Barber and his architecture, which is enhanced by extensive contemporary documentation of these historic homes. Students, scholars and historic home enthusiasts will find this an important resource that will enhance their understanding and appreciation of this influential architect.

This volume illustrates, through hundreds of built examples, how Barber was able to reach his clientele, provide them with professional architectural services, and satisfy their desire for a home that represented their place in their community, even though Barber was potentially hundreds if not thousands of miles away from them. It explores Barber's place in our national heritage and provides a mountain of documentation in support of the prospect that George Barber just might be, America's most prolific architect. It also presents Barber's design philosophy, the appeal of Barber's artistic taste and the widespread success of his firm, again, through the many examples of his home designs. Fully indexed and filled with photographs and illustrations that are both revealing and instructive, this volume is a must have for local, county and state historical resources, dedicated toward the identification and preservation of America's historic architecture.

Michael D. Alcorn (1948-2015) was an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Nevada Las Vegas serving in a range of capacities including, Assistant Dean, Foundation Curriculum Coordinator, Graduate Program Coordinator, Chair or Member of numerous University committees and most significantly, as the first Director of the School of Architecture. During his time at UNLV, Michael also joined the architectural firm of Tate Snyder Kimsey of Henderson Nevada. There he served as Vice President of Operations until he lost his battle with cancer. Michael spent thousands of hours researching and documenting the work of American architect, George F. Barber, stemming from his boyhood exposure to a prominent Barber designed house, built in his hometown of Grayville, IL. Michael was the author of "Between You and A Hideous Monstrosity," a traveling photographic exhibit of houses produced by Geo. F. Barber & Co. between 1888 and 1912. The exhibit featured over 150 different designs produced by the Barber firm located in 45 states. Michael's legacy lives on in this work and the plethora of Barber firm documentation donated by the Alcorn family, to the McClung Historical Collection in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Christopher R. DiMattei is an architect, historian and author with over 20 years of experience finding, recording and documenting the works of acclaimed "pattern book" or "mail-order" architect, George F. Barber (1854-1915). Mr. DiMattei maintains a blog on the subject (www.cottagesouvenirs.com ), has written for Victorian Homes magazine and maintains an international inventory of Barber house examples. He is actively involved in the restoration & preservation of several extant Barber houses and enjoys assisting homeowners in their restoration and preservation efforts. Working with the McClung Historical Collection in Knoxville, Tennessee, he facilitates the preservation of Barber firm artifacts like original drawings, specifications, correspondence, and the like. Being a technology manager for an architectural firm in Boston, Mr. DiMattei is expert in the use of current technologies used for the digital restoration and preservation of historic documents and photographs. For all correspondence related to the work of George F. Barber, Mr. DiMattei can be reached at cottagesouvenirs@gmail.com.