Building a National Image: Architectural Drawings for the American Democracy, 1789 - 1912

Book by Lowry, Bates

Selected from federal archives, the architectural drawings here range from early austere designs for the U.S. Capitol to several bold proposals for a Lincoln memorial, some of which are attributed to Rockwell Kent. There are works on a tiny scaleof ornamental detailswhile others are grand views of cities. Together the plates are a vivid, fascinating look at architectural vision and the construction process. In comparison, the text, by the director of the National Buildings Museum in Washington, does not live up to its title. Lowry devotes most of his attention to the design and construction of the Capitol and the mechanisms for overseeing the building of other federal edifices. He catalogues changing styles, which were largely adapted from Europe, and explores the politics and in-fighting over federal building design. Ultimately, Lowry's narrative belies his thesis that federal government buildings reflect the nation's "uniqueness" and its "special destiny as a political body whose power came solely from the consent of its people."
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Between 1789 and 1912, the federal government constructed hundreds of post offices, court and custom houses, and office buildings across the country, designed by such renowned architects as Robert Mills, Ammi B. Young, and Alfred Mullet. This handsome catalog, and the exhibition at the National Building Museum, provide proof positive that quality and innovation were the rule rather than the exception. Museum director Lowry has written a perceptive, scholarly essay tracing the history of federal architecture from L'Enfant's monumental plan for Washington to the small-town post offices of James Knox Taylor. Among the many treasures contained in the catalog are the competition drawings for the Lincoln Memorial; these and over 100 others are carefully reproduced and annotated, making this volume an important addition to the literature. H. Ward Jandl, National Park Svce., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.