Michael J. Lewis
"...it makes you feel that you are seeing the building for the very first time."
Leland M. Roth
"The contributing writers are all outstanding in their respective areas and do excellent jobs in presenting their material."
Book Description
Since its dedication in 1877, Trinity Church on Copley Square in Boston has been widely regarded as one of the most important and successful monuments of American architecture. It has long been hailed as the cornerstone of the career of Americas first celebrity architect, H. H. Richardson. But architecture is not solely the expression of individual genius. Buildings result from collaboration and compromise. They are the concrete manifestations of competing needs, desires, and expectations expressed through clients, building committees, designers, bankers, engineers, builders, decorators, and others. "The Makers of Trinity Church in the City of Boston" recognizes and celebrates this collaborative effort. While critics often speak of the church as Richardsons creation, this collection of essays, written by leading scholars in the field, recognizes and assesses the individual contributions of the rector, Phillips Brooks; the chairman of the building committee, Robert Treat Paine; the builder, O. W. Norcross; and the decorator, John La Farge, as well as Richardson. The book includes the first study of the furnishings of the interior by the architects office and features chapters on the stained glass designers Sarah Wyman Whitman and Margaret Redmond, as well as the architect Charles D. Maginnis, whose remodeling of the chancel in the 1930s brought the building to its full glory. These architectural collaborators are rarely given the recognition they receive here, although the absence of any one of them would have produced a very different result. Such omissions would have significantly diminished this towering landmark of Americas cultural heritage. In addition to the editor, contributors to the volume include Keith Bakker, David B. Chesebrough, Kathleen A. Curran, Erica Hirshler, Keith N. Morgan, Thomas M. Paine, Virginia Chieffo Raguin, Milda B. Richardson, Theodore E. Stebbins Jr., and Charles A. Vandersee.
From the Publisher
Explores the process of collaboration in the creation of an American architectural masterpiece.
About the Author
James F. OGorman is Grace Slack McNeil Professor of the History of American Art at Wellesley College. He is the author of numerous books, including "Living Architecture: A Biography of H. H. Richardson."
Makers of Trinity Church in the City of Boston FROM THE PUBLISHER
Since its dedication in 1877, Trinity Church on Copley Square in Boston has been widely regarded as one of the most important and successful monuments of American architecture. It has long been hailed as the cornerstone of the career of America's first celebrity architect, H. H. Richardson. But architecture is not solely the expression of individual genius. Buildings result from collaboration and compromise. They are the concrete manifestations of competing needs, desires, and expectations expressed through clients, building committees, designers, bankers, engineers, builders, decorators, and others. The Makers of Trinity Church in the City of Boston recognizes and celebrates this collaborative effort.
SYNOPSIS
Stemming in part from a symposium held at the Boston Public Library in November 2001 in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the dedication of Trinity Church, this volume contains 10 essays on those responsible for various aspects of the construction, decoration, and use of the church. Separate essays are devoted to Phillips Brooks, the rector who commissioned the new building; the building committee chairman; H.H. Richardson, the architect; O.W. Norcross, the builder; John La Farge, the decorator; and the setting of Trinity Church as it is used in Henry Adams' Esther, among other topics. With their focus on biographical details, the essays will be enjoyable reading for the non-specialist interested in Trinity, as well as students and architectural historians. O'Gorman teaches the history of American art at Wellesley College, Mass. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR