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Chicago's Classical Architecture: The Legacy of the White City (IL) (Images of America)
Binding: Paperback
Author: David Stone
Release Date: 2006-02-20
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Average Rating: 4.5
Total Customer Reviews: 9
List Price: $19.99
Our Price: $18.80
Sales Rank: 406211
Product Description
Chicago’s architecture has been called the most important in the United States by the American Institute of Architects, and perhaps no other type of architecture has had as significant of an impact on the city’s look, feel, and character as classical architecture. Chicago’s connection to classical architecture dates back to the famed 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, with it's gleaming “White City” of ornate Beaux-Arts buildings. After the fair, the “Plan of Chicago,” developed by Daniel Burnham, the fair’s lead
architect, paved the way for the further spread of classical building not only in Chicago, but throughout the country.
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Users Product Reviews: |
Product Review Summary: Good Research, Bad Photography This book starts with a look at some of Chicago's 1983 World's Columbian Exposition buildings. Although most were built as temporary structures, intended only to last until the end of the Exposition, they inspired a boom period of classical architecture in Chicago and elsewhere that we still enjoy today.
On the plus side, this book is very well researched, and the text that accompanies each picture is absolutely excellent. The author went to all parts of the city to pick out examples of buildings that were inspired by the Exposition. There are photos and buildings here I've never seen before, and I have several books on Chicago's architecture.
On the negative side, the photography is a tremendous disappointment. Some photos are good, but many are simply scanned-in postcards. In one case, the original sender's writing around the building was more prominent than the building itself. Some photos are obviously altered: for example there are drawings of people added to the foreground in "Machinery Hall from the East" on page 20, and "Nebraska Building" on page 29. This calls into question the accuracy and authenticity of the other photos. If you look at the lettering, you can see that at least two photos are reversed, "Rhode Island Building" and "French Building" on page 30. In photography book, this is just plain sloppy work, and really inexcusable. There are several cases where there is an old, poor quality photograph of a building that is extent and unaltered. The right choice would have been to take a new photograph. An example is "Marshall Field and Company" on page 71, a very crude drawing of a beautiful building. On page 102 we have the "Garfield Park State Savings Bank", which looks like someone rubbed their greasy thumb just in the middle of the lens before snapping the shot.
If this book was redone, retaining the text but shooting some new, high quality photographs, it would easily rate 5-stars. Because the photographic quality is so uneven, you should consider this only if you are particularly interested in the Exposition and buildings it inspired. Otherwise, consider "Chicago, Then and Now" by McNulty or "Lost Chicago" by Lowe for a broader, but excellent, photographic treatment of classic buildings in the city.
Product Review Summary: Illustrated History and Influence of the White City This is an excellent photographic review both of the White City itself and its influence throughout Chicago. A great learning tool for students. It could further be improved with a few references to out of Chicago impacts such as the Washington, D.C. McMillan Plan in 1901.
Product Review Summary: a terrific book for Chicagoans and architecture fans this is the possibly the best Arcadia/Images of America book I've seen from the series. The selection and quality of the photography (mostly historic photos) is wonderful, and the captions tell a great story of Chicago. I find myself often thumbing through it over and over to look at the photos. Highly recommended!
Product Review Summary: A magical walking tour of Chicago's History This novel was not only informative as a historical referrence of Chicago's history, but I used it as a guidebook while plotting what sites to see in this wonderful City!
Product Review Summary: Greg Luzinski would be proud. Impressive how David Stone was able to collect photos of the White City faster than Google could. The photographic research is apparent. Narrated neighborhood to neighborhood by someone who has obviously contemplated his native Chicago. This is one worthy history lesson.
Also makes a complementary sidedish to The Devil In The White City. Here are the photos you were dying to see of the Fairgrounds while reading the murder mystery.
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