2019 Society of Architectural Historians / Steedman Library Lecture Series

We are thrilled to announce the following lineup for the 2019 edition of this popular series of talks by architectural experts.  All take place at Central Library's Second Floor "Training Room" on Tuesday evenings.  See following posts, and the library's website, for more details as each one approaches.

2019 SPRING

Esley Hamilton - Alexander Girard: Architect, Furniture Designer, Artist
February 26, 2019

Elizabeth Rosin - The History and Development (and Redevelopment) of the Kemper Arena 
March 26, 2019

Eric Mumford - Ando and Le Corbusier 
April 23, 2019

  
2019 FALL

Peter Wollenberg - Housing the Mentally Ill, Part 2:  A Look at the History and Architecture of Asylums in the Midwest
September 24, 2019

Carol Grove & Cydney E. Millstein - Hare & Hare: Landscape Architects & City Planners, Kansas City
October 22, 2019 

NiNiHarris - The Evolution of Downtown St. Louis
November 19, 2019

Michael Allen speaks on Historic Preservation, April 24

Please join us the evening of Tuesday, April 24 to hear architectural historian Michael R. Allen speak on historic preservation.  The lecture begins at 6:30 in Central Library's 2nd floor Training Room.  Preceding the talk (6:00 to 6:25), the Steedman Room will be open for viewing.

March 27 lecture cancelled

We are sorry to report that, due to a personal emergency, NiNi Harris will not be able to present her talk on Holly Hills, as planned.   Please spread the word!

The Steedman Open House will still be held, however, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

Candace O'Connor to speak about the CWE

Please join us for the first of this year's lecture series jointly sponsored by the Steedman Library and the local chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.  We kick off with Candace O'Connor, who will speak on "The Splendid Architecture of the Central West End" on the evening of February 27. 

The talk will be in the Carnegie Room (Third Floor) of Central Library at 6:30 pm.  Beforehand, drop in to view the Steedman Room at 6:00 pm.

Steedman/SAH 2018 lectures are announced

We are thrilled to partner once again with the St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians to present the 2018 lineup of architectural talks.  All will be held at Central Library of the St. Louis Public Library on Tuesday nights.  From 6:00 pm to 6:25 pm, the Steedman Library will be open for viewing, and the talks will start at 6:30 pm, in the Carnegie Room on the third floor.  Here is a brief schedule -- keep tuning in for more details as the dates of each talk approach.

SPRING  2018

February 27.  Candace O'Connor, author and editor, discusses "The Splendid Architecture of the Central West End."

March 27.  NiNi Harris, author and architectural historian, discusses "Holly Hills."  Cancelled -- see post of 3/15/18.

April 24.  Michael R. Allen, architectural historian and Director of the Preservation Research Office, discusses "A Few Stones Left Upon One Another:  Historic Preservation."


FALL  2018

September 25.  John C. Guenther, architect and architectural historian, discusses "Hadrian to Hadid -- The Architecture of Rome Across Time."

October 23.  Peter Wollenberg, architectural conservator, discusses  "Housing the Mentally Ill:  A Look at the History and Architecture of Asylums in America."

November 27.  Richard Mueller, architectural historian and retired teacher, discusses "Contemporary Architecture of Mexico City."

Study architectural history with Andrew Raimist

Here's your chance to learn architectural history from Andrew Raimist, architect, architectural historian (the expert on Harris Armstrong), photographer, and Steedman Library Adviser.  Anyone can enroll in the course, held at St. Louis Community College at Meramec, starting January 16.  The course meets twice a week and covers modern architecture from the Industrial Revolution to the present.  For details, check out the SLCC-Meramec website:  https://www.stlcc.edu/Courses/Index.asp?subject=arc&course=127

Landscape architecture history with Esley Hamilton

Please join us Tuesday night, November 28, when renowned architectural historian Esley Hamilton will speak on "The History of Landscape Architecture in St. Louis".  

The lecture will start at 6:30 in the Carnegie Room on the 3rd floor of Central Library.  
The Steedman Room will be open for viewing from 6:00 to 6:25.

Harris Armstrong, St. Louis Modernist

Please join us Tuesday evening, October 24 to hear architect and architectural historian Andrew Raimist discuss the architecture of Harris Armstrong.  Mr. Raimist is the leading authority on the life and work of Harris Armstrong, who was the earliest St. Louis architect to see an International Style building erected and eventually the dean of St. Louis Modernists.  This talk presents an opportunity to hear the latest in Raimist’s research and thinking about Armstrong’s remarkable achievement.  The Steedman Room will be open from 6 p.m. to 6:30. 

Missouri's Roadside Architecture, September 26, 2017

Please join us as we resume our series of architectural talks co-sponsored by the St. Louis SAH chapter.  On Tuesday, September 26, Bill Hart (Executive Director of Missouri Preservation) will speak on "Missouri's Roadside Architecture".
For more details, see:  https://slpl.bibliocommons.com/events/580155356b4dc70100f03d05

The talk will begin at 6:30 pm in the third floor Carnegie Room of Central Library.

Books on roadside architecture and Route 66 will be on display and available for checkout.  For a partial list of these, see:  Roadside Architecture -- Charming and Quirky

Architecture of Cuba talk on April 25

Please join us for the next in our series of architectural talks.  On Tuesday, April 25, architect and architectural historian John Guenther will speak on "Observations from Cuba:  The Architecture of Havana, Matanzas, and Varadero".  Mr. Guenther visited Cuba last Spring with a group from the American Institute of  Architects, and is anxious to share his experiences.

The talk will begin at 6:30 pm in the third floor Carnegie Room of Central Library.

Books on Cuban architecture will be on display and available for checkout.  For a partial list of these, see:  
The Arts of Cuba, A List

We continue our series of architectural lectures on the evening of March 28, with Andrew Weil, Executive Director of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.  He will discuss some of the organization's previous Most Endangered and Most Enhanced buildings.  Please note that this is not the announcement of this year's buildings.

The Steedman Room will be open for viewing from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm, followed by the lecture in Central Library's Carnegie Room (third floor).

The Steedman Library is again pleased to be co-hosting this year's series of talks by the St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians. 

The first will be held on the evening of Tuesday, February 28, at Central Library.  The Steedman Room will be open for viewing from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm, followed by the lecture in the Second Floor Training Room. 

Gary Tetley, architect, architectural historian, and well-known photographer, will be presenting, "Unraveling the Mysteries of Theodore Link's Architectural Practice".  He will focus on some of the previously unknown young architects in Link's office who made significant contributions to the firm's output.

Steedman / SAH lectures for 2017 are announced

We are once again thrilled to announce the 2017 series of architectural talks jointly sponsored by the Steedman Library and the local chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.  All will be held at the Central Library of the St. Louis Public Library on Tuesday nights.  At 6:00 pm, the Steedman Room will be open for viewing, and at 6:30 pm the talks will begin.  Here is a brief schedule -- keep tuning in for more details as the date for each one draws closer.


Tuesday, February 28
Unraveling the Mysteries of Theodore Link's Architectural Practice
Gary Tetley, Managing Agent and Architect of Mainline Group Architect, architectural historian, and photographer


Tuesday, March 28
Landmarks of St. Louis: Most Endangered and Most Enhanced
Andrew Weil, Executive Director, Landmarks Association of St. Louis


Tuesday, April 25
Observations from Cuba: The Architecture of Havana, Matanzas, and Varadero
John Guenther, architect and architectural historian


Tuesday, September 26
Missouri's Roadside Architecture
Bill Hart, Executive Director, Missouri Preservation


Tuesday, October 24
Harris Armstrong, St. Louis Modernist
Andrew Raimist, architect, designer, photographer, architectural historian


Tuesday, November 28
The History of Landscape Architecture in St. Louis
Esley Hamilton, architectural and preservation historian

Architecture of Norway, Nov. 15

Please join us Tuesday, November 15 for the final event in this year's series of talks co-sponsored by the Steedman Library and the local chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.  

Architect John Guenther will speak on the architecture, old and new, of Norway at 6:30 pm in the Carnegie Room of Central Library.  

The Steedman Room will be open for viewing from 6:00 to 6:30. 

And, stayed tuned for the announcement of next year's lineup of great speakers and topics! 

Architecture of Scotland, Part 2, October 25

Please join us for the 5th in our series of talks co-sponsored by the  Society of Architectural Historians, "Architecture Around the World".  

Architectural historian Esley Hamilton will speak on "The Architecture of Scotland, Part 2" at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, October 25 in the Carnegie Room of Central Library.

The Steedman Room will be open for viewing from 6:00 to 6:30, as well!

Amanda Burke's cemetery preservation lecture

Tuesday (09/27/16) night, Amanda Burke's informative talk on the documentation and care of historic cemeteries and grave markers was a real success.

Related books, and new architecture books, were available for checkout.

Attendees learned quite a lot, and were grateful that Missouri's State Historic Preservation Office now has forms online to document and request help from the agency.  One example is this Cemetery Survey Form PDF:  http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/docs/Cemetery%20Survey%20Form.pdf

SAH lectures resume in September

We are thrilled to begin the second half of our lecture series, "Architecture Around the World", in September.  This series is a partnership between the St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians and the Steedman Architectural Library of SLPL.  

First up will be Amanda Burke of the Missouri State Preservation Office  speaking on "Historic Cemeteries: Maintenance, Documentation, Restoration, and Funding".  It will be held on Tuesday, September 27.  Starting at 6:00 pm, the Steedman Room will be open for viewing; the talk will be at 6:30.  

NOTE:  Because of our Fantasy Maps exhibit in the Carnegie Room, this talk will be held in the "Training Room", a room that is on the same (second) floor as the Steedman Room and Fine Arts Dept.

Steedman Treasure: A. W. N. Pugin's prototype for Contrasts

A. W. N. Pugin's book Contrasts, self-published in 1836, had a profound impact on the development of architectural and decorative taste of the nineteenth century.

The text of the book is Pugin's passionate indictment of what he saw as the failings and inappropriate uses of the Neo-classic style, and was his first salvo in a lifelong campaign of championing the medieval design forms of Britain's Catholic past.  The final chapter is entitled "The Wretched State of Architecture at the Present Day."

The illustrations Pugin used were literally a series of contrasts. He presented one image of a building or object in the Neo-classic style, in his mind depleted and inappropriate.  Next to it he drew an image of the same type of structure, but designed in his idea of a proper, honest, and high Gothic design.

The Steedman sketchbook for this book is an early version (1833) of the drawings that Pugin was considering using, and does not include any text, only a series of beautifully drawn images of 15 "Contrasts".   The book that was eventually published in 1836 does not include any of these generic drawings; Pugin chose instead to use real buildings as his examples.

Finding Flounders talk 4/26/16

 Jan Cameron prepares to speak on St. Louis' Flounder Houses and the survey the Cultural Resources Office recently completed.

Before the talk, visitors viewed the Steedman Room and some of its most recent acquisitions.




Please join us again on September 27 to hear Amanda Burke speak on the care, restoration, and funding of historic cemeteries.

Learn about Flounder Houses, April 26

The next lecture in this popular series, co-sponsored by the Steedman Architectural Library and the St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, will be held in the Carnegie Room of Central Library on Tuesday, April 26.  Jan Cameron (Preservation Administrator, Cultural Resources Office of the City of St. Louis) will speak on "St. Louis Flounder Houses".  

Jan Cameron and the City's Cultural Resources Office have identified approximately 280 flounder houses and their variants in the City of St. Louis. Flounders appear in only a few cities, and St. Louis has by far the largest number of extant examples. She will share her insights into this unique 19th century vernacular house form.  For more details about the study, and to find out just what flounder houses are, see this article from St. Louis Public Radio:  http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-document-citys-plethora-19th-century-triangular-flounder-houses

From 6:00-6:30 p.m., the Steedman Architectural Library will be open for viewing. The talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the third floor Carnegie Room.

After a summer hiatus, the next talk in the series will be held on September 27.  Amanda Burke of the Missouri State Historical Preservation Office will discuss "Historic Cemeteries:  Maintenance, Documentation, Restoration, and Funding."

 These events are FREE and open to the public.