Friday, September 4, 2015
The SAH lectures resume this month!
We begin the second half of our lecture series, "Architecture Around the World", this month. 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 John Guenther speaking on "The Works of Eero Saarinen", sure to be a popular topic here in St. Louis.
It will be held on Wednesday , September 16th. Starting at 6:00 pm, the Steedman Room will be open for viewing; the talk will be at 6:30. NOTE: Because of our Maurice Sendak 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.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Steedman Treasure: The Wainwright Tomb drawings
In 1892 St. Louis businessman Ellis Wainwright commissioned Louis Sullivan to
design a family mausoleum in historic Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. The
groundbreaking architectural masterpiece Wainwright Building was nearing
completion in downtown St. Louis when Wainwright's young wife died suddenly. The tomb's design, a domed cube simply decorated with Sullivan's signature vegetal
patterns, was a marked departure from those of its elaborate revivalist
neighbors.
The Steedman Collection owns the 18 original tracings for the tomb. They are executed primarily in black ink, with red ink details and graphite notations. They vary in size, but average about 22 by 27 inches. Each bears the initials G. G. E., indicating that they were drawn by George Grant Elmslie. Elmslie was Sullivan's chief draftsman at the time and went on to have a stellar career of his own.
The entire set was generously donated in 1977 by its previous owner, St. Louis architect Albert C. Maack.
All can be seen within the Steedman's online exhibit: http://exhibits.slpl.org/steedman/index.asp. Just enter the word "Wainwright" in the Search Box.
The Steedman Collection owns the 18 original tracings for the tomb. They are executed primarily in black ink, with red ink details and graphite notations. They vary in size, but average about 22 by 27 inches. Each bears the initials G. G. E., indicating that they were drawn by George Grant Elmslie. Elmslie was Sullivan's chief draftsman at the time and went on to have a stellar career of his own.
The entire set was generously donated in 1977 by its previous owner, St. Louis architect Albert C. Maack.
All can be seen within the Steedman's online exhibit: http://exhibits.slpl.org/steedman/index.asp. Just enter the word "Wainwright" in the Search Box.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
New books for the collection!
These new titles have arrived for the collection. If you would like to consult them for research purposes, please contact the Fine Arts staff.
Brown, David. Durham
Cathedral: History, Fabric and Culture.
-- Durham Cathedral is one of the great British Cathedrals,
and this book fits into the collection as a title that documents an important
building.
Cheek, Richard. Selling
the Dwelling: The Books that Built America’s Houses, 1775-2000.
This book features many of the
pattern books that the Steedman holds, as well as being a beautifully produced
book. It fits into the collection as a title that documents American
residential architecture and supports research about the books already in the
collection.
Le Corbusier, Pierre
Jenneret: Chandigarh, India, 1951-66.
--The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India
post-independence in 1947, and is known internationally for its architecture
and urban design. The master plan of the city was prepared by Le Corbusier, one
of the founders and giants of modernist architecture. He considered it
one of the crowning achievements of his career. More than 50 years later,
The Beautiful City, as it is known, has become an essential stop for devotees
of mid-century urban planning and architecture, and is being considered for
UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site. This book fits into
the collection because it documents a major monument of architectural history,
and one by a major architect.
Pfeiffer,
Bruce Brooks. Frank Lloyd Wright Designs: The Sketches, Plans,
and Drawings.
--This
book describes itself as “the first major presentation in decades of the
visionary drawings” of Frank Lloyd Wright. The book fits into the
collection because it supports its already strong Wrightian holdings.
Tyack,
Geoffrey, ed. John Nash: Architect of the Picturesque.
English Heritage, 2013. $120.00
--John Nash is one of the most important architects of late
18th /early 19th-century Britain. Best known for the designs
of Regent Street and Regent's Park in London, the Brighton Pavilion, and
Buckingham Palace, he was also one of the most successful and influential of
the “Picturesque” style architects. This book originated from a 2009
symposium that presented new scholarship, and is the first complete study of
Nash’s work in many years. It is the first book on Nash for the Steedman
collection.
Friday, June 12, 2015
The *online* Steedman exhibit continues
Although the Great Hall display is over, don't forget that you can still learn about George Fox Steedman and the
books he gave to St. Louis Public Library at the online Steedman exhibit. See over 400 images from this exquisite collection by clicking here:
http://exhibits.slpl.org/steedman/index.asp
http://exhibits.slpl.org/steedman/index.asp
Monday, June 1, 2015
The Steedman exhibit has closed
Early this morning the books and other items that had been displayed in the Great Hall since December were taken out of the cases. Thanks to everyone who came by and enjoyed it!
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Last WEEK to see the Steedman exhibit!
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see some of the most beautiful, important, and interesting materials in the Steedman library. Eight display cases in Central's Great Hall contain some of the gems of the collection -- Palladio, Piranesi, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc. They are enhanced by a 5.5-foot high by 85-foot long mural that wraps around the entire south wall of the room, comprising images taken from the books themselves. Saturday, May 30 is the last day it will be on exhibit, so hurry on in before it's too late!
Friday, April 17, 2015
Steedman Open House and SAH Lecture, April 16
The third in the Steedman/Society of Architectural Historians lecture series, "Architecture Around the World" was held the evening of Thursday, April 16. Once again attendees had to negotiate through the traffic of a St. Louis Blues game, but we ended up with a good attendance of 35. As before, the Steedman Room was open for viewing before the lecture, and folks enjoyed the Steedman exhibit in the Great Hall. Paul Hohmann spoke and showed photos of a wonderful Danube River cruise, with many interesting shots of architecture, decorative details, and street art.
Before and after, attendees browsed books on related subjects and recent architectural book acquisitions.
After a summer hiatus, the series will continue in the Fall with John Guenther speaking about Eero Saarinen on September 16. Mark your calendars now!
Before and after, attendees browsed books on related subjects and recent architectural book acquisitions.
After a summer hiatus, the series will continue in the Fall with John Guenther speaking about Eero Saarinen on September 16. Mark your calendars now!
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