Building an American Identity: Pattern Book Homes and Communities, 1870-1900

Rating:
Summary: Everyman's home of the late 1800s
Review: The blurb explains the main purpose of the book quite well, but what it doesn't tell you about is the very interesting historical information on the architecture profession and how it changed during the second half of the 1800s. Although a relatively small part of the material, I found it very interesting to read about why and how the practitioners came to desire specific requirements in order to have the right to the title of "architect." Through the 1860s and into the 1870s, "architect" could mean builder or carpenter, as well as people with the training in artistic design that we would expect today. This book chronicles, in a small way, the tremendous upheaval in the field as it sought to become a true profession. There is, in addition, quite a bit of information on how architecture fit into and exhibited Americans' desire to express themselves in a unified and instantly recognizable way, to build an "American Identity." The book contains 94 black and white illustrations (drawings, floor plans and photographs), an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources (16 pages), and a solid index. Each chapter includes notes, many of which contain additional information. The book contains eight sections: 1. National Identity and an American Style of Architecture 2. A House in Civilized Nature 3. Building America with Pattern Book Houses 4. True Americans Own Homes 5. The 'American Architect' and Categories in the Profession 6. Defining the Modern House: Seeds of Disagreement, 1876-1881 7. The Modern Suburban House Holds Its Own Epilogue: One Town in the Pacific Northwest Altogether a fascinating book, and quite readable, even if you aren't familiar with architectural terminology. If you're a student or practitioner of architecture, you might want to buy it in hardback -- as someone with a less passionate but nonetheless sincere interest, I purchased the textbook version.