The Architecture of H. H. Richardson and His Times, Second Edition

by Henry-Russell Hitchcock

Book Overview

H. H. Richardson was born into the architectural chaos of the mid-eighteen hundreds and dies in the architectural revolution of the age of the skyscraper, yet his genius and reputation were able to surmount the first and survive the latter. This is a study of his architecture and of the setting in which he worked. It includes detailed discussions of the social, economic, and technical history of the era and examines the architecture of Richardson's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0262580055
• ISBN13: 9780262580052
• Release Date: March 1966
• Publisher: MIT Press
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

The best current profile of a giant

This is the classic biography of Henry Hobson Richardson. Born in Louisiana (1838) and kept by a speech impediment from attending West Point, he attended Harvard and the École des Beaux-Arts and subsequently became the most influential American architect of his time (1866-86). His work was instantly popular (much of it was won in competition) and remains iconic to this day ("Richardson Romanesque"). His work established high standards for wide range of functions (churches, civic buildings, hospitals, libraries, college buildings, railroad stations) that remain difficult to meet. His office engendered architects (e.g. Charles Follen McKim and Stanford White) that later founded their own firms and become leaders in the profession. This work remains the best biography of Richardson, but includes only 114 illustrations in small format and also lacks a chronological project summary. Those seeking more should augment this work with `H. H. Richardson: Complete Architectural Works' by Jeffrey Karl Ochsner (MIT 1982) for an excellent project catalogue; `Henry Hobson Richardson and His Works' by Mariana Griswold Van Rensselaer (published in 1888 and reissued by Dover in 1969) which includes some of Richardson's major works; and `Selected Drawings: H. H. Richardson and His Office' by James F. O'Gorman (published by MIT in 1974) which provides a useful selected collection of office drawings.