Book Review- Chicago's Classical Architecture
Submitted by GFS on Sun, 2007-01-21 12:01.
Chicago's Classical Architecture: The Legacy of the White City
by David Stone
$19.99, Arcadia Publishing
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, on-line bookstores, or through Arcadia Publishing at http://www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888) 313-2665
This interesting title sets out to illustrate the influence of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition on Chicago's architectural legacy. The format, similar to Arcadia Publishing's other books in the Images of America Series, is predominantly pictoral, using achival photographs in conjuntion with new images to portray the classical lineage of Chicago's architecture.
The images of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition Buildings are spell-binding, and are referenced throughout the remaining chapters showing Chicago's later classical buildings, which are organized by city district. Captivating veins of continuity appear periodically throughout the stories, illuminating the relationships of architects, developers, individual clients, and city government, to name a few. Author David Stone's obvious fascination with the subject matter is clear in his descriptive text for each image.
As an architectural designer, it would have been nice to see more in-depth analyses of individual buildings, but that would have been beyond the scope of this particular title. With an introduction by Carroll William Westfall, Stone certainly sets a tone of authority on the subject matter while maintaining a high degree of accessibility for readers of all backgrounds.
All in all, a good and quick read, worth every penny.
