Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850 [Hardcover]

Professor W. Barksdale Maynard (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300093837 | ISBN-13: 978-0300093834 | Publication Date: November 1, 2002

This study traces the development of American architecture from the age of Jefferson to the antebellum era, providing a survey of this important period. W. Barksdale Maynard overturns the long-accepted notions that the chief theme of early 19th-century American architecture was a patriotic desire to escape from European influence and that competing styles chiefly reflected the American struggle for cultural uniqueness. Instead, deep and consistent aesthetic ties, especially with England, shaped American architecture and house designs. Maynard shows that the Greek Revival in particular was an international phenomenon, with American achievements inspired by British example and with taste taking precedence over patriotism. Emphasizing the history of ideas, the text addresses such major themes as the role of the picturesque, the spread of the rural residence, and the complex uses and meanings of porches. The author draws on wide-ranging primary sources, including English and American "villa books" and contemporary travel narratives. The volume reproduces rare historic prints and daguerreotypes of important buildings that in nearly all cases have been demolished or altered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The encyclopedic nature of this documentation will serve as a useful reference for architectural and cultural historians. -- (Choice)

From the Back Cover

"This is a highly original and important book with a persuasive new interpretation of nineteenth-century American architecture. Maynard's scholarship is impressive, and his contribution to the field is significant." -Osmund Overby, University of Missouri

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300093837
• ISBN-13: 978-0300093834
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important, very interesting new book on architecture, November 3, 2002

By 

Emily Powell (philadelphia, pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850 (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed reading Maynard's book. The 200-plus illustrations are beautiful, many of them never reproduced before. It is the first book in many years to survey this period in American building, and I found it extremely readable and useful. I'm sure students will be reading it in their courses, but general readers too will find it highly accessible. Lots of the buildings shown have been demolished, so it gives a great sense of what no longer exists. Philadelphia is treated in detail, which was especially interesting to me. This is as much a cultural history as a history of architecture, and that's what makes this such an outstanding book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! AND it feels great in the hand., February 1, 2003

By 

Bradley P. Dean (West Peterborough, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850 (Hardcover)

... this book simply has to be the authoritative (perhaps even definitive?) history of early 19th-century American architecture. Beyond content, the volume is very attractively gotten up. How could Yale offer a volume with this many photos for that price? Finally, I very much like this book's trim size (8.25 x 10.25 inches), I'm impressed that Yale somehow produced it to lay open flatly on almost any page, and I relish the book's fine heft--the feel of it in my hands. All the way around, an incredible accomplishment for both the author and the press. Congratulations!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Idea, December 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850 (Hardcover)

Emphasizing intellectual and cultural ties to British style and taste, W. Barksdale Maynard examines Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850, and discovers, in a revisionist manner that the progress of public and private building design in that age of American innocence wasn't simply about national fervor and a desire to create distance from Europe. In particular, the author ties the ubiquitous Greek Revival manner to international esthetic currents. With well-written and cogent text and 200 illustrations (50 in color) taken from contemporary prints and photographs, this handsome volume will remind readers of what was gained and lost in the establishment of an American architecture.