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Course: The Seeing America Project > Unit 3
Lesson 6: For teachers: learning resources1870-1939: learning resources
Burnham and Root, the Reliance Building
Key points
- The 14-story Reliance Building is a prime example of the technical and stylistic advancements in urban architecture pursued by the First Chicago School during the late 19th century. The structure of this early skyscraper consists of only a steel interior frame with a thin exterior curtain wall of large windows and decorated terracotta tiles.
- Steel became more widely available and affordable at this time and was tapped by architects as the core material for designing taller and taller buildings. This shift away from the height restrictions imposed by construction with load-bearing walls of brick or stone allowed Chicago firms to meet increased demand for public and commercial space in the quickly growing city.
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More to think about
The Reliance Building was considered to be the height of modernity in 1895. Think about the buildings in your community today, especially any public or commercial buildings you visit. Consider the materials they are made from, the experience of light in the space, the decoration, or other features. Which of these elements can you link to the First Chicago School and which ones feel distinct? How much can you see the impact of the First Chicago School in the built environment today?
Which structural and design features in architecture are most compelling to you and why? See how your ideas align (or not) with your classmates.
Louis Sullivan and the invention of the skyscraper: the Bayard-Condict Building
Key points
- The Bayard-Condict Building exemplifies the innovations in late 19th-century architecture that enabled for the growth of the skyscraper in cities across the United States. The building employs the latest advancements of the time in structural design and materials. It combines an interior steel frame with an exterior curtain wall, allowing for the building’s 12-story height. The non-load-bearing facade is decorated with mass-produced, molded pieces of terracotta that were inexpensive compared with hand-produced decorative features that adorned earlier buildings.
- Chicago-based architect Louis Sullivan lent his unique stylistic vision to the design of the Bayard-Condict, reflecting the significant thought he gave to the beauty of all his buildings. In particular, he explored how exterior decoration contributed to defining skyscrapers as such, celebrating and drawing attention to (rather than away from) their height. In the case of the Bayard-Condict, the visual coherence on the façade between the decorative motifs and the overall structural design slowly draws the viewer’s gaze upward. One can take pleasure in the discovery of the surface as their eye progresses higher and higher.
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More to think about
Look closely at the details of the molded terracotta decoration shown in the video and visible in the zoomable images linked below. See if you can make an inventory of all the details you see. The video explains that Sullivan was not referencing classical or medieval precedents. Just by looking, what other sources do you think inspired his designs? What motifs do you recognize and from where?
Louis Sullivan strove to celebrate the soaring height of his building design through the thoughtful application of ornamentation. How else can this be done? What other examples of historic or more contemporary architecture accentuate their height well, and how do these strategies compare with the Bayard-Condict Building?
An early skyscraper: Louis Sullivan’s Carson Pirie Scott Building
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A show-stopping cut-glass punch bowl
Key points
- The 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. An international success, it drew more than nineteen million visitors. World’s fairs such as this were designed to establish the U.S. as a leader in art, technology, and manufacturing.
- Glassmaking had a long history in America as one of the first industries developed by the early colonists. The “Brilliant Period” of cut glass, represented by this punch bowl set, was an American style of glassmaking that gained worldwide recognition.
- This punch bowl, made by the Libbey Glass Company, represented an exceptional level of craftsmanship in terms of its scale and decoration. Each piece would be blown before being hand-cut in the intricate geometric pattern to achieve the full reflective effect. This set was a showcase for American skill and mastery, although many of the craftsmen were likely immigrants themselves.
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More to think about
As the speakers note, beautiful hand-crafted objects, like this punch bowl, seem remarkable today when most consumer goods are mass produced using mechanical methods. But while mass-production might affect our appreciation for such objects, it also makes these items more affordable to the wider population. What is lost and what is gained as craftsmanship is replaced by manufacturing? Consider how the wider availability of such luxury objects might affect their function as symbols of social status, wealth, and class. How important is their craftsmanship and production to this role?
A Landmark Decision: Penn Station, Grand Central, and the architectural heritage of NYC
Going out to the cinema in 1913, John Sloan's Movies
Key points
- John Sloan broke with the established traditions of fine art, taking the city streets of New York as his subject. Along with Robert Henri and other members of the Ashcan School, Sloan captured the grittiness and energy of urban life in the early twentieth century.
- This working class neighborhood is occupied by many different types of people, whom Sloan describes through their clothing and their gestures. His broad brushstrokes create a sense of excitement and instability. At the same time, Sloan preserves certain details (including the provocative title of the movie, Romance of the Harem), but refrains from any moral judgment.
- Sloan was instrumental in the introduction of European modern art in America. He was part of the independent group known as The Eight, which revolted against the conservative National Academy of Design in 1908, and he also helped organize the Armory Show of 1913, which introduced American and European modernism to the general public.
- Sloan’s interest in the lives of working class people was influenced by his Socialist politics. He supported Socialist causes and volunteered as the art editor for the political magazine, The Masses.
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More to think about
Realist painters captured elements of everyday life, including the leisure activities and entertainment of the working classes. Compare John Sloan’s Movies with Reginald Marsh’s depiction of Coney Island, Wooden Horses. How would you describe the overall atmosphere and mood of each painting? What choices in terms of color, composition, and brushstroke contribute to that feeling? What details did each artist include to communicate ideas about class, society, and popular culture of the period?
The moment of American Industry: Elsie Driggs, Blast Furnaces, 1927
Key points
- The 1920s was a decade of industrial growth and innovation in America. Plants like the one depicted in Elsie Driggs’s Blast Furnaces provided the necessary steel for many industries that prospered during these years. This economic expansion ended abruptly with the stock market crash of 1929.
- Manufacturing towns, like Pittsburgh, had been the site of labor struggles throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These were often violent clashes that pitted the workers against plant owners and managers.
- While Elsie Driggs brings a classical sense of order and geometry to Blast Furnaces, her dark color palette and dehumanized approach to the subject suggest her ambivalence about modern industry and progress.
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More to think about
Elsie Driggs was not alone in bringing traditions of order and geometry to industrial subjects in the 1920s. Compare Blast Furnaces with Charles Demuth’s My Egypt (1927). What similarities do you notice? Do both paintings suggest the same feelings about modern industry? If not, what makes the difference between them?
Blast Furnaces and Pennsylvania Station Excavation by George Bellows both express ambivalence towards industry and progress. Look closely at the two paintings. How do they communicate this ambivalence? Are there differences in the way they depict modern industry?
Van Alen, The Chrysler Building
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Abramson, Daniel. Skyscraper Rivals: The AIG Building and the Architecture of Wall Street. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2001.
Bayer, Patricia. Art Deco Architecture: Design, Decoration, and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1999.
Stern, Robert A.M., Gregory Gilmartin, and Thomas Mellins. New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism between the Two World Wars, 587-615. New York: Rizzoli, 1994.
Stravitz, David. The Chrysler Building: Creating a New York Icon, Day by Day. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2002.
A brutal history told for a modern city, Diego Rivera's Sugar Cane
Key points
- In the years following the Mexican Revolution, murals became an important tool for political propaganda and mass education. Decorating public spaces in a realist style, these paintings recount the history and struggles of the people in Mexico.
- Diego Rivera was influenced by Marxism and many of his paintings focus on class struggle, compounded by the legacies of colonialism and racism. Although he was occasionally supported by wealthy American patrons, his political message was intended to support the working class.
- Born in Mexico but trained in Europe, Diego Rivera combined ancient and modern techniques in his art. The fresco technique (painting on walls) has roots in both Italian and Mexican art; Rivera’s invention of portable murals allowed his work to be widely seen while remaining connected to a long tradition of public painting.
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More to think about
As discussed in the video, large scale public frescoes by Rivera and other Mexican muralists served an important function as political propaganda in the years after the Mexican Revolution. Can you identify any public art where you live, and if so, does it stake out a political position?