Cass Gilbert and the ideal of the City Beautiful: City and campus plans, 1900-1916.
Item
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Title
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Cass Gilbert and the ideal of the City Beautiful: City and campus plans, 1900-1916.
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Identifier
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AAI9732901
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identifier
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9732901
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Creator
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Christen, Barbara Snowden.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Rosemarie H. Bletter
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Date
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1997
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Art History | Architecture | History, United States
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Abstract
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The dissertation argues for understanding the acclaimed American architect, Cass Gilbert (1859-1934), as an important planner and not just as an architect. It discusses the interest that Gilbert had in the shaping of public space throughout his career by examining his comprehensive city and campus plans. This examination also illuminates (1) Gilbert's understanding of the civic reform ideals of the City Beautiful movement at the turn of the century and in later years, and (2) the impact of local citizens on the development of each of Gilbert's comprehensive plans.;Chapters I and II argue that Gilbert was profoundly influenced by his professional involvement with his early employers (McKim, Mead & White), the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and particularly by Glenn Brown, Secretary of the AIA. Brown's influence is shown to have been instrumental in encouraging Gilbert to develop an understanding of the ideal of the City Beautiful movement.;The remaining chapters illustrate Gilbert's application of this ideal in the comprehensive plans that he developed after 1902. The study presents a chronological examination of the early development of the Minnesota State Capitol Approaches (especially 1902-1909) and also of his master plans for schools--the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas, and Oberlin College (1903-1916). The goals of Gilbert's and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.'s report and city plan for New Haven (1907-1912) are highlighted in the conclusion. The discussion of each of these projects shows that Gilbert was aided greatly by the efforts of local, public-spirited advocates of municipal reform. It emphasizes the interconnections between actual small-scale efforts and the idealized, monumental vision of the City Beautiful. This dissertation therefore explains how Cass Gilbert was encouraged by citizens at several critical junctures and how he made significant contributions to the American landscape aside from the buildings for which he is best-known, such as the U.S. Custom House (New York; 1899-1907), the Woolworth Building (New York; 1911-1913), and the U.S. Supreme Court (Washington, D.C.; 1927-1935).
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
