"Toward a democratic esthetic"? The modern house in America, 1932-1955.
Item
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Title
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"Toward a democratic esthetic"? The modern house in America, 1932-1955.
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Identifier
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AAI9830754
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identifier
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9830754
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Creator
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Postal, Matthew A.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Rosemarie Bletter
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Date
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1998
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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 | American Studies | Urban and Regional Planning
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Abstract
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This dissertation explores the discourse and debates that shaped American house design from 1932 to 1955. It concentrates on the relationship between the house and the modern movement, not as viewed from the vantage point of the International Style alone, but as seen by its critics and interpreters. A broad and inclusive narrative is presented, emphasizing efforts by museums and magazines to shape the image of domestic architecture in the United States. From these debates a modified modern aesthetic emerged, one blending the International Style, vernacular traditions, and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright.;With 1932 as my starting point, I trace the ways the Museum of Modern Art attempted to influence popular taste, through public exhibitions, publications, and two full-size demonstration houses designed by Marcel Breuer and Gregory Ain. Whereas many historians view the Modern's programming as monolithic, dictated by Philip Johnson and his supporters, it was in fact shaped by a number of curators, many of whom have been overlooked by historians. In particular, the contributions of John McAndrew and Elizabeth B. Mock are investigated.;The war years and the housing boom that followed are discussed, particularly the impact patriotism and political ideology had on the nation's domestic landscape. Consequently, after 1945 a general reassessment of the modern movement occurred. Long-time supporters like James Marston Fitch and Joseph Hudnut urged their peers to rethink the modernist enterprise to reflect the war, its meaning, and the sacrifices made by the layman. These populist critiques climaxed in the early 1950s when Elizabeth Gordon, editor of House Beautiful, launched a controversial campaign against modern architecture and its leaders, linking their ideas to fascism and similar authoritarian tendencies.;The conclusion, which focuses on William Levitt, describes the developer's career and his relationship to the modern movement. The stylistic evolution of Levittown is presented, analyzing specific designs and their debt to both critics and defenders of the International Style. In effect, this dissertation returns the modern architect and the merchant builder to their rightful positions of influence and impact--two parts of a extremely complex, and more often than not, interwoven narrative.
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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.
