Booked by HooksBookEvents: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Book: A Guide to Smithsonian Architecture
Author: Amy Ballard and Heather Ewing
Publisher: Smithsonian Books, 2009
About the Book: The buildings of the Smithsonian Institution not only contain impressive collections; they are themselves icons of great cultural significance, many of them part of the historical National Mall.
The unique buildings of the Smithsonian illustrate the changing styles and sensibilities of America as an evolving nation. Representing the work of major architects, such as James Renwick Jr., Adolf Cluss, and Hornblower and Marshall, each building represents a specific time in history: the turreted Castle, the majestically domed Natural History Museum, the sky-reflecting Air and Space Museum, and the golden, undulating American Indian Museum.
Deemed to have exceptional value to the nation, most of these structures are National Historic Landmarks or are included on the National Register of Historic Places, the official roster of our nation s historic sites.
This guide covers the nine Smithsonian buildings that sit on the National Mall, and the six others that lie outside its boundaries. The presentation is chronological, with an entry devoted to each structure.
With 200 black and white photographs, interesting anecdotes, and secrets from over a century and a half of history, this fascinating book offers a new narrative of the Smithsonian s growth since it s founding in 1846 into what is today the world s largest museum and research complex.