American Architectural History, 1860-1915

In the late nineteenth century, many artists and architects in America were influenced by the ideas of transcendentalism. These ideas, as contained in the writings of Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, were based on a belief in individualism and selfreliance. Transcendentalism called for a return to nature, and it urged its followers to adopt a simple and honest way of living. This return to simplicity and human values was seen as being a reaction to the problems of rapid industrialization. Regarding architecture, the philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson felt that buildings should be expressive of nature and natural forms (Burchard and BushBrown, 1966, p. 59). In this way, he rejected the classical approach to architecture, which strove for standardized proportions in building design. Emerson's ideas for an "organic architecture" were popularized during the early 1840's through articles by the architect Samuel Gray Ward, which were published in the transcendental journal The Dial (Burchard and BushBrown, 1966, p. 59). At about the same time that the transcendentalist movement was taking place, many architects were also being influenced by the concept of utopianism. This concept is based on the belief that it is possible to create an idealized community which meets the needs of the individual as well as the society as a whole. Transcendentalism caused many architects to become more individualized in the

. . .
At the same time, there was an increased emphasis on arts and crafts activities in the schools (Handlin, The American Home, 1979, p. 446). The Arts and Crafts movement continued to have a strong influence on American architecture until the years of the First World War, when the public again began demanding new styles. In America, as in Britain, a major principle of the Arts and Crafts movement was the idea of merging a building with its surrounding landscape. In addition, as in Britain, the American followers of the movement rejected the shallow values of industry and mass production (Handlin, The American Home, 1979, p. 442). In reaction to this problem, the American Arts and Crafts movement called for "simplicity, respectful use of natural materials, nature itself as a source of inspiration, and cultivation of regional character" (Fletcher, 1987, p. 1406). Like Pugin, Ruskin and Morris, the American followers of the Arts and Crafts movement rejected the classical and academic styles as "unresponsive to human needs" (Cumming and Kaplan, 1991, p. 107). Instead, they turned to a more practical architecture which was "designed not to awe but to protect and provide the proper atmosphere for the pursuit of the simple life" (Cu
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Arts Crafts, Cumming Kaplan, California Architecture, Whiffen Koeper, American Architecture, Bernard Maybeck, Burchard BushBrown, San Francisco, York City, Classical Gothic, arts crafts, arts crafts movement, crafts movement, bernard maybeck, american architecture, handlin american, san francisco, reinhardt 1981, late nineteenth, handlin american architecture, whiffen koeper, architecture 1985, american architecture 1985, woodbridge bernard maybeck, bernard maybeck 1992,
Approximate Word count = 8971
Approximate Pages = 36 (250 words per page)