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By John Perrecone, Education Guide (and his BFF book club members)

How aware are you of the profound influence that Henry Hobson Richardson (HHR) and Frederick Law Olmstead (FLO) have upon American architecture?  How many projects did HHR complete in Chicago?  What was FLO’s impact upon Chicago?  Did you know that these two very different men were quite close professionally and socially?  Do you know about their impact on American cities and suburbs?  While some of this is covered in docent training, there’s a lot more to their back story.  So, this winter the CAC book club had much to learn when we read Hugh Howard’s 2022 book, Architects of an American Landscape, which is a joint biography of these two giants of architecture and landscape architecture.

This highly readable, yet well researched book, does a magnificent job bringing out the lives of these totally opposite architects who became close friends and relied upon each other’s opinions.

While a little is covered about HHR in docent training, this book awakened our curiosity about this private, but larger than life architect. In the short span of 20 years, Richardson (who died at age 47) designed more than 50 buildings and his influence stretched for a full century.  In fact, the two projects completed by HHR in Chicago — the Glessner House and Marshall Field warehouse (demolished in 1930) were hugely influential.  When it was built The Glessner House was ahead of its time and influenced Frank Lloyd Wright.

Meanwhile, the Marshall Field warehouse in its simple, yet integrated design for a large commercial structure, not only influenced Wright, but also Louis Sullivan and others.  HHR relied upon his Ecole des Beaux Art training to design buildings from the inside out, meaning the exterior was designed to maximize the functionality of the interior space.  Of course, this has influenced countless architects over the years and HHR is recognized for this approach as well as his Romanesque and other distinctive exteriors.

FLO believed that the purpose of his park designs was to affect emotions. He created passages of scenery in which the visitor would become immersed, experiencing a calm relief from the pressures of daily life. He laid out New York’s Central Park and numerous other urban parks, concluding that park access should be a right of all Americans. He viewed the park as a form of social reform to improve the life of all citizens.

FLO was a landscape architect, author, conservationist, public servant and believed that public parks be free and open to all. FLO tried his hand at various careers: merchant, apprentice seaman, experimental farmer, but in the end will always be revered as the “father” of American landscape architecture.  FLO’s influence was extended deep into the 20^th century when his sons and numerous associates designed urban parks and spaces in American cities.  His firm worked for the South Park system in Chicago and created parks and fieldhouses all over the South side which were adapted for the rest of Chicago and other large cities.

This was a wonderful book to learn about two giants in the field of architecture. Together they married natural landscapes with built structures that influence how we enjoy our public and private spaces to this day. There is much more to say about these two men, but I encourage you to read this book so you can experience what we did in book club!!

This is the 9^th book we have read in the CAC book club, and we have covered a broad swath of topics from a biography of Frank Gehry to Chicago history and design issues to personal stories of built structures.  We currently have over 40 members who meet via Zoom in groups of 10-12 people once a week for four weeks.  We normally have four members of the group agree to lead one of the sessions and discussion topics are prepared in advance.  Well, when you put together this many curious and smart minds in one place, you certainly get a lively and intelligent discussion that enhances the book and improves our ability to give fun and informed tours.

Invariably, the group members uncover other background information which is shared as well.  This is an incredible opportunity for peer learning, and I can attest that I have gained new insights and approaches to give tours from all of the nine books we have read.  Also, it’s a wonderful off-season opportunity to meet and schmooze with docents and volunteers you know and to meet others.

I hope I have piqued your interest in reading this book (you will be surprised how little you know about these two!!) and will join future CAC book clubs as both a participant and leader.  See you in the pages of our next book or out in Chicagoland leading one of our fantastic tours!!

**A great big shout-out and thank you to members of my book club session who helped write this article.**

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