1st Edition
African American Architects A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945
African-American architects have been designing and building houses and public buildings since 1865. Although many of these structures survive today, the architects themselves are virtually unknown. This unique reference work brings their lives and work to light for the first time. Written by 100 experts ranging from architectural historians to archivists, this book contains 160 biographical, A-Z entries on African-American architects from the era of Emancipation to the end of World War II. Articles provide biographical facts about each architect, and commentary on his or her work. Practical and accessible, this reference is complemented by over 200 photographs and includes an appendix containing a list of buildings by geographic location and by architect.
Biography
Dreck Spurlock Wilson is an African-American architect and holds an M.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Chicago. Wilson has contributed to historical journals and books on African-American history, art, and architecture.
"A gold mine for anyone interested in architecture or African American architects... Easy to use and containing scholarly information, this work will benefit general readers through architectural historians. Highly recommended. All libraries." -- Choice
"There is nothing else comparable on the market... A sound purchase, especially for college and university libraries with architectural programs, though it's also intended for preservationists, architects, and historians." -- Booklist/RBB
"an essential reference... The introduction offers a useful historical context for the contributions of African Americans to the built environment of the United States." -- College & Research Libraries
"Recent scholarly concerns about the gaps and limitations of such a narrative have literally reshaped the study of architectural history. African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945 is a major force to continue that reshaping, giving much needed presence to a large but essentially invisible group of designers, to innumerable but largely unknown buildings across the land, and to an awesome force of educational initiative, community spirit, and pride... the most comprehensive dictionary of these architects to date... the stories in the dictionary are captivating." -- CRM: The Journal of Heritage Stewardship
"The dictionary makes a significant contribution to the increasing scholarship on African American architects. A must have for aspiring and practicing architects, the book will be useful to anyone desiring to research their community's Black architects, buildings, and history in general. It is a useful reference for every church office/library and an indispensible aid of anyone seeking to nominate a historic building to the National Register of Historic Places." -- The AME Church Review
