Constructing the Architectural Canon: The Architectural History Survey Text in the Nineteenth Century

Today the canonical images and histories in architectural history survey texts are regarded as clichés that confirm dominant values and established practices. This workshop brings to the fore that at the time of its invention, halfway through the nineteenth century, the survey text was an explorative and critical genre. Being conscious of the pioneering nature of the architectural history survey text, nineteenth century authors extensively accounted for their method in their introduction, references and main text.

The reflections of the original authors on the advantages and limitations of the survey text may not only put a new light on the origins of the genre (its objectives and idiosyncracies), they are also instructive for our contemporary efforts to redefine the architectural canon and rewrite its history. Nineteenth-century authors touched upon themes that are still relevant and fiercely debated today in the fields of architectural history and cultural heritage studies, such as: the choice for a global versus local or national perspective; the value of generalization versus the acknowledgement of the particular; the value of professional versus popular knowledge.

The workshop at NIAS brings scholars together who research the origins of architectural history and the genre of the architectural history survey text in the long nineteenth century. It aspires to exchange and critically discuss each others historiographical insights in order to define common principles and concepts for a publication and international research project.

PROGRAM

Monday February 22

Invention, Uses and Impact of the Architectural History Survey text

  • Chair: Lex Bosman, University of Amsterdam
  • 14.00-14.10 welcome by prof.dr. Paul Emmelkamp, rector of the NIAS
  • 14.10-14.20 Petra Brouwer Introduction to the workshop
  • 14.20-14.50 Christopher Drew Amstrong, University of Pittsburgh: Architectural history before the survey text
  • 14.50-15.20 Martin Bressani, McGill University: Pre-surveys of Hope (1835), Ramée (1843) and Bâtissier (1843) and the alternative of Viollet le Duc
  • 15.20-15.50 Petra Brouwer, University of Amsterdam: A new genre. The first architectural history survey texts
  • coffee/tea
  • 16.15-16.45 Stephan Muthesius, University of East Anglia: The margins of architectural history
  • 16.45-17.15 Mari Hvattum, Oslo School of Architecture and Design: Architectural history and the public realm
  • 17.15-17.45 discussion (referee Caroline van Eck, Leiden University)

Tuesday February 23

Architectural History Survey Texts: case studies

  • Chair: Lex Bosman, University of Amstedam
  • 11.00-11.30 Sarah Allaback, Library of American Landscape History, Amherst: Louisa C. Tuthill, History of Architecture, 1848
  • 11.30-12.00 Henrik Karge, Technical University Dresden: Wilhelm Lübke, Geschichte der Architektur, 1855
  • 12.00-12.30 Dirk Baalman – Centre for Cultural Heritage Het Oversticht, Zwolle: Eugen Gugel, Geschiedenis van de bouwstijlen, 1869
  • lunch
  • 14.00-14.30 Andrew Ballantyne, Newcastle University : Banister Fletcher, A History of Architecture, 1896
  • 14.30-15.00 Richard Etlin, University of Maryland: Auguste Choisy, Histoire de l’Architecture, 1899
  • coffee/tea
  • 15.15-16.00 discussion: A survey of survey texts (referee Dirk van de Vijver, Utrecht University)
  • aperitif