#Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue

[protoslacker]

Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska. West-facing panel at northwest corner of building, titled "Deborah Judging Israel". Ammodramus  CC0

I am so easily distracted. Looking for Deborah of Bible fame I saw this image which led to discovering the Nebraska State Capitol building. I knew nothing about this exceptional building. There’s enough at the link for hours of attention.

[moradadabeleza]

Nathan Arrington

The National Academy of Sciences

architect: Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue architectural style: neoclassical

2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, District of Columbia

[themarrero]

The beautiful detailed doorway of Saint Thomas Episcopal Church on 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue with its French High Gothic Style the structure made of ashlar limestone was built in 1914 the congregations fourth church. On the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the congregation traces its origins back to 1824 and is the Episcopal church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The design was the work of Ralph Adam Cram and Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue of the firm of Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson who also designed the Cathedral of St John the Devine uptown. - [ ] #developportdev @gothamtomato @developphotonewsletter @omsystem.cameras #excellent_america #omsystem @bheventspace @bhphoto @adorama @tamracphoto @tiffencompany #usaprimeshot #tamractales @kehcamera #omd #microfourthirds #micro43 @saintthomaschurch @nycprimeshot @nycurbanism @nybucketlist (at Saint Thomas Church) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnqAZrMPea-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[uwmspeccoll]

It’s Fine Press Friday!

This week we present selected pages from In the Dawn of the World, with 25 original wood engravings illustrating a portion of the Book of Genesis by British artist and designer Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), and printed in 1903 by D. B. Updike in an edition of 185 copies on handmade Alton Mill paper at the Merrymount Press in Boston for Charles E, Goodspeed, with a note on the designs by Burne-Jones’s son Philip. The type used here is the font designed for Updike by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, based on Nicolas Jenson’s type of 1470, for the first Merrymount Press productions beginning in 1894.

The designs for the illustrations were originally produced as part of a large Bible project to be produced by the Kelmscott Press, but the death of William Morris in 1896 put an end to the undertaking. Burne-Jones had completed a number of drawings in pencil, but after Morris’s death they were laid aside, and Burne-Jones himself died two years later. In 1901, Burne-Jones’s widow Georgiana Macdonald decided to publish a selection of 25 of the drawings and commissioned Burne-Jones’s wood engraver Robert Catterson-Smith to complete the project. The results were printed here for the first time in America. Philip Burne-Jones describes the working process of his father and Catterson-Smith:

The design was first made roughly in pencil, and afterwards elaborated and carefully completed in the same medium. A photograph of the finished drawing was then taken, laid down upon cardboard, and gone over with ink, under my father’s supervision. The strong black outline thus secured was again photographed on the wood block, which was then cut. During his long apprenticeship to this work under my father’s eye, Mr. Catterson Smith gained much skill and experience. . . .Had my father seen these reproductions he would have been well satisfied.

Our copy of In the Dawn of the World is another gift from our friend Jerry Buff.

View other work by Edward Burne-Jones.

View more Fine Press Friday posts. 

[a-little-bit-pre-raphaelite]

Illustration Advent Day 14

Nativity illustrated by Robert Anning Bell, printed by Daniel Berkley Updike from The Alter Book designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, 1896

[lawriescholar]

Here’s the prologue to my new book.  Ask your library to get it for you & please share. 

[leelawrie-blog]

For the past 6 years, I've been updating my 2011 book, Lee Lawries's Prairie Deco: History in Stone at the Nebraska State Capitol, 3rd Edition. Finally, my publishing team at Concierge Marketing has sent me the galley of the all, new 4th edition, that has been totally re-edited, de-constructed and re-constructed in a fresh layout, with new archival photos, showing the actual sculptors at work, carving the sculptures carving literally tons of the new sculpture as it was being carved into the building. Plus, some of the original models for the works that evolved some before they were literally set in stone. I've also added chapters featuring new discoveries I've made of Lawrie's work at Boy's Town, Pasadena, his first commission, of a life-sized bronze statue of a small town Amsterdam, NY priest, from 1897, done when he was barely 20 years old. And the coolest discovery I made, where I met and got to interview his last living studio assistant, now 95. The book will be out on Amazon.com, or through my site, LeeLawrie.com, by September. It's grown from the 163 pages of the 3rd edition, that had some 275 images of his work, to around 260 or so pages now, with nearly 350 illustrations in the 4th Edition. Let me know if you are interested in it.

[charlesreeza]

The Nebraska State Capitol building in Lincoln was designed by New York architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue who won a national competition in 1920 with a plan that was a radical departure from more traditional capitol buildings.  He combined elements of Achaemenid, Assyrian, Byzantine, Gothic, and Romanesque architecture.  The three-story base is designed as a cross within a square that has four interior courtyards.  The 400 foot domed tower is topped with a 19 foot tall bronze figure of “The Sower” by sculptor Lee Lawry who designed all the exterior and interior stone carvings.  The capitol was constructed in four phases over ten years and was completed in 1932.  Goodhue died in 1924, long before the building was completed.

[rickinmar]

Boston Society of Arts and Crafts. 1897. Designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue

[decoarchitecture]

Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln, Nebraska Source: MIT Dome

The Nebraska State Capitol was designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in 1920 and was constructed of Indiana limestone from 1922 to 1932. It sort of “morphed” into Deco during the process. I’ve posted many pics of it (inside and out) in the past. Sculptures by Lee Lawrie!

From the State of Nebraska:

The Nebraska State Capitol, the product of a nationwide design competition won by New York Architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in 1920, is described as the nation’s first truly vernacular State Capitol. The present building, the third to be erected on this site, was the nation’s first statehouse design to radically depart from the prototypical form of the nation’s Capitol and to use an office tower. Constructed in four phases over ten years from 1922-1932, the building, with furnishings and landscaping, was completed at a cost just under the $10 million budget and was paid for when finished. To decorate the building, Bertram Goodhue selected Lee Lawrie, sculptor; Hildreth Meiere, tile and mosaic designer; and Hartley B. Alexander, thematic consultant for inscription and symbolism.

Clad with Indiana limestone, the Capitol has a low, wide base in the plan of a “cross within a square”, creating four interior courtyards. The square base is 437 feet on a side and three levels in height. From the center of this base rises a 400 foot domed tower, crowned with the 19 foot tall bronze figure of “The Sower”. A thematic progression of ornamentation extends from the principal entrance on the north, westward around the exterior of the building and through the building’s interior. The building’s exterior stone carvings represent historic events in the 3000 year evolution of democracy as a form of government. The ornamental interior features numerous marble-columned chambers with vaulted polychrome tile ceilings, marble mosaic floors and murals depicting the natural and social history of Nebraska’s Native American and Pioneer cultures.

Again, I’ve done posts about this capitol in the past. Check them out here. It’s astonishing! 

[plurdledgabbleblotchits]

Los Angeles, CA Central Library by army.arch Via Flickr: The Los Angeles Public Library was designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and opened in 1926. It's in an Egyptian Revival style with sphinxes, snakes, mosaics, and of course the pyramid on top of the building. There is a huge globe chandelier in the dome under the pyramid. The Central Library was heavily damaged in 1986 due to an arson fire. It was restored and expanded by Norman Pfeiffer, and reopened to the public in 1993. 

[christinedepizza]

Tomb of the American architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue at Intercession Church, designed by his friend and fellow architect Lee Lawrie, 1924

The frieze includes some of Goodhue's most famous architectural works such as Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago, the State Capitol building of Lincoln, Nebraska, and St. Thomas Church in New York City. The Latin inscription above the buildings reads “nihil tetigit quod non ornant,” or, “He touched nothing that he did not adorn.”

[danishmuseuminterns]

Nebraskan beauty

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the great state of Nebraska. My adventure started in the state’s capital, Lincoln, named after Abraham Lincoln, where the Nebraska State Capitol is located.

I have always been very fascinated by the fact that each state in the United States have their own capitol building and their own unique form of political system. One of the most interesting capitols I have visited is probably the Nebraska State Capital with its very iconic tower emerging as an essential component of Lincoln’s skyline – the very definition of Nebraskan beauty. Upon the tower’s gold-tiled dome is a statue called The Sower, a symbol of Nebraska’s agricultural industry, which still plays a central role in the state’s economy.

Designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, the construction of the current Nebraska State Capitol began in 1922 and was completed in 1932. According to the tour guide, two former capitol buildings of Nebraska had been placed on the very same ground where the current one is standing today. The first one was built by local limestone, which apparently was a bad decision, as the building was already decaying upon its completion. Later, when politicians wanted to replace their crumbling state capital, a new building was built. However, this one was later deemed unsafe due to foundational issues.  

Nebraskans finally had their luck the third time with Goodhue, who succeeded to create a masterpiece lasting for the ages. Unfortunately, he died before witnessing the result of his work.

I personally found the many symbolic figures embedded in the building’s exterior structure to be very fascinating. They range from Biblical figures such as Moses to Greek philosophers such as Plato, but also events from American history is featured – you can literally spot the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson’s Purchase of Louisiana. Inside the building, the walls are filled with murals showing Nebraska's history with Great Plains motifs, such as farming, livestock, trains, pioneers, and Native Americans.

As the only American state to have a unicameral legislature, Nebraska’s political system is truly unique. Implemented in 1937, Nebraska’s unicameralism has, according to proponents, cut government spending, improved efficacy and been a bulwark against political gridlock.

Following my visit to the capitol building, I had a delicious runza, an absolute Cornhusker State staple. It was so good that I had to order one more for the road before heading to Omaha, the largest city in Nebraska.

Omaha used to be the livestock capital of the world and a major hub for railyards, and is currently the home of iconic American investor and businessman Walter Buffett. In true Omaha-style, I ate at his favorite steakhouse, Gorat’s Steak House, where he still hosts business meetings. When I sat down at the table, I asked the waitress, who told me, that she usually serves Buffett, to have whatever Buffett usually haves when he visits. This included a T-bone steak, cooked rare, with side orders of hash brown and spaghetti, and a Cherry Coke to drink. I was full for the rest of the day.

As a great train aficionado, I had to visit the Durham Museum, which has a huge display of train cars and locomotives from Union Pacific. Located in Omaha's former Union Station, the Durham Museum has restored the building in its original art deco style. As a fan of this style of architecture, it was a pleasure to experience this exceptional museum and talk with the life-like sculptures placed in the station’s waiting room – each sculpture with their own tales of why and how they ended up in Omaha.

Since Omaha is the home of the Reuben sandwich, I had to try this sandwich before leaving. Omahans are proud of this heritage and as a result celebrates Reuben Sandwich Day on March 14 every year. I tried my very first Reuben sandwich at an awarding-winning placed called Crescent Moon, which is located across the street from the Blackstone Hotel, where the sandwich apparently was invented.

Filled with the joy of the Reuben, I left Nebraska and began my drive home to Elk Horn, Iowa.

Thanks, Nebraska! – I’ll definitely be back.

Best from Anders Tornsø Jørgensen

[uwmspeccoll]

A Belated St. Valentine’s

We were so busy last week, our staff did not have time to prepare a Valentine’s greeting for yesterday. But we didn’t want you to think we’ve forgotten you, so for all our followers, especially our dedicated long-time followers, we offer various printings of Sonnet 43, perhaps the most famous sonnet from Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese, as our Valentine’s massage.

We present, from top to bottom:

1 & 2.) Facsimile of the manuscript for Sonnet 43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese, A Facsimile Edition of the British Library Manuscript, edited by William S. Peterson and published in 1977 in a limited edition of 1000 copies by the Imprint Society in Barre, Massachusetts.

3.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1932 in hand-set Goudy Medieval by Arthur and Edna Rushmore at the Golden Hind Press in Madison, New Jersey, for Harper & Brothers.

4.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1900 by Clarke Conwell at the Elston Press in New Rochelle, New York, in an edition of 485 copies on handmade paper, with initials and borders by H.M. O'Kane. 

5.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1896 for Copeland and Day in Boston on English handmade paper in an edition of 750 copies, with ornamental designs by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. 

6.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1948 by The Limited Editions Club in an edition of 1500 copies. with designs by Valenti Angelo.

View our other St. Valentine’s Day posts.

[lawriescholar]

Chicago Art Deco Society Reviews Book on Little Known Chicago-raised Art Deco Master, Lee Lawrie A review of my new book Lee Lawrie’s Prairie Deco: History in Stone at the Nebraska State Capitol, 4th Edition Lawrie spent nearly 14 years creating the prairie influenced Art Deco sculpture that honors The Native American Tribes who first dwelt on the chunk of the Great Plains that would become Nebraska. The sculpture also tells of the Institutuins of Government the early settlers brought with them into the new state. Just before he created the Atlas, the facades of the International Building, and 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Lee Lawrie created the largest sculptural commission and body of work in his career, which spanned from the Gaslight Era up into the Space Age. At his death, he was still working on sculpture at West Point, after just completing additional sculpture in 1962 for the National Academy of Sciences Building—on which he created all of the existing sculpture on this building in 1923-24. In a series of 18 bas-relief panels that ring the Nebraska Capitol building, Lawrie illustrates the History of Law and how Law and Democracy evolved from Moses, through Greek and Roman contributions of written laws, constitutions, courts of law, suffrage, balloting, through early English common law and the establishment of property rights, civil rights, colonial law, the debate over slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation, up through Nebraska Statehood, 151 years ago. It also identifies history’s great Lawgivers, Minos, Solon, Solomon, Hammurabi, Moses, Anknaton, Julius Caesar, Justinian, Charlemagne and Napoleon; all portrayed in larger than life sculpture by Lawrie. Lawrie’s sculpture is found nationwide, but much of it was never signed, as he created it for architects and their buildings, and he felt his contributions were on a par with the masons, electricians, plumbers and other tradesmen who came together on construction sites. He was humble to a fault, and so most of the Art History community has never heard of him.

[leelawrie-blog]

The Ages of Man, by Lee Lawrie in the Great Hall of the Nebraska State Capitol. These appear in my new book, "Lee Lawrie's Prairie Deco: History in Stone at the Nebraska State Capitol, 4th Edition, due out 9-1-17. #lee lawrie