Synopses & Reviews
This is the first comprehensive and fully documented study of Philadelphia's architecture (originally published in hardcover in 1974), covering all sections of the city and covering buildings from all periods, from those that have stood since Colonial times to influential and representative works of the twentieth century. The documentation is based on the latest research available to the authors, including their own extensive searches both in the archives and on the streets.In all, some 450 buildings and/or locations are listed, and about 240 of these are illustrated, in almost every case with a contemporary photograph. The location of each building is noted, along with its date of construction and its architect, when these are known. When applicable, late major alterations are also cited, by date, architect, and extent. And in many cases, brief commentaries are included that place individual buildings in their historic context or that offer critical evaluations of their architectural merits.The book opens with a historical review of architecture and planning in Philadelphia. This is followed be a guide to the city, divided into seven sections, and an abstracted map that the reader can use to pinpoint the locations of the listed buildings. These sections cover the Center City, Fairmount Park, North Philadelphia, the Northeast, South Philadelphia, West Philadelphia (including the University of Pennsylvania campus), and Germantown.The authors stress a sense of area development and general trends, as opposed to the isolated consideration of separate monuments. However, the heterogeneity and diversity that have characterized every period are amply illustrated - highly individualized buildings are pictured in these pages side by side with more "typical" examples of various styles. Much of the best work of architects long identified with the city is shown, ranging from Edmund Woolley and Andrew Hamilton (the architects of Independence Hall) in the eighteenth century; to William Strickland, Frank Furman, Theophilus Chandler, and John McArthur, Jr., in the nineteenth; and to Louis I. Kahn and Robert Venturi in the the twentieth.The book is a boon for the architecturally minded tourist, whether actually walking about the city using the book as a guide or touring Philadelphia from afar and using the book as a well-ordered substitute for the city itself.
Review
"Not the least appealing aspect of this new guide is the fidelity with which the photographs are reproduced.... Teitelman and Longstreth can be relied on for the accuracy and completeness of the information they give concerning the dates and architects of the buildings listed, including those for the later alterations and additions that are too often overlooked." The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography The MIT Press
Review
"The past decade has seen a phenomenal increase in architectural guidebooks to American communities. Architecture in Philadelphia is one of the best.... Though Philadelphia's legacy of architecture from four centuries is rich, famed, and well-documented, this book is the first full-scale architectural guide to the city. Teitelman, a psychiatrist, and Longstreth, an architect, have long been close students of the Philadelphia scene, and they provide reliable data.... [They also] deserve credit for good writing; their comments are literate and agreeably opinionated, sometimes tart, always unlike the bland praise characteristic of tourism promotion literature. The authors should also be commended for including descriptions of many interesting buildings off the beaten track, of unfamiliar location or function or period. The emphasis is on individual buildings—about 450 are listed—but a historical introduction and brief essays on the main sections of Philadelphia help to place the architecture in a wider context." Historic Preservation The MIT Press
Review
"Covering all areas, from neighborhood to splendid (and not-so-splendid) skyscrapers, it describes buildings, explains importance of good planning. Center city buildings grouped for touring on foot. Fine guide." Philadelphia Inquirer The MIT Press
Synopsis
The book is a boon for the architecturally minded tourist, whether actually walking about the city using the book as a guide or touring Philadelphia from afar and using the book as a well-ordered substitute for the city itself.
Synopsis
This is the first comprehensive and fully documented study of Philadelphia's architecture (originally published in hardcover in 1974), covering all sections of the city and covering buildings from all periods, from those that have stood since Colonial times to influential and representative works of the twentieth century.