ISBN: 0-393-73065-4
May 2001
230 photographs / 192 pages

Nineteen essays, by a diverse group of historians and others who experience and study Gilbert's buildings in their professional lives, detail the intricate relationship between Gilbert's work and the longstanding tradition of public architecture in America. This volume examines Gilbert's work in five unique categories: the building of a national practice, an evaluation of his Minnesota State Capitol as "a defining moment" in American civic architecture, his New York career, his response to civic ideals in his plans for towns and universities, and his work in the public domain.

Praise for Cass Gilbert:

“One reason for the recent revival in Cass Gilbert scholarship is the delight that his well-functioning and beautiful civic buildings inspire in their visitors and users. … this volume has special appeal because of the authors’ variety of backgrounds and approaches. The Contributes range from architectural historians and architects to political scientists and judges. Arranged chronologically, the essays create a multidimensional image of Gilbert, revealing the intricate dilemmas inherent in building a pracitce, obtaining major commissions, and dealing with obstinate clients. The depth of detail that helps these author stell a richly nuanced story is the result of the wealth of archival material available on Gilbert…this fine volume is a worthy addition…providing a richly detailed picture of a too long neglected American architect.”

––Elizabeth Meredith Dowling, Georgia Institute of Technology, JSAH, 61:4, December 2002

“A considerable feat of scholarship.what makes this book special are a number of unusual perspectives it offers.an extremely important book on a leading American architect that has contemporary relevance as well.”
—APT Bulletin

About the Editors
Barbara S. Christen and Steven Flanders directed the Cass Gilbert programs sponsored by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. An architectural historian, Christen is a Research Associate at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Formerly a courts administrator and researcher, Flanders is now a consultant.

ISBN 0-393-73065-4 / May 2001 / 230 photographs / 192 pages