Richard Longstreth
Encyclopedia
Dr. Richard W. Longstreth (born 4 March 1946, Pasadena
) is an architectural historian
and a professor at George Washington University
where he directs the a program in historic preservation
.
Longstreth received an A.B. in architecture
from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1968, and a Ph.D. in architectural history
from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1977. He taught at Kansas State University
before joining the George Washington University faculty in 1983.
Longstreth's career has focused in two areas: architectural history and historic preservation. His early scholarly work focused on the late nineteenth century architects of the San Francisco Bay Area and led to his book On the Edge of the World: Four Architects in San Francisco at the Turn of the Century (1983), but more recently he has focused on architecture in relationship to the decentralization of American cities. His book, City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950, won the 1997 "Abbott Lowell Cummings Award" from the Vernacular Architecture Forum
, the 1997 "Lewis Mumford Prize" of the Society for American City and Regional Planning History, and the 1999 "Spiro Kostof Award" of the Society of Architectural Historians
.
Longstreth has also been deeply involved in historic preservation both as teacher and as activist and consultant. He has taken an active role in preservation efforts in the Washington, DC area.
Longstreth has served as president of the Society of Architectural Historians
. He has chaired the Maryland Governor's Consulting Committee on the National Register of Historic Places
. He was first vice president of the Vernacular Architecture Forum
in 1989-91, has been a trustee of the National Building Museum
, and has served as a board member of Preservation Action.
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
) is an architectural historian
Architectural History
Architectural History is the main journal of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain .The journal is published each autumn. The architecture of the British Isles is a major theme of the journal, although it includes more general papers on the history of architecture. Member of...
and a professor at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
where he directs the a program in historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
.
Longstreth received an A.B. in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1968, and a Ph.D. in architectural history
Architectural History
Architectural History is the main journal of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain .The journal is published each autumn. The architecture of the British Isles is a major theme of the journal, although it includes more general papers on the history of architecture. Member of...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1977. He taught at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
before joining the George Washington University faculty in 1983.
Longstreth's career has focused in two areas: architectural history and historic preservation. His early scholarly work focused on the late nineteenth century architects of the San Francisco Bay Area and led to his book On the Edge of the World: Four Architects in San Francisco at the Turn of the Century (1983), but more recently he has focused on architecture in relationship to the decentralization of American cities. His book, City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950, won the 1997 "Abbott Lowell Cummings Award" from the Vernacular Architecture Forum
Vernacular Architecture Forum
The Vernacular Architecture Forum is a scholarly organization founded in 1980 to support the study and preservation of all aspects of vernacular architecture and landscapes. The organization has brought together scholars and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines--geography, folklore,...
, the 1997 "Lewis Mumford Prize" of the Society for American City and Regional Planning History, and the 1999 "Spiro Kostof Award" of the Society of Architectural Historians
Society of Architectural Historians
The Society of Architectural Historians is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the study and preservation of the built environment worldwide....
.
Longstreth has also been deeply involved in historic preservation both as teacher and as activist and consultant. He has taken an active role in preservation efforts in the Washington, DC area.
Longstreth has served as president of the Society of Architectural Historians
Society of Architectural Historians
The Society of Architectural Historians is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the study and preservation of the built environment worldwide....
. He has chaired the Maryland Governor's Consulting Committee on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. He was first vice president of the Vernacular Architecture Forum
Vernacular Architecture Forum
The Vernacular Architecture Forum is a scholarly organization founded in 1980 to support the study and preservation of all aspects of vernacular architecture and landscapes. The organization has brought together scholars and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines--geography, folklore,...
in 1989-91, has been a trustee of the National Building Museum
National Building Museum
The National Builders Museum, in Washington, D.C., United States, is a museum of "architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning"...
, and has served as a board member of Preservation Action.
Books
- Longstreth, Richard (editor), The Charnley House : Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Making of Chicago's Gold Coast, University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
, Chicago and London 2004, ISBN 0226492745 - Longstreth, Richard, The Drive-In, the Supermarket, and the Transformation of Commercial Space in Los Angeles, 1914-1941, MIT PressMIT PressThe MIT Press is a university press affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts .-History:...
, Cambrdge MA and London 1999, ISBN 0262122146 - Longstreth, Richard, History on the Line: Testimony in the Cause of Preservation, Historic Urban Plans, Ithaca NY 1998, ISBN 0966272307
- Longstreth, Richard, City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950, MIT Press, Cambridge MA and London 1997, ISBN 0262122006
- Longstreth, Richard (editor), The Mall in Washington, 1791-1991, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC 1991
- Longstreth, Richard, The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture, Preservation Press, Washington DC 1987; rev. ed. AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek CA 2000, ISBN 0742502791
- Longstreth, Richard, On the Edge of the World: Four Architects in San Francisco at the Turn of the Century, Architectural History Foundation, New York, and MIT Press, Cambridge MA and London 1983; paperback ed., 1989; reprint ed., University of California PressUniversity of California PressUniversity of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish books and papers for the faculty of the University of California, established 25 years earlier in 1868...
, Berkeley 1998, ISBN 0520214153