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Willis G. Hale and the Art of the Architectural Aberration
presented by Michael J. Lewis
What architect ever fell so swiftly from fashion as Willis Gaylord Hale? During the 1880s, he worked for Philadelphia’s wealthiest families, including Peter A. B. Widener and William Weightman. But by the 1890s, he was singled out in the national press for his “architectural aberrations.” What went wrong? This talk looks at the arc of Hale’s career, the sources of his distinctive architectural language, and some of his eccentricities, including his abortive career as an opera singer and his campaign to market his specially designed pneumatic bicycle seat.
Michael J. Lewis is the Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Williams College. Among his books are Frank Furness: Architecture and the Violent Mind (2001) and Philadelphia Builds: Essays on Architecture (2021). He writes for a variety of publications and is the architectural critic of the Wall Street Journal.
$15 | General Admission
$10 | Alliance Member
Free | Students*
If you have been affected by the pandemic and would like to attend this virtual lecture but cannot afford to do so, please email Vinni Cheng on vcheng@preservationalliance.com for complimentary access.
*Email photo of valid student ID to Vinni Cheng to register as a student.
View speaker schedule at https://www.preservationalliance.com/fall-speaker-series-2021/