What are the must-have books for preservationists?

Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Southeastern US

Ok. It looks like the forum is up, tested and stable. It's time to start using it for real. I'll start off with an easy question, but an important one:

What books do you as a preservationist (professional, student, enthusiast) find the most helpful or most informative? What books do you think that all of us need to have on our shelves, if we don't already?

A few that come to mind for me are:

A Field Guide to American Houses, by Virginia and Lee McAlester

I used this book extensively when I was just entering preservation, and still refer to it from time to time to help me figure out what I'm dealing with (especially when I need to explain it to someone else).

The Economics of Historic Preservation, by Donovan D. Rypkema

This one is pretty much invaluable. Nearly everything in preservation (like everything else) comes down to "what can we afford?", and this book is the first place I'd look to start coming up with the answer.

Preserving Cultural Landscapes in America, ed. by Arnold Alanen and Robert Z. Melnick
This one is newer to me, but I find that I'm dealing more and more with the issues explained in this book. It's certainly one that I've been opening up a lot recently.

What are some books/resources you recommend?

Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 11

You might add James Marston Fitch (Columbia) to your reading list. Fitch was probably one of the most influential preservation academics in the US. Historic Preservation: Curatorial Management of the Built World seems like a good place to start.

I also recommend Henry Glassie's (U of Indiana) Vernacular Architecture or Folk Housing in Middle Virginia as good texts which indirectly consider theoretical motives for the conservation of buildings as the physical representation of culture. I find his writing style very enjoyable as well. As far as rudimentary theory goes, Stewart Brand's How Buildings Learn is also worth reading.

It's quite a challenge to narrow the field down to just a few tomes... nevertheless, thanks for a great, thought-provoking post SinA. I'll try to come up with some more pragmatic suggestions and perhaps, a few on materials conservation.

Cheers!

-Ed, MA Candidate '08, Cornell

Joined: 26 Sep 2007 Posts: 1

For books that illustrate architectural and urban change:

Building Lives, Neil Harris

Stalking Detroit, eds. Jason Young, Gloria Daskalais, Charles Waldheim

Creative Destruction of Manhattan, Max Page

For what's there at the moment, a Historic Resource Survey for wherever you are living should be near the top of a preservation reading list, too.

Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 5

Aside from McAlesters, some other good resources are:

Well-Preserved
Recording Historic Structures

Joined: 15 Sep 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Eagle Bay NY

Preservation is such a varied field that there are many great books out there. Some concerning architecture, landscapes, archives and museums. A couple of comprehensive books are: Historic Preservation by Norman Tyler and Keeping Time by William Murtagh. Common Places by Dell Upton and John Michael Vlach is a great collection of essays on Vernacular Architecture, and Preserving the Built Heritage edited by Schuster, de Monchaux and Riley as well as Preservation of What for Whom edited by Michael A. Tomlan are wonderful books on Preservation Theory

The Government Printing Office, John Wiley and Sons, and Alta Mira Press publish a number of Preservation related books, and don't forget the National Trust Bookstore

Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 2 Location: southwestern US

Cultural Resource Laws & Practice by King (good to refer to when dealing with anything federal).

Your state's policies in this regard. Example: a CEQA reference for CA.

Any architectural book by Ching is a great plus.

And the ever so slim but hand reference; The Buildings of Main Street.

And, it is always a good idea to maintain a library of architectural styles for the area you are working (I.e. Craftsman Bungalows are big out where I am now, but Queen Anne and Victorian were prevalent where I used to live).

Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 11

What do you all think about adding a thematic bibliography to PreserveNet? It might be useful to have a searchable, user-accessible database that we can collaboratively compile. I've already got a good (100+) start on masonry and I'm sure, by the looks of this discussion, you all have lists in your pet interests to contribute.

What categories might this include? What form would it take? I can already foresee combining it with the extensive list of links already available on Pnet. Any ideas?

Cheers,
-Ed

Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Dallas, TX

I really think a good background book for background and basic information is Jane Jacobs The Death and Life Great American Cities. It really highlights different spacial designs and what does or doesn't work. Interesting read.

Additionally, all of the National Park Service Bulletins are well worth ordering (they're free...you just have to submit a request).

Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Dallas, TX

Also, there is a book that I purchased in college that I have somehow lost at work. It's a handy, small, yellow book that is a chronological listing of architectural styles with picture examples and also detail descriptions with labeled pictures (i.e.cornice, dentils, quoins). I believe the author's name started with a "B". It was a short, rectangular book. If someone could help me remember the name of it I would really appreciate it! It was a very useful book.

Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Montgomery, AL

The little yellow/cream book is IDENTIFYING AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE: A PICTORIAL GUIDE TO STYLES AND TERMS 1600-1945 by John J.G. Blumenson. ww norton & co.

This is a link to another good book, I have used it quite a bit: The Old House Dictionary.

http://www.amazon.com/Old-House-Dictionary-Illustrated-Architecture-1600-1940/dp/047114407X

Have a good one,

Brandon Brazil, MHP
Architectural Historian
Alabama DOT

Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Dallas, TX

Thank you so much!

Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 8 Location: Midwest

I second the suggestion of The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. This is traditionally more of an "Urban Planning" text, but it is very pertinent to understanding the beginnings of the Historic Preservation movement.

The book was written in 1961, during the horrible "Urban Renewal" phase that prompted the Historic Preservation backlash. Her book is a vivid description of the "pre-preservation" era and helps articulate the importance of historic preservation as a community ethic and an urban planning tool.

Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 8 Location: Midwest

On a similar vein as Jane Jacobs, I'd recommend The Geography of Nowhere and Home From Nowhere by James Howard Kuntsler. These are considered more "urban planning" books, but they highlight some of our current development issues, why our current land development patterns aren't working, and what we need to do to get back on track.

This type of literature gives you a perspective on how historic preservation fits into the "big picture."

Joined: 15 May 2009 Posts: 14

Hey, that's a great resource.

Thank you all!

Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 4

Thanks for great info.