y02February 27, 2022 3pm Author's Talk "American Renaissance"

American Renaissance

The Gilded Age, also referred to as the American Renaissance, is an era associated with unparalleled growth, technological advancement, prosperity, and cultural change. Spanning from the 1880s to the 1930s it marks the first time that the titans of American finance and industry had more wealth than their European counterparts. As the center of this dynamic economy, New York City attracted immigrant works and millionaires alike. It was not be enough for the self-appointed elite to just build their own grand chateaux’s and palazzo’s along Fifth Avenue, as collectively they dreamed of creating a new metropolis to rival the great cultural capitals of London, Paris and Rome. To fluent their newly acquired wealth they needed an architecture dripping in embellishment and historical reference.  Enter the Beaux-Arts.

This book, which has been painstakingly researched and beautifully photographed over many years, takes a close look at twenty of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in New York City. While showing public exteriors, its main focus is on the lavish interiors that are associated with the opulence of the Gilded Age – often providing a glimpse inside buildings not otherwise viewable to the public.  While some of the buildings and monuments that are featured are world renowned landmarks recognizable and accessible to all; others are obscure buildings that history has forgotten. One of the chapters in this book is dedicated to Woodlawn.

Phillip James Dodd is one of today’s foremost experts on classical architecture and interiors. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, he is an alumnus of the prestigious Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture in London. He moved to America more than twenty years ago, and after training with some of the most recognized classical architecture firms in the country founded his eponymous design firm Phillip James Dodd: Bespoke Residential Design LLC. Since then he has become one of the most sought-after young residential designers practicing today, with designs that can be found in Manhattan, Greenwich, Palm Beach, and as far away as Bangalore, India. He has lectured extensively throughout the United States on the subject of classical architecture, and is the author of two best-selling books, The Art of Classical Details: Theory Design & Craftsmanship (2013) and An Ideal Collaboration (2015).

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