Tulsa’s Art Deco Treasures are Cover Story in latest Preservation Magazine
July/August Issue from National Trust for Historic Preservation Unveiled at Press Conference on Tuesday, June 24. National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference to be held in Tulsa, October 21-25
Posted June 18, 2008 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
Washington, D.C. (June 18, 2008) — The July/August 2008 issue of the award-winning Preservation features Tulsa, Oklahoma's treasure trove of Art Deco buildings, America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, and an article about Frank Lloyd Wright's only commission in Alabama by the magazine's new editor in chief, James Schwartz.
Articles in the July/August issue of Preservation include:
Tulsa's Deco Gems: How an Oklahoma City Fell in Love with Art Deco and Never Really Got Over It
By Wayne Curtis
Tulsa is one of the nation's premier centers of art deco architecture, putting it in the company of Miami Beach, New York, and Los Angeles. Historian and author Wayne Curtis reveals how the town's early-20th century oil boom helped Tulsa announce itself as a world-class contemporary city. The city declared its ambitions in structures both opulent and streamlined, including the 1930 Philcade building, whose elaborately detailed shop-lined corridors retain their highly faceted chandeliers, and imposing civic landmarks epitomized by the 1931 Tulsa Union Depot. These cherished icons not only shaped the city's past, they are central to its vision of the future.
The 2008 List of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
By Preservation staff
For the last 21 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has released a list of America's 11 most endangered historic places to highlight important examples of the nation's architectural, cultural and natural heritage at risk for destruction or irreparable damage. The article includes descriptions of each site and steps people can take to save these iconic treasures. This year's list (in alphabetical order): Boyd Theatre (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); California's State Parks; Charity Hospital and the adjacent neighborhood (New Orleans, Louisiana); Great Falls Portage (Great Falls, Montana); Hangar One, Moffett Field (Santa Clara, California); The Lower East Side (New York City); Michigan Avenue Streetwall (Chicago, Illinois); The Peace Bridge Neighborhood (Buffalo, New York); The Statler Hilton (Dallas, Texas); Sumner Elementary School (Topeka, Kansas); and, Vizcaya and the Bonnet House (Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, respectively).
Wright Where You'd Least Expect It
By James H. Schwartz, Editor in Chief
In his inaugural article as Preservation's new editor in chief, James Schwartz chronicles the life of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Rosenbaum House, a gem of the architect's Usonian style. Located in Florence, Alabama, some two hours drive from Birmingham, and completed in 1938, the house proved a sensation when it was first built. Schwartz writes, "hundreds of residents drove by on weekends to gaze at the structure." Unfortunately, by the time the original owners had passed away the house, like many architectural jewels, had fallen into disrepair. However, the Mayor and citizens of Florence decided to purchase the home and restore it, a civic gesture that has made the house a focal point of the community.
In Reporter, Associate Editor Eric Wills talks with former owner Elizabeth Edwards Harris about the legacy and the fate of the famed Kaufmann House, Richard Neutra's 1946 International-Style jewel in Palm Springs that recently went to the auction block.
In Traveler, Chicago native Alan Ehrenhalt takes us on a walking tour of Chicago's historic Logan Square.
Full content of the July/August issue of Preservation and more is available online at www.PreservationNation.org/magazine.
Preservation, the award-winning magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, examines the many ways in which Americans seek to safeguard and enjoy their architectural and cultural heritage. A bimonthly, four-color publication, as well as a daily online news source on preservation issues, Preservation offers features, essays, book reviews, and reporting on places and people who treasure those places.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. For more information visit www.PreservationNation.org.
