The finest building in America : the New York Crystal Palace, 1853-1858
(Book)
Published
New York : Oxford University Press, [2018].
Format
Book
ISBN
9780190681210, 0190681217
Physical Desc
xvi, 248 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 19 cm
Status
Description
Loading Description...
Also in this Series
Checking series information...
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
North Providence - Adult Non-Fiction (2nd floor) | 721.04496 B972 | On Shelf |
Providence Public - Level 1 Book Stacks | 721.04496 B972 2018 | On Shelf |
More Details
Published
New York : Oxford University Press, [2018].
Language
English
ISBN
9780190681210, 0190681217
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"Built in 1853 in New York's Bryant Park and immediately pronounced the most beautiful structure in America, the Crystal Palace was intended not simply to emulate but rival the famous Victorian landmark in London's Hyde Park. As with its English counterpart, however, its beauty was ephemeral. It caught fire, and on October 5, 1858, "great waves of lurid light" overtook spectators and those rushing to save it. Within thirty minutes, the beloved dome was nothing but a heap of smoldering debris. In his latest book, Edwin G. Burrows, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for History and co-author of GOTHAM: A History of New York to 1898, offers a memorable and elegiac look at the Crystal Palace. While it didn't match in dimension Robert Paxton's London original--the scale of which was truly colossal--the New York version became a beloved landmark almost from the instant of its creation. Centerpiece of the 1853 World's Fair, it was home to numerous exhibitions and became a showplace for displaying the growing industrial might of the nation. Walt Whitman rhapsodized about it as "Earth's modern wonder, History's Seven outstripping." Its sudden loss provoked intense mourning-matched only perhaps by the razing of the old Penn Station a century later-and then gradually it slipped from memory. The Finest Building in America will evoke the Crystal Palace's life and times, replete with beautiful period images. The first book-length account of the building's short but glorious life, Burrows book aims to restore it in the minds and hearts of New Yorkers and New York aficionados and fans everywhere"--,Provided by publisher.
Subjects
LC Subjects
Crystal Palace (New York, N.Y.)
Glass construction -- New York (State) -- New York.
Lost architecture -- New York (State) -- New York.
New York (N.Y.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
New York (N.Y.) -- History -- 1775-1865.
New York Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations -- (1853-1854 : -- New York, N.Y.)
Glass construction -- New York (State) -- New York.
Lost architecture -- New York (State) -- New York.
New York (N.Y.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
New York (N.Y.) -- History -- 1775-1865.
New York Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations -- (1853-1854 : -- New York, N.Y.)
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Burrows, E. G. (2018). The finest building in America: the New York Crystal Palace, 1853-1858 . Oxford University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Burrows, Edwin G., 1943-2018. 2018. The Finest Building in America: The New York Crystal Palace, 1853-1858. Oxford University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Burrows, Edwin G., 1943-2018. The Finest Building in America: The New York Crystal Palace, 1853-1858 Oxford University Press, 2018.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Burrows, Edwin G. The Finest Building in America: The New York Crystal Palace, 1853-1858 Oxford University Press, 2018.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
Staff View
Loading Staff View.