Book Review: Letters from Women in Architecture by Suzanne Stewart Wendy Bertrand, a founding member of OWA gave the Steering Committee a thoughtful gift: a book on women in architecture! Candid Reflections: Letters from Women in Architecture 1972 & 2004 by Doris Cole. Published by Midmarch Arts Press, New York. Copyright 2007. This is a wonderful, breezy yet poignant read. It is indeed candid. I highly recommend it and many thanks to Wendy. From the back cover: In the process of researching her first book on the history of women in architecture, Doris Cole sent out an inquiry letter in 1972 t women architects through out the country. These personal letters are included in this book. They chronicle careers that spanned from the turn of the twentieth century thorough two World Wars, the Great Depression, and into the 1970s. Additionally, observations were obtained in 2004 from contemporary women in architecture in order to learn about developments over the subsequent thirty years. The 47 illustrations included in this book are only a sampling of the projects by women in architecture from 1946 to 2006 in the United States. There are many more buildings and architects to be considered and documented by future researchers. The book serves as a resource, a collection of personal, candid reflections. The letters are a testimony to the grit, humor, pathos, and determination of these women architects, whose goal was to be full participants in constructing a better world. Their stories can be an inspiration to all architects, of all backgrounds, who may be facing similar challenges today. It is hoped that more womenÃs voices can be added to make the creation of the built environment truly representative of the values and aspirations of our entire culture. |
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Newsletter | Jan/Feb 2008