Thomas Jefferson was many things politician and diplomat, naturalist and scientist. Revered as America's third president, he was also the main author of the Declaration of Independence. What's less well-known is his role as an architect who helped shape the look of early America.
That side of Jefferson is getting special attention at the moment with an exhibition at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. It illustrates both the brilliance of his vision and what, to many, is an unforgivable blind spot.
The title of the show is "Thomas Jefferson, Architect." Though not a professional architect, he was, said curator and museum director Erik Neil, "one of the most advanced architectural thinkers of his time."
Neil said evidence of Jefferson's influence is how familiar his designs now look. Examining one architectural model, correspondent Brook Silva-Braga said, "This is almost like a clich of a government building now."
"It wasn't then," said Neil. "Jefferson was saying, 'We want to do, like, what the Ancient Romans and what the Ancient Greeks did, because they had the highest form of government and the legislators acted with wisdom.'"
The architecture, he felt, should convey that.
Jefferson's plantation home, Monticello, carried those principles; so did his anonymous submission to a design competition for the White House, which featured a large dome.
"This dome was to have glass windows," said Neil. "It was the most innovative. It was the most advanced. I'm not sure if it actually could've been built."
These models first appeared at an Italian retrospective on Jefferson's architecture. Neil saw that show and wanted to bring it home to Virginia, but realized that was a complicated idea.
Silva-Braga asked, "Would it be going too far to say that you thought that exhibition wouldn't be well-received here?"
"It wouldn't be enough," Neil replied. "If I had presented that exhibition, I would have rightly been criticized."
Jefferson's designs, after all, were made into buildings by slaves.
As a politician he helped end the Atlantic slave trade, but at Monticello and elsewhere, Jefferson owned more than 600 human beings, including his mistress, Sally Hemings.
So, Neil enlisted a diverse group of advisors to make a new kind of exhibit, highlighting the otherwise anonymous people who built things, like a paneled door made at Monticello.
"They've been able to analyze the grain and the grooves, and the details of the door, and connect that to a set of tools that are known to have been John Hemmings'," said Neil.
John Hemmings was Sally Hemings' brother
There is a brick under glass, next to a handful of handmade nails as a tribute to Isaac Granger, one of the men who made Jefferson's nails. In a daguerreotype taken c. 1847, Granger is pictured wearing his workman's apron.
Love it or hate it, the exhibit is a profoundly different way to present Jefferson.
Silva-Braga asked, "I could see people saying, 'This is an American hero; why are you trying to bring him down?' I could see people saying, 'This is a slaveholder; why are you still building him up?'"
"I've gotten a couple letters: 'How could you do this to Thomas Jefferson? Why would you tarnish the image of this great man?'" said Neil. "And I've had other people say, 'Really? We want to give praise to this man who really had a concubine, who had a slave mistress?'"
The reassessment of Jefferson the architect will continue this spring at the University of Virginia, a campus he designed, when UVA dedicates a "memorial to enslaved laborers."
Columbia University professor Mabel Wilson worked on the UVA memorial and the Chrysler Museum exhibit. She studies architecture and race, and says one of Jefferson's hallmarks was hiding the places where slaves lived and worked.
"I think this is what makes him an architect," she said, "that he understands that the buildings make relationships between people. So, he is very shrewd at using architecture to make invisible something that he completely understood was morally reprehensible and against the values of freedom and equality."
This is all part of a larger reckoning in Virginia.
Janice Underwood is Virginia's first-ever director of diversity, equity and inclusion, hired by Governor Ralph Northam after a photo of a man in blackface was found on Northam's yearbook page. [Virginia's second governor was Thomas Jefferson, who designed the Capitol building where Underwood now works.]
"He said that all men are created equal," Underwood said. "And while I know that to be true, he would not have included me in that. He would not have included Sally Hemings in that, or any of his children with Sally Hemings."
Underwood says she isn't sure if the statue of Jefferson just behind the Capitol should even stay up.
"I don't know, we're reckoning with those questions now," she said. "For so long, we've only told one side of the story."
A handful of other museums across the country are making a similar shift, in some cases changing the labels next to paintings to explain that the person in the portrait was involved in the slave trade.
In its way, the Chrysler Museum is attempting answers to the questions that surround Jefferson, by teaching new names, and attaching new meaning to old ones.
Silva-Braga asked, "Do you want them to come away with the idea that Thomas Jefferson was a great American, or maybe just an important American?"
"I would say he's a great American," Neil replied. "I would say the idea that we have a president who has ideals that we still aspire to, is really something I want people to take away with them. To recognize he fell short of his aspirations, I hope they come away with that as well."
For more info:
See the original post here:
Thomas Jefferson, architect: An exhibition at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Va., illustrates both the brilliance of the Founding Father's...
- Demolition of Mary Miss's art at Des Moines Art Center paused - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- AIANY and ASLANY announce transportation and infrastructure awards - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Termites are nature's architects, building well-ventilated nests - Earth.com - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- JSA/MIXdesign share its work for the Queens Museum and champion participatory design processes - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- County okays agreement with architect for renovation county office building - WspyNews - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- hiroyuki ito architects' tenjincho place is a curving slice of nature in tokyo - Designboom - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- An international competition seeks to find a design team for Helsinki's New Museum of Architecture and Design - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Coachella debuts its 2024 art installations by Morag Myerscough, HANNAH, and Nebbia - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- New University of Mississippi Architect Contributes to 1000 Projects and Counting The Local Voice - The Local Voice - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Similar, but not the same: How qualifying as an architect differs between the US and UK - Building Design - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Charles E. Dagit Jr., award-winning architect, civic leader, and champion sailor, has died at 80 - The Philadelphia Inquirer - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Renowned architect to visit Stuckeman to juror student design competition - Penn State University - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architects win citation for Raleigh County Sheriff's Office Headquarters design - MSN - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Trial begins for man accused of throwing Des Moines architect over a railing to his death in 2016 - KCCI Des Moines - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- 'It will be breathtaking,' Notre Dame's chief architect says; iconic cathedral reopens Dec. 8 - Detroit Catholic - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- The reflection of a city in motion. West Bund Orbit by Wutopia Lab | The Strength of Architecture | From 1998 - Metalocus - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- The best new metal songs this week: April 12 2024 - Louder - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architecture and the Right to Housing - Canadian Architect - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architect Tipton Housewright Says Too Much Parking is 'Bad Urban Design' - CandysDirt.com - CandysDirt.com - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Why architects sorely need a new approach to resourcing projects - Architect's Journal - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- former textile workshop transforms into modern machiya residence in kyoto - Designboom - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- MoDus Architects wraps school in tartan pattern for "warmth and familiarity" - Dezeen - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Architect Eyal Weizman on Mapping Israel's Genocidal Campaign - Democracy Now! - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Aural Art Show Brings Aestheticism to Architects - PantherNOW - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- 125 Greenwich Street by Rafael Violy Architects catches fire in Manhattan while under construction - The Architect's Newspaper - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Barcelona Architects Association visit the Spotify Camp Nou works - FC Barcelona - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Disagree Better Architects, Not Arsonists - National Governors Association - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Construction Underway for Music Venue in Midtown Sacramento - San Francisco YIMBY - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- House of Reclaimed Gold / OutOfTheBox I Eco-Architects - ArchDaily - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Baracco+Wright Architects realizes a light-filled back building - The Architect's Newspaper - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- HMC Architects is one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2 - Fast Company - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- AE Works Announces Strategic Acquisition of WTW Architects, a Pillar in Pittsburgh's Architectural Legacy - StreetInsider.com - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- DINGWALL Streams ARCHITECTS' Bassist Ripping Through "Doomsday" - GearGods - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Exclusive: Connie Booth, One of the Chief Architects of PlayStation's First-Party Studio System, Is Joining EA - IGN - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Bookstore in the Blast Furnace / hyperSity architects - ArchDaily - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- The Dalmore Luminary Series 2024 Edition revealed - Wallpaper* - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- MAD Architects' Forthcoming Lishui Airport: a White-Feathered Bird Ready to Soar - Archilovers.com - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Neon surprises await in this Cologne home by DIIIP architects - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Count down to Architect'24, the ASEAN's largest building technology exposition - Nation Thailand - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- foster + partners designs 'the star,' a hollywood tower wrapped in spiraling gardens - Designboom - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Kasper architects + associates Inc. seeks DDRB approval for facade renovation of Downtown office | Jax Daily Record - Jacksonville Daily Record - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Fernando Lara looks beyond famed architects to uncover deeper themes throughout history | Penn Today - Penn Today - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Photographing the BEM - The shared learning building (BEM) at cole Polytechnique - World-Architects - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Among the Clouds Art Center / Yuan Architects - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- The Most Talented Landscape Architects in Arizona - Iconic Life - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Gallery of MVRDV, Orange Architects, and LOLA Unveil WrtZ Masterplan in the Netherlands - 2 - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- MVRDV, Orange Architects, and LOLA Unveil WrtZ Masterplan in the Netherlands - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Why Architects Should Watch "Perfect Days by Wim Wenders - Archilovers.com - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Croxatto and Opazo Architects front Chilean home with rotated terrace - Dezeen - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Exploring the Legacy of Modernist Landscape Architect Dan Kiley - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Rethinking Marketing? The Rise of Narrative Architects | by Meir Amarin | Jan, 2024 - Medium - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Check Out This Ultra-Luxe Half-Floor Residence At One Thousand Museum By Zaha Hadid Architects Asking $8.5 Million - PROFILE Miami - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- 16 Materials Every Architect Needs to Know (And Where to Learn About Them) - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Holcim and Zaha Hadid Architects team up to print circular bridge - Global Construction Review - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- MSG withdraws its application to build a Sphere in London - The Architect's Newspaper - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Kooo Architects designs rural hotel to blend with village in China - Dezeen - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Deep-finned colonnade frames home extension by Will Gamble Architects - Dezeen - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Designer and Architect Neri Oxman Accused of Plagiarism - Hyperallergic - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- With 'Hand and Machine,' architects revert to analogue forms of expression - STIRworld - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Ontario landscape architects seek legislative update for profession - qpbriefing.com - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Paying Tribute to the Influential Architects We Have Lost in 2023 - ArchDaily - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Five international work opportunities for architects and designers - Dezeen - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architects OMA reinvent the art museum in Buffalo - The Globe and Mail - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architect Shigeru Ban of Japan visits Maui to offer sustainable housing option in wake of wildfire - Maui Now - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- James Gunn shares photo of some of the DCU architects - Batman-News - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- MAD architects' nanhai art center in china emerges from the lake like endless ripple of water - Designboom - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- MAD Architects imagines Nanhai Art Center like "a continuous wave of water" in Foshan city - World Architecture Community - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Preliminary Application for 1581 University Avenue in Central Berkeley - San Francisco YIMBY - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Kapoor named new CEO of DMR Architects - ROI-NJ.com - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Kadre and Lehrer Architects team up for a new transitional housing community in Los Angeles - Archinect - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- sa Hjort Architects completes blocky home on Sweden's southern coast - Dezeen - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings - Trend Hunter - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architects recommend awnings for temperature control, design accents - Palm Beach Daily News - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Vote for US Building of the Year 2023 - - World-Architects - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Client Solution Architects Achieves ISO Recertification for IT, InfoSec, Quality Management Systems; Tim Spadafore ... - ExecutiveBiz - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- The Multiple Facets of the Architect: Exploring the Works of lvaro Siza Vieira - ArchDaily - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Meet the American Institute of Architects' First Black Woman President - The Story Exchange - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Civic Architects and VDNDP "embrace imperfections" for university retrofit - Dezeen - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architect Coke Florance Remembered for Influencing Nation's Capital and Colleagues - CoStar Group - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Five international work opportunities for architects and designers - MSN - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]