Racial bias was to remain a constant of [Julian] Abele's
professional career. [Alfred S. Branam, an architectural
historian, has concluded that Abele was the first Negro to
practice architecture professionally in the United States.
He was undoubtedly the first American Negro to study
architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.] "There was a
great deal of feeling against Mr. Abele because of his
color," Mrs. Fennessy has recalled from conversations with
her stepfather [Horace Trumbauer], whom she called Père, a
reflection of her schooling in France. "Père was widely
criticized for hiring Mr. Abele, and the bias extended right
in the office--even after the years had passed. I remember
him saying there was an office dinner once, and when several
of the men found out that Mr. Abele was coming, they
deliberately stayed away. But Père never backed down. He
thought very highly of Mr. Abele. And they worked very
closely for such a long time. I remember that when Père was
buried, Mr. Abele broke down. He was a very reserved man,
but that day he wept."
--James T. Maher, THE TWILIGHT OF SPLENDOR: CHRONICLES OF
THE AGE OF AMERICAN PALACES, p. 372.
Horace Trumbauer died 18 September 1838 and was buried 20
September 1938.
[We were driving in the red VW sedan I had for a year or so.
We were playing a game--we couldn't leave the cemetery until
we each spotted a tombstone with our respective first names
on it. That's when I suddenly saw TRUMBAUER on a rather nice
pink stone plinth. I stepped on brakes, jumped out of the
car, knelt before the tombstone and shed fake tears of
lament, albeit out of all respect. Who knew I was also
reenacting Julian Abele?
http://www.quondam.com/02/0148.htm ]
--
The Design-L list for art and architecture, since 1992...
To subscribe, send mailto:design-l-subscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
To signoff, send mailto:design-l-unsubscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Visit archives: http://lists.psu.edu/archives/design-l.html
professional career. [Alfred S. Branam, an architectural
historian, has concluded that Abele was the first Negro to
practice architecture professionally in the United States.
He was undoubtedly the first American Negro to study
architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.] "There was a
great deal of feeling against Mr. Abele because of his
color," Mrs. Fennessy has recalled from conversations with
her stepfather [Horace Trumbauer], whom she called Père, a
reflection of her schooling in France. "Père was widely
criticized for hiring Mr. Abele, and the bias extended right
in the office--even after the years had passed. I remember
him saying there was an office dinner once, and when several
of the men found out that Mr. Abele was coming, they
deliberately stayed away. But Père never backed down. He
thought very highly of Mr. Abele. And they worked very
closely for such a long time. I remember that when Père was
buried, Mr. Abele broke down. He was a very reserved man,
but that day he wept."
--James T. Maher, THE TWILIGHT OF SPLENDOR: CHRONICLES OF
THE AGE OF AMERICAN PALACES, p. 372.
Horace Trumbauer died 18 September 1838 and was buried 20
September 1938.
[We were driving in the red VW sedan I had for a year or so.
We were playing a game--we couldn't leave the cemetery until
we each spotted a tombstone with our respective first names
on it. That's when I suddenly saw TRUMBAUER on a rather nice
pink stone plinth. I stepped on brakes, jumped out of the
car, knelt before the tombstone and shed fake tears of
lament, albeit out of all respect. Who knew I was also
reenacting Julian Abele?
http://www.quondam.com/02/0148.htm ]
--
The Design-L list for art and architecture, since 1992...
To subscribe, send mailto:design-l-subscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
To signoff, send mailto:design-l-unsubscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Visit archives: http://lists.psu.edu/archives/design-l.html