A few years ago, I travelled to Chicago during the summer. Ask anyone who has been there what their impression of the city was, and I can almost guarantee that they will mention its beauty and cleanliness. "It's like a clean New York," I've heard several times. I've never been to New York, but after venturing to Chicago, I really have no desire to. This past weekend I made my third trip to Chicago, this one different because I took the train. I woke up on the train as we pulled into Union Station, with the sun coming up over the skyline of this my favorite city. Architectural marvels like the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Building pierced the sky along with other famous landmarks. This city was once the home to Frank Lloyd Wright, one of our country's premier architects; his work is still very evident in the city if you look for it.During that first trip to Chicago, when the weather was bearable and nice, my mother and I took an architectural tour of the city via the Chicago River. I must say that I'm not ever one who is big on tourist traps, but we took our places beside our fanny-pack wearing, camera-toting peers for what turned out to be a highly recommended tour. It was this tour that sparked my interest in architecture and my infatuation with this city's planning and past. I picked up posters and postcards and everything in between; they now decorate the walls in my room.
As a Southern Studies major, I have a wide range of classes from different departments from which to choose to satisfy my requirements. I immediately signed up for a Southern Architecture and Interiors course when it became available for last fall semester. If Chicago had sparked my love of architecture, this class sealed the deal. In it, we studied everything from colleges to cabins, hotels to houses. The textbook was a wonderful coffee table book that has served as the beginning of my coffee table book collection. The class didn't study architectural techniques or actual blueprints, but rather themes and finished products. It was the perfect class for the person who was interested in observing architecture and not drawing out the plans.
In December, I took a road trip along with some of my best friends to Charleston, South Carolina. While they were excited to shop or just to see the east coast, I was ready to seek out so many of the buildings that I had just studied. I logged many miles of walking in the 28 or so hours we were in the city. I snapped photos and took in as much as possible. Charleston has its own unique style of architecture to offer anyone interested in the subject. Keeping with the theme of the coffee table (text)book, I bought one entitled "Charleston Then and Now." My friends looked at my a little oddly, as they purchased their new Lacoste hat or Urban Outfitters shirt. Sensing that I had to defend myself against their questions, I told them that, for the same price, I had a book that I'd still be reading in thirty years while they would be throwing that piece of clothing out in less that three.
Giddy was I when, in the museum store at the Art Institute of Chicago last weekend, I came across the coffee table book "Chicago Then and Now." After freaking out a little too much in the middle of the bookstore, I made my purchase. And the photographs have not disappointed me at showcasing the great architecture of this city. I'm guessing that from now on my trips will have to be centered around the cities who have been written about in the "Then and Now" series. After all, it looks like I have quite a collection to build if I want my coffee table literature to be more interesting than the outfits of the guests who sit across from them.
