by Architectural Observer | Apr 3, 2019 | Blog, Observations
This past weekend I attended an annual consignment auction hosted by the Lions Clubs. As usual, there were a few things of architectural or design interest. I didn’t buy anything this year because the few things I wanted to bid on were not going to be offered...
by Architectural Observer | Mar 24, 2019 | Blog, Observations
The exterior of this c. 1880 twin house in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood does little to suggest the surprisingly intact mid-century makeover found inside. Late 1960’s aesthetic preferences popular with the masses abound: Fake masonry, fake...
by Architectural Observer | Mar 2, 2019 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses
Offered between 1913 and 1918, the Sears Hawthorne was a somewhat ungainly-looking Craftsman style bungalow which was not a huge seller. It was essentially the one-and-a-half story version of the Sears Avondale which was far more popular with kit house buyers and...
by Architectural Observer | Feb 28, 2019 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses, Uncategorized
One of hundreds of house designs published by the Radford Architectural Company of Chicago in the early twentieth century, Design No. 1131 is an eclectic composition in that it combines Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and Shingle style influences. This example in...
by Architectural Observer | Feb 27, 2019 | Blog, Observations
Today we’ll look at two different types of alterations which can negatively impact how we perceive a structure. Sadly, the following examples are fairly tame… there are countless others which are far worse. The first category, Indifference, will highlight...
