Minnesota Modern

From the genteel elegance of Christ Lutheran Church in Minneapolis to the lowbrow wonder of Porky's Drive-in in St. Paul, the Twin Cities and other Minnesota communities are nothing short of a living museum of midcentury modernism, the new style of architecture that swept through much of America from 1945 to the mid-1960s. Renowned Minnesota architecture critic and historian Larry Millett conducts an eye-opening, spectacularly illustrated tour of this rich and varied landscape. A history lesson as entertaining as it is enlightening, Minnesota Modern provides a close-up view of a style that penetrated the social, political, and cultural machinery of the times. Extending from modest suburban ramblers and ranch houses to the grandest public and commercial structures, midcentury modernism expressed new ways of thinking about how to live, work, and play in communities that sprang up as thousands of military members returned from World War II. Millett describes the style's sources in the work of European masters like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, as well as the midwestern innovations of Frank Lloyd Wright, and its refinement at the University of Minnesota under the guidance of Ralph Rapson and other modernists. He shows us its applications in twelve midcentury homes in Minnesota and takes us through its many permutations in sites as different as Barry Byrne's St. Columba Catholic Church in St. Paul and Eero Saarinen's sprawling IBM complex in Rochester. This is Minnesota modern at its historic best, a firsthand, in-depth history of a singularly American sensibility and aesthetic writ large on the midwestern region.

Originally published: Woodstock, N.Y.: Overlook Press, 1994.

The original guide on modern housing from the premier expert and activist in the public housing movement Originally published in 1934, Modern Housing is widely acknowledged as one of the most important books on housing of the twentieth century, introducing the latest developments in European modernist housing to an American audience. It is also a manifesto: America needs to draw on Europe’s example to solve its housing crisis. Only when housing is transformed into a planned, public amenity will it truly be modern. Modern Housing’s sharp message catalyzed an intense period of housing activism in the United States, resulting in the Housing Act of 1937, which Catherine Bauer coauthored. But these reforms never went far enough: so long as housing remained the subject of capitalist speculation, Bauer knew the housing problem would remain. In light of today’s affordable housing emergency, her prescriptions for how to achieve humane and dignified modern housing remain as instructive and urgent as ever.

A comprehensive history of a state thought by many to be the most livable. In this volume, William Lass tells the story of Minnesota, a state that evolved from many cultures, from its beginnings to the present. This history not only provides descriptions of the essential events of Minnesota's past but also offers an interpretation of major trends and characteristics of the state and its distinctiveness within the context of the nation's story.

Minnesota History was first published in 1960. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. Anyone interested in Minnesota history, whether as a teacher, as a student, or as a general reader, will find this an invaluable guide to reading and study. The book contains an outline of the state's history, questions and suggestions for the student, and lists of reading material for each of the 42 topical sections into which the outline is divided. The outline covers the entire history of the state from the time of the Indians, before the French and British explorations, to the present. The reading references include accounts written from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. The aim in preparing the reading lists was to include any article or book bearing upon the Minnesota story which met the qualifications of good historical writing and fair accessibility. Materials of particular interest or importance to the topic under consideration are so designated, and there are liberal annotations to help the reader in his choice of readings. References which are particularly appropriate for young readers are also specially designated. A number of maps are provided for additional guidance. This is a complete revision of a book long out of print, Minnesota History: A Study Outline by Theodore C. Blegen.

THE HISTORY of Mid-Twentieth-Century Modernism in Minnesota is embodied in the work of Dewey Albinson, Cameron Booth, Clement Haupers, and Elof Wedin. Artists, teachers, and mentors, these artists had a profound impact on the region and enjoyed successful careers. All had studied outside of the region, including in Europe, absorbing Modernist advances and trends along the way. All were deeply committed to and lived in Minnesota. They came from different circumstances, with different expressions of their visions. Haupers was born in St. Paul, Wedin in Sweden, Booth in Pennsylvania, Albinson in Minneapolis. Wedin had a day job as a skilled laborer; others taught, Haupers administered. Their works appear in museums and collections throughout the Midwest but rarely in art history texts. MINNESOTA MODERN honors and pays tribute to their unparalleled contributions to the artistic legacy of Minnesota and America at large.

Introduces the geography, history, government, people, culture, and attractions of Minnesota.