The Architectural Models of Theodore Conrad

"[The Architectural Models of Theodore Conrad] accentuate[s] the importance of model makers in the process of making a architecture ... and is recommended for people interested in the practice of architecture in the middle of last century. * A Daily Dose of Architecture Books * Taking the ""miniature boom"" and the life’s work of the model maker Theodore Conrad as a cue, this book lucidly illuminates how the ascent of the architectural model to the dominant representational media went hand in hand with the establishment of the International Style as the new lingua franca at mid-century. Teresa Fankhänel makes a compelling argument for how fundamentally material and technological innovation on the scale of the miniature would shape the image of New York City the in the postwar period. * Martino Stierli, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art, New York * Fankhänel pulls back the curtain in the theater of American modernist architecture to reveal the behind the scenes contributions of the star performer of a novel career path: the professional model maker. Theodore Conrad not only made models he helped make careers with miniatures that could win over clients, dazzle exhibition goers, and sit for camera portraits that would travel the world in newspaper and magazine illustrations. A glimpse behind the scenes offers a whole new vantage point on the culture of mid-20th century architecture at nearly every scale. * Barry Bergdoll, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History, Columbia University * This seminal study presents so much more than a man and his models. It captures a unique system of design methods, which produced a strong argument for the use of models based on the re-invention of their tactile and photogenic qualities. Theodore Conrad was a midwife for the architect’s ideas, not merely a craftsman. Teresa Fankhänel unlocked his Wunderkammer in a Jersey City basement. Its discovery and preservation for future research alone is a momentous accomplishment. * Oliver Elser, Curator, Deutsches Architekturmuseum * A rare look at model-makers and their photographers who translated signature elements of modern design into models and became an integral and powerful part of the architect’s arsenal to win clients and gain exposure through publications and exhibitions. Engaging, well-illustrated, a must-read for architecture fans. * Janet Parks, retired, Curator of Drawings and Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University *"