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Historic Preservation: Curatorial Management of the Built World
This book outlines a complete programme for the restoration and preservation of historic structures and historic sites throughout the world. It is a basic text for both the novice entering the field and the specialist. Dr Fitch covers the many disciplines, concepts and technologies needed by the preservationist. He also includes discussions of the economic, legal and legislative forces acting upon historic district planning. He provides useful information on how old buildings can be moved (either intact or disassembled) to new sites via truck, rail or barge; how to heat, cool and light old buildings and still maintain the aesthetic integrity of their interiors; and how a country can develop a comprehensive policy for the care of its artistic and historic heritage.
443 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 23, 2011
Phenomenal book on Historic Preservation. More wordy and theoretical than Tyler. More polemic. Really gets you excited about it. INTENSE!
April 19, 2013
I am soon embarking on a journey to obtain a Master's degree in Historic Preservation and thoutght before I begin my program that I should read up on various aspects of historic preservation. James M. Fitch tamed my curiousity as well as taught me a great deal about what historic preservation entails.
What I found was escpecially interesting was Fitch's capability to identify the different historic preservation tasks in different countires. One of the main differences is the types of architecture. For example, the United States east coast incorporated mason work into all the buildings.This is exhibited in Independence Hall, George Washington's home in Williamsburg Virginia, and but not limited to museums, schools, and libraries.
Another intersting point that Fitch brought up was the process of preservign the Sweedish navel vessel Vasa. A state of the art war ship commissioned in the 17th century for Gustavus Aldophus's war in the Baltic. It sunk soon after it departed from harbor. It was rasided in the 60's as that was the time certain chemicals and technology was available that would allow for the presevation of the ship.
Fitch also shedded some light on the environmental road blocks that arise from preserving something. Environmental roadblocks in this book encompass the use of chemicals both ones that preserve and ones that deteriorate, industrial and private waste and the steps to dispose of it so as to not effect the preserved building in the future. He outlines these issues succintly and provides relevant responses to all preservation issues.
It was an interesting beginning book for me into the field of historic preservation. I enjoyed the countless issues that accompany historic preservation, money being the most important and on a lesser scale, how to save something from the elements. Increasingly, the answer to this question is to construct a museum around it. That was the response from museums worldwide as a section of a house or specific room was salvaged and displayed.
A good read for the preservationist if they want to understand the curatoral management of the built world. It alludes to the issues with the city of Venice and the detioration of the Sistine Chapel because of countless visitors that bring in body heat beacuse it is a confined area as well as dust and or dirt particles. Just one of the many components of historic preservation.
What I found was escpecially interesting was Fitch's capability to identify the different historic preservation tasks in different countires. One of the main differences is the types of architecture. For example, the United States east coast incorporated mason work into all the buildings.This is exhibited in Independence Hall, George Washington's home in Williamsburg Virginia, and but not limited to museums, schools, and libraries.
Another intersting point that Fitch brought up was the process of preservign the Sweedish navel vessel Vasa. A state of the art war ship commissioned in the 17th century for Gustavus Aldophus's war in the Baltic. It sunk soon after it departed from harbor. It was rasided in the 60's as that was the time certain chemicals and technology was available that would allow for the presevation of the ship.
Fitch also shedded some light on the environmental road blocks that arise from preserving something. Environmental roadblocks in this book encompass the use of chemicals both ones that preserve and ones that deteriorate, industrial and private waste and the steps to dispose of it so as to not effect the preserved building in the future. He outlines these issues succintly and provides relevant responses to all preservation issues.
It was an interesting beginning book for me into the field of historic preservation. I enjoyed the countless issues that accompany historic preservation, money being the most important and on a lesser scale, how to save something from the elements. Increasingly, the answer to this question is to construct a museum around it. That was the response from museums worldwide as a section of a house or specific room was salvaged and displayed.
A good read for the preservationist if they want to understand the curatoral management of the built world. It alludes to the issues with the city of Venice and the detioration of the Sistine Chapel because of countless visitors that bring in body heat beacuse it is a confined area as well as dust and or dirt particles. Just one of the many components of historic preservation.
April 26, 2015
I have two lines of thought on this book:
First, it's a very good theoretical introduction to historic preservation. It raises a lot of interesting points. It's well-illustrated. It covers a wonderful range of topics. It's clearly intended as a more theoretical book than many others on the topic, and it's honestly pretty good at that. The emphasis on history and the preservation movement internationally is good.
Second, that it's terribly outdated and makes quite a few assumptions about its reader. Published when it was, some of the things it discusses are now long gone--like the chapter on preservation in "socialist countries of Eastern Europe." Is this something often covered in other books? No, but it's also now a part of the history of preservation, not the present. The audience Fitch envisioned is clearly very well-educated, affluent, and white. Maybe that does describe the majority of people who have read his book--I don't know. But it's sometimes alienating even to me, when it implies that all aspiring preservationists are from very wealthy homes.
In short, it's a good book and worth reading if you're in the field, but it's outdated and I'm not sure that I would recommend it to the casual reader with simply a passing interest--and it includes little that would be of much use to the owner of an old structure who is looking to rehabilitate or restore it. It's good for the theory of preservation, it's good for a picture of preservation 25 years ago. It's not as good for the needs of a regular person who has cause, whether for practical reasons or for curiosity, to read up on historic preservation.
And I say this as a graduate student in the field who actually does benefit from all the theoretical stuff.
First, it's a very good theoretical introduction to historic preservation. It raises a lot of interesting points. It's well-illustrated. It covers a wonderful range of topics. It's clearly intended as a more theoretical book than many others on the topic, and it's honestly pretty good at that. The emphasis on history and the preservation movement internationally is good.
Second, that it's terribly outdated and makes quite a few assumptions about its reader. Published when it was, some of the things it discusses are now long gone--like the chapter on preservation in "socialist countries of Eastern Europe." Is this something often covered in other books? No, but it's also now a part of the history of preservation, not the present. The audience Fitch envisioned is clearly very well-educated, affluent, and white. Maybe that does describe the majority of people who have read his book--I don't know. But it's sometimes alienating even to me, when it implies that all aspiring preservationists are from very wealthy homes.
In short, it's a good book and worth reading if you're in the field, but it's outdated and I'm not sure that I would recommend it to the casual reader with simply a passing interest--and it includes little that would be of much use to the owner of an old structure who is looking to rehabilitate or restore it. It's good for the theory of preservation, it's good for a picture of preservation 25 years ago. It's not as good for the needs of a regular person who has cause, whether for practical reasons or for curiosity, to read up on historic preservation.
And I say this as a graduate student in the field who actually does benefit from all the theoretical stuff.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews