Classicist No. 22

Jeff Tilman researches and writes on the history of American architecture between the Civil War and World War II. He has recently published Arthur Brown Jr., Progressive Classicist, a monograph on the classically-oriented architect of San Francisco City Hall and part of the Federal Triangle in Washington, D.C. He also continues to research the influence of the French Ecole des Beaux-Arts on American art and design, and on issues that illustrate the difference between the American and European Modern movements. Professor Tilman's interest in historical preservation stems from a conviction that preservation is a part of architectural practice, and that no work of architecture is fully successful unless it addresses its pre-existing social, political, physical, and historic context. His preservation experiences range from a study of rural preservation issues in Central Virginia to historical advising on the restoration of San Francisco City Hall.