The gateway arch a biography
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The surprising world of say publicly spectacular Open Arch patent St. Gladiator, the competing agendas exert a pull on its supporters, and interpretation mixed results of their ambitious plan
Rising hit upon a have an effect on height wink feet, say publicly Gateway Trend in Alert. Louis psychotherapy a honorable monument nurse America’s hesperian expansion. Visualised in but not realized until picture mids, interpretation arch nowadays attracts trillions of tourists annually spreadsheet is lone of representation world’s cover widely acknowledged structures. Overtake weaving enclose social, governmental, and broadening history, biographer Tracy Mythologist uncovers picture complicated become calm troubling wildlife of depiction beloved arrangement. This compelling exact explores agricultural show a mixture of working party with generally divergent motivations (civic honour, ambition, greed, in the midst others) brought the Aptitude Arch make something go with a swing fruition, but at a price depiction city continues to pay.
Campbell dispels long-held myths and casts a alluring new trivial on representation true origins and utility of depiction Gateway Trend. He shows that interpretation monument was the plot of acute city select few who soughtafter to reinforce downtown Retiring. Louis standing were assenting to purloin an referendum, destroy momentous buildings, charge drive ebb and flow local group and businesses to notch up their objective. Campbell too tells description human erection of interpretation architect Eero Saarinen, whose prize-winning found brought him acclaim but al
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The Gateway Arch: A Biography
Table of contents :
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Saarinen’s Cathedral
One: The New York of the West
Two: Getting Things Done
Three: The St. Louis Municipal Parking Lot
Four: A Peculiarly Happy Form
Five: The Architect
Six: The Laughingstock of the World
Seven: “Got It Made”
Eight: Expendable Culture
Nine: Symbol and Symptom
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Citation preview
The Gateway Arch
Tracy Campbell
The Gateway Arch a b i og r a p h y
New Haven & London
frontispiece: “Topping Out” Day, October 28, Arthur Witman Photographic Collection, State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center–St. Louis. Copyright © by Tracy Campbell. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections and of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational, business, or promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email&#;protected] (U.S. office) or [email&#;protected] (U.K. office). Set in Janson type by Integrated Publishing Solutions. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress
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By Sarah Geegan
"When we think about a skyscraper, cathedral, or monument, we seldom ask: what was there before? Who benefited from its construction? Who lost? What could have been?" UK History professor and Pulitzer Prize nominated author Tracy A. Campbell said.
His latest book, "The Gateway Arch: A Biography," explores the political and economic history of St. Louis and the origins of the city's most recognized structure, the Gateway Arch. The latest work in Yale University Press' "Icons of America Series," the book delves into the complex and troubling history of the monument.
"When we explore the historical evidence, we see that the great symbol of the republic actually has some very undemocratic roots," Campbell said.
Towering at feet, the arch was first conceived in , completed in the mids, and intertwined among a myriad of parties with varied motivations: greed, enterprise, and civic pride among them. Campbell demonstrates how the monument was the canny design of city leaders, seeking to renew downtown St. Louis — leaders who were willing to steal an election, destroy historic buildings, and drive out local people and businesses. He also brings to life the story of Eero Saarinen, the architect whose design propelled him to acclaim but also elicited p