Norwalk, CT - Architectural Historian John Tschirch will talk about two Newport, R.I. architectural masterpieces, Chateau-sur-Mer (1852) and the Isaac Bell House (1883), on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m. at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk. The lecture will be followed by a luncheon and a tour of the Mansion.
Chateau-sur-Mer and the Isaac Bell House in Newport, R.I. reflect the excellence in design and craftsmanship of Newport architecture in the period 1850-1880. Redesigned by Richard Morris Hunt in the 1870s, Chateau-sur-Mer features interior details such as stenciling, Florentine leatherwork and Aesthetic Movement wallpapers. The Isaac Bell House is a masterpiece of the American Shingle Style and reflects the highly experimental nature of the architects McKim, Mead and White’s early work with its careful blending of fusion of design elements from a variety of historical and exotic sources.
John Tschirch is an architectural historian specializing in the evolution of historic houses and the Architectural Historian and Director of Museum Affairs for The Preservation Society of Newport County, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Newport’s architectural heritage.
He has developed the research and educational programs for the Preservation Society’s historic houses and landscapes, and has also served as the historic advisor on major architectural and landscape restoration projects. He has lectured in the United States, Europe and South America on the architectural, social and cultural history of 19th century American architecture for numerous organizations such as the International Council on Museums, the National Trust, and Yale University’s Mellon Centre, London. Mr. Tschirch received his M.A. (1986) in Architectural History and Historic Preservation from the School of Architecture of the University of Virginia. Among his publications there are both scholarly and popular works, including the section “Newport Cottages” for the Encyclopedia of New England Culture (Yale University Press, 2005), “The Evolution of a Beaux Arts Landscape: The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island” (Journal of the New England Garden History Society, Fall 1999) and “A Beaux Arts Transformation: A Case Study of the History and Preservation of the Ochre Point District in Newport, Rhode Island” (International Council of Museums Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1999). He was accepted into the prestigious Royal Collections Studies Program at Windsor Castle in September 2008.
The lecture is co-sponsored by the New Canaan Preservation Alliance, Inc. to further its mission by providing educational programs on cultural history and historic preservation. LMMM programs are made possible in part by a generous contribution from the Xerox Foundation.
For lecture information and reservations, contact: info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com 203-838-9799 ext. 4. Admission: $25 non-members, $20 members. The admission includes the lecture, a light lunch (courtesy of Bull’s Head Market), and a tour of the first floor of the mansion. RSVP by Nov. 7.
