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The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place
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Product Description
Solidly researched and engagingly written, The American Porch weaves many narratives into its larger story-how the word "stoic" originated, how James Ives got Nathaniel Currier to begin chronicling ordinary American life, how the "front porch campaign" became a staple of American politics, why filmmakers and novelists love the porch, and how the porch, after vanishing from American domestic architecture after World War II, has made a comeback thanks to preservationists and the New Urbanist movement in town planning and domestic architecture.
The book begins with the renovation of Dolan's own porch, which led him on a journey of inquiry that took unexpected directions. According to Dolan, "When my wife and I rebuilt our porch, I felt a very deep emotion, as if I was reconnecting with something. I hadn't grown up in houses with front porches-my folks had a brick colonial and later a Cape Cod, then a rambler. I started wondering why I felt such a powerful connection to the experience of being on a front porch."
Readers of The American Porch will understand and celebrate that connection-in the evening hours on their front porches, if they are lucky.
The book begins with the renovation of Dolan's own porch, which led him on a journey of inquiry that took unexpected directions. According to Dolan, "When my wife and I rebuilt our porch, I felt a very deep emotion, as if I was reconnecting with something. I hadn't grown up in houses with front porches--my folks had a brick colonial and later a Cape Cod, then a rambler. I started wondering why I felt such a powerful connection to the experience of being on a front porch."
Readers of THE AMERICAN PORCH will understand and celebrate that connection--in the evening hours on their front porches, if they are lucky.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1081634 in Books
- Published on: 2004-07-01
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: .97" h x 6.58" w x 9.02" l, 1.19 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 384 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Journalist Dolan's first book describes the development and significance of this durable American symbol of "small-r republican, small-d democratic openness." It turns out that the porch has a diverse lineage, with roots in Mediterranean Europe, West Africa, the Caribbean and India, and a bewildering variety of terms for ancestral or related structures. Indeed, the subject may be too diffuse and elusive for Dolan's approach-an intermediary space between interior and exterior appears to be such a basic element of tropical architecture that one could as easily write a history of the window or the door. It takes a while for Dolan to warm up to his subject, and the early chapters are studded with uneasy speculation and irrelevant byways. Dolan is on surer ground once he reaches the United States-his anecdotes cohere into a narrative, and his analysis of the significance of the porch is more persuasive. Dolan amply demonstrates that the porch is primarily a means of escaping the heat and, almost as important, a locus for casual social interaction. The 19th century was the Golden Age of the American Porch. As Dolan glumly notes, the disappearance of the outhouse and the advent of the automobile were among the factors that caused the front porch to fall into disfavor, almost to complete extinction, during the suburban 20th century. The good news for Dolan and his confreres is that the porch is making an unanticipated comeback. B&w illus.; 32 pages color illus. not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In this delightful look at an American icon, journalist and documentary scriptwriter and producer Dolan traces the history of the porch, using this history to explore subjects such as architecture, history, slavery, colonialism, trade, anthropology, sociology, consumer behavior, and publishing. He begins with an account of remodeling his own front porch and then takes us on an irreverent yet informative tour of the development of the porch, from its origins in ancient Greece and Rome, Africa and India, with stops along the way in Brazil, the Caribbean, Renaissance Italy, Georgian England, and Colonial America. From there, he charts the rise, decline, fall, and reemergence of the porch in America, from Greek revival architecture to plantation culture, from Victorian bungalows to suburban ranch homes, from front porch conversation to air conditioning and television, and from Modernism to the New Urbanism. Throughout, the author supplements his own research by calling upon an impressive array of authorities. Considering the book's accessibility, the amount and quality of its coverage, and the current lack of comparable titles, this is highly recommended for both academic and public libraries.
M.C. Duhig, Lib. Ctr. of Point Park Coll. & Carnegie Lib., Pittsburgh
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Though many believe the porch is a distinctly American architectural contribution and cultural institution, it actually has its roots in the ancient world. However, Americans have adopted the porch as their own, infusing this homey and humble structure with a uniquely American style and significance. Dolan conducts the reader on a guided tour, analyzing the aesthetic and social history of the American porch. A symbol of welcome and sociability, the porch enjoyed enormous popularity in this nation for more than 200 years. Falling into architectural and cultural disfavor in the mid-twentieth century, porches were demolished in old structures and eschewed by new construction. However, recent years have witnessed a revival as Americans, nostalgic for a simpler time and way of life, have flocked back to the porch. Dolan interweaves his experiences designing and constructing his own front porch, giving this tribute to an American classic an engaging personal slant. Margaret Flanagan
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