Making use of what in 2011 was heralded as an extraordinary gift to its collection, this summer the Cape Ann Museum will present a special exhibition exploring the history and achievements of the architectural firm Phillips & Holloran. Design/Build: The Drawings of Phillips & Holloran, Architects will delve into the 300-plus sets of drawings produced by one of the area’s most prolific and important architectural firms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Offered for educational enrichment and visual enjoyment, the exhibition and related programming will pique visitor’s interest in architecture on Cape Ann and deepen their understanding of what it takes to move from an idea to a finished product. Individual projects, representing structures that were built and some that were not, will be explored along with the development of selected neighborhoods in Gloucester, Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea. By focusing on this one architectural firm working in one location, Design/Build will broaden our understanding of how architecture has contributed to our sense of place.
The exhibition will open on Saturday, June 4th and remain on display through Sunday, October 9th. An opening reception will be held on June 4th from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Additional programming will be held throughout the exhibition run.
Phillips & Holloran, Architects, and the firm from which they evolved, were in business in Gloucester, Massachusetts, from the 1890s through the 1950s. Their output included private residences, civic buildings, summer hotels, artist studios and commercial structures. They did new construction as well as renovations and additions to projects initiated by other architects. The principals in the practice were Ezra L. Phillips (1870–1937) who started the firm in 1894; Timothy Francis Holloran (1883–1966) who was apprenticed to Phillips as a young man and became a partner in 1926; and Robert T. Holloran (1919–2008) who received a degree in architecture from Wentworth Institute before joining in business with his father. Working during a time that witnessed the professionalization of the field of architecture, these men and their associates left an indelible mark on a substantial and important swath of Cape Ann’s built environment.
The exhibition will feature an array of drawings, including plans drawn for the City of Gloucester as it strove to provide students with modern school buildings during the first quarter of the 20th century; plans drawn for local businesses that were making ongoing upgrades and improvements to their properties as the local economy prospered; and plans for residential projects, from grand summer cottages built along the shoreline during the 1920s, to modest in-town houses designed for families across Cape Ann, to housing built specifically for veterans in the early 1950s.
Educational and outreach programming has been designed to complement and enrich the exhibition, including a 3-part lecture series and collaborative programming with Historic New England. Find detailed information on these programs and more at capeannmuseum.org.
Design/Build Lecture Series
Member cost is $10 per lecture / $25 for the series; Non-member cost is $15 per lecture / $40 for the series. Reservations are required. To purchase tickets or for more information please call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org. Tickets can also be ordered online at Eventbrite.
Thursday, June 23, 7:00 p.m.
Between Earth, Sea and Sky: Four Hundred Years of Building on Cape Ann
Architect and preservation consultant Wendy Frontiero will open the series with an introduction to the predominant architectural styles of New England, and an exploration into ways that people, culture and industry combine to make extraordinary places. Frontiero has extensive experience in the documentation, evaluation, protection, and enhancement of historic properties. Her work includes determination of historical and architectural significance; building conditions assessments and recommendations for treatment; designs for restoration, renovation and additions; community-wide preservation planning; and assistance with design review and regulatory review processes.
Thursday, July 7, 6:00 p.m. reception followed by lecture at 7:00 p.m.
New Spaces/Old Places – Merging Contemporary Architecture with Historic Neighborhoods
Join two of the regions top women architects for a conversation on issues in contemporary architecture: Deborah Epstein (Epstein Joslin Architects, Inc.), one of the lead architects for the spectacular Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, and Maryann Thompson (Maryann Thompson Architects), architect for the modern rebuild of the Temple Ahavat Achim in Gloucester following the loss of the original building to fire in 2008. Epstein and Thompson will speak about the process each firm went through and the challenges they faced in the design and construction of new public buildings in an old New England community.
Thursday, September 29, 7:00 p.m.
Architect Eleanor Raymond: A Pioneer in the Field
The life and accomplishments of Eleanor Raymond (1887-1989), a pioneering woman in the field of architecture during the mid-20th century, will be the subject of a talk presented by documentary film maker Lyda Kuth. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Art and Landscape Architecture for Women, Eleanor Raymond was a noted innovator partnering with solar energy researcher Dr. Mária Telkes to design one of the first successful solar-heated buildings in the Northeast. On Cape Ann, Raymond designed homes for artist Natalie Hays Hammond, anthropologist Carlton S. Coon and a summer cottage for herself overlooking Gloucester’s outer harbor. Lyda Kuth is an independent filmmaker and Executive Director of the LEF Foundation, which supports New England independent documentary filmmakers. She has been recognized by the Massachusetts Cultural Council with the prestigious Commonwealth Award and honored by Women in Film and Video New England with an Image Award.
Cape Ann Museum––Historic New England Collaborative Programs
These programs offer a member discount for Cape Ann Museum and Historic New England members.
Friday, July 22?, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.?
In Their Own Words: Henry Sleeper and Halfdan Hanson Build Beauport?
Event location: Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, 75 Eastern Point Blvd., Gloucester, Mass.
Join Lorna Condon, senior curator of Historic New England’s Library and Archives, for a special guided tour of Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House. The voices of Henry Davis Sleeper (1878-1934), nationally-noted antiquarian, collector and interior decorator, and his architect, Halfdan Hanson (1884-1952), survive in their letters, offering a glimpse into each writer’s private thoughts and inspirations. Find out what Sleeper and Hanson’s correspondence tells us about their relationship and how they worked together to build this magnificent and distinctive house. $15 Historic New England members and Cape Ann Museum members / $25 nonmembers. Registration is required. Please call (978)283-0800 for more information. Tickets are available online at historicnewengland.org.
Saturday, July 23, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Halfdan M. Hanson: His Hidden Legacy
Event location: The Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester, MA?
The program will begin with an illustrated talk on the life and work of Halfdan Hanson (1884-1952), architect of Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House presented by Hanson’s granddaughter, Linda Brayton and great- granddaughter, Jen Holmgren. Following the lecture, Brayton and Holmgren will lead the group on a short walk to view Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, one of Halfdan Hanson’s most notable buildings. Tickets are $10 for Cape Ann Museum and Historic New England members / $15 non-members (Museum admission included). Space is limited; reservations required. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org. Tickets can also be purchased online at Eventbrite.
Saturday, August 6, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Old House Doctor
Event location: The White-Ellery House, 245 Washington Street in Gloucester, MA
?Preservation experts at this drop-in event will answer questions about preventive maintenance, researching an old house, identifying a home’s architectural style, creating historic gardens, and choosing paint colors that enhance historic houses. Visitors are invited to bring photos or images of their homes along with their questions to share with the “Old House Doctors.” Pre-registration is not required. The White-Ellery House (1710), maintained and operated by the Cape Ann Museum, will be open to the public during this event. A $10 donation is suggested. For more information, please call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org.