DANIEL H. BURNHAM (1846-1912)
Burnham's impact on the built environment of Chicago and many other American cities is legendary. With partner John Root he oversaw the design and construction of many late 19th- early 20th century skyscrapers. As Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition (1893) he masterminded the creation of a pristine, classical city that would become the basis for the City Beautiful movement in the United States. As major author of The Plan of Chicago (1909) Burnham inspired Chicago and other cities to strive to improve both the aesthetics and the functionality of urban life.
In 1896 Burnham and members of his family took a two-month cruise in the Mediterranean. The quick sketch of the Pyramids, appearing in the 150-page diary, served as the basis for the more refined watercolor.
- Diary page for February 23, 1896.
- "Feb 22d 1896 The Pyramids".
- Diary page for January 28, 1896.
EDWARD H. BENNETT (1874-1954)
Born in Bristol, England, Bennett moved to San Francisco in 1890 and found work with the architect Bernard Maybeck, who encouraged him to study architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. There, he received first prize in a student drawing competition and used the funds to travel through Italy, Sicily, Athens and Istanbul in 1902, after which time he returned to the United States to practice architecture. He achieved considerable renown as the co-author of The Plan of Chicago (1909) with Daniel Burnham and subsequently maintained a distinguished career as one of the first generation of influential city planners.
Bennett traveled frequently for business and pleasure. His personal travels seem most oriented to the capitals in Western Europe, primarily London and Paris. These exquisite drawings, revealing his École training, may date from his London visit in 1910 or 1914. In retirement Bennett returned to watercolors, which he often exhibited in Chicago and Tryon, North Carolina.
- "Bow Church Cheapside," n.d. [St. Mary-le-Bow, London] and "St Mary le Strand," n.d. [London].
- "St. Botolfs, Aldgate," n.d. [St. Botolph, London].
WILLIAM PEIRCE ANDERSON (1870-1924)
After completing his A.B. degree at Harvard University and a post-graduate degree in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, Anderson enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris to study architecture, successfully completing the program in 1899. He spent the next year on the Grand Tour of England, Italy, France, and Spain, sketching and visiting architectural monuments. Anderson then joined Daniel Burnham's Chicago practice and its successor firm, Graham, Anderson, Probst and White. In both firms he was the lead designer for many of the most important Beaux-Arts buildings: the People's Gas building in Chicago, and the Union Stations in both Chicago and Washington, DC.
Complementing his professional architectural practice, Anderson pursued his interest in the broader fine arts as a member of the National Sculpture Society. Following Anderson's death in 1924, his friend Thomas E. Tallmadge wrote of him "He loved the sweep of a great barrel vault, the majestic recessional of a glistening colonnade... the best watercolorist in the architectural ranks that I ever knew..." (Architectural Record, May 1924).
- Unidentified location, n.d.
- Unidentified location, n.d.