Will Quam - "Fire and Clay" - Laurie Petersen, In Partnership with Robie House
Featured Book
Fire and Clay
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A remarkable exploration of Chicago’s architectural history through the humble brick.
By the late 1920s, at its peak of brick making and consumption, Chicago was making over a billion bricks a year for its buildings and importing almost another billion nicer face bricks for their front facades. Throughout Chicago’s history, brick dramatically transformed from a simple fireproof building material into an integral piece of architectural design. And no one knows the hidden details and stories of this fascinating history like Chicago’s foremost brick aficionado, Will Quam.
More than just an investigation into brick, Fire and Clay gives readers a fresh lens through which to explore the city anew and find clear connections across its different neighborhoods. By the end of this lively tour through Chicago’s history, readers will never look at a brick building the same way again.
About This Event
Join "Chicago's premiere brick expert" Will Quam, author of Fire and Clay: How Bricks Reveal The Hidden History of Chicago to learn about the history of brick in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and other Prairie School architects. His illustrated presentation will be followed by a discussion with Laurie Petersen, editor of the AIA Guide to Chicago. Known for his popular Brick of Chicago walking tours and Instagram account, Quam has written a remarkable exploration of Chicago's architectural history through the humble materials of brick and terra cotta.
The reading will take place at the Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5751 South Woodlawn Avenue, next door to Robie House. Light refreshments and book signings to follow.
After the reading, a limited number of guests will be able to take self-guided tours of Robie House with Frank Lloyd Wright Trust interpreters.
The reading in the Seminary Co-op is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required for admittance to Robie House for the self-guided tours after the reading.
Featured Author
Will Quam,
Will Quam is an architecture historian and photographer. Since 2016, he’s shared Chicago’s architecture and history through his project Brick of Chicago, also leading award-winning walking tours for thousands across the city. His photographs and expertise have been featured by PBS Chicago, The Chicago Tribune, Block Club Chicago, McSweeney’s, and more. You can find him at @brickofchicago on Instagram.
In Conversation With
Laurie Petersen
Laurie Petersen is the editor of the American Institute of Architects’ AIA Guide to Chicago, the most comprehensive guide to the city’s buildings. The fourth edition of the book was published by the University of Illinois Press in June 2022. She has appeared on Chicago Tonight and has given numerous lectures about architecture in the Chicago area.
About the Venue
Seminary Co-Op Bookstore
For over 60 years, the Seminary Co-op Bookstores has served as a cultural anchor in and beyond Chicago; as the first not-for-profit bookstore whose mission is bookselling, their stores, which include 57th Street Books, celebrate the power of the browsing experience to inspire curiosity, discovery, and delight.
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