Category: 4 x 5 black and white photography

Kemp Hall and the possible secession of Maryland from the Union

Kemp Hall and the possible secession of Maryland from the Union

On April 13,1861, U. S. Army Major Robert Anderson surrendered Ft. Sumter, Charleston,South Carolina, to the Confederacy.  On April 27th, the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates convened at Kemp Hall, corner of E. Church  and N. Market Streets, Frederick, to discuss whether Maryland should follow the southern states and secede from the Union.  The senators and delegates never voted on the issue.  Lincoln had his troops arrest the pro-Secessionists members of the Maryland General Assembly, preventing the august body from having the necessary quorum for taking a vote.

The building is a distinctive revival building of approximately 1860 with arched window heads and wide, bracketed cornice.  It is connected by a lower, setback hyphen with circular window to the third building, along Church.  This building is slightly lower than the hyphen building, which in turn is slightly lower than the main building.  Only the main building has arched windows.  The glass store front covers the N. Market St. facade and part of the Church St. facade, which has later brickwork.

1785 Massachusetts Ave.,NW

Designed by Jules Henri deSibour, one of Washington,DC’s finest architects of the early 20th century, 1785 was home to Andrew Mellon when he was Secretary of Treasury. It is believed he occupied the entire top floor.  The British Art Dealer Lord Duveen rented the floor below and displayed his art collection.  He invited Mellon to view it and the approach worked.  Mellon bought the collection, which became the basis of National Gallery of Art.

The building was the headquarters of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  As the Trust was selling the building, the Trust hired me to photograph the building for the HABS Collection at the Library of Congress.  I took more than 200  4 x5 black and white archival processed negatives and an archival print of each negative.

The American Enterprise Institute bought the building, joining Brookings, John Hopkins,and Carnegie Institute as some of the think tanks along this section of Massachusetts Ave., between 17th and 18th Streets.

The first photo (black and white) is from April 2014.  The second photo is from November 2016.DC-265 7.jpg1785 Mass AEI.jpg

Architectural Photography/Architectural History Tour of Embassy Row

Saturday, November 12,2016, 10am-12:30pm

To make compelling architectural photographs, one has to understand architectural history.

This tour places the buildings and spaces in context and demonstrates the photographic techniques used to capture photographs that convey the significance of the buildings.

Participants should bring their own cameras (digital or film, any format).

$20/per person.

For further information contact Bill Lebovich:architecturalphoto@mac.comIMG_3189.jpg (c)Bill Lebovich,2016

National Trust for Historic Preservation’s former headquarters

Designed by Jules Henri de Sibour, an American architect who studied at Yale,but had a French father and was born in France.  Much of the best early 20th century buildings in downtown DC, and along Massachusetts Ave near DuPont Circle, and his country club in Chevy Chase,MD were the work of de Sibour,who died relatively young in 1938.

This photo is of the chimney cap DC-265-dups 18.jpgat the south end of the Mass. Ave. facade.  Almost all his buildings look like they would have been equally comfortable along any Parisian boulevard.

He was also a jock and clubman at Yale.

My lecture on architectural photography this Saturday

SAT, MAY 21 AT 10:00 AM, WASHINGTON, DC
Insights Into Architectural Photography Workshop
By: The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
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$20 – $30 GET TICKETS
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Insights Into Architectural Photography Workshop
Sat, May 21, 2016 at 10:00 AM – Washington, DC

$20 – $30 GET TICKETS
Event Information
Event Description
Join the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. and architectural historian and large format photographer Bill Lebovich for tips of the trade for creating stunning architectural photography. Building on his extensive experience with HABS/HAER photographic documentation projects, this two-hour workshop will offer points of interest to both experienced and novice photographers looking to capture Washington, D.C.’s built environment.
Using examples from the extensive collections of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., Library & Collections Director Anne McDonough will offer tips on how to organize digital photography files and suggestions on compiling the documentation necessary to make your contemporary photography work a possible resource for your descendants, future historians, and repositories such as the Historical Society.
Advance registration and ticket purchase recommended. Onsite registration is subject to availability.
This workshop is part of the Street Photography Series, a slate of instructional workshops and historic walking tours covering all eight of D.C.’s wards. This series is designed to encourage active documentation of contemporary Washington, D.C. with a historical context, and culminates with the Spring 2017 For the Record exhibition at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
WHEN
Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EDT) – Add to Calendar
WHERE
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. – 801 K Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20001 – View Map
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