The AR archive illuminates the story of modern architecture

摘要

In a magazine as long lived as the AR (founded in 1896), there is a perpetual sense of being a privileged witness to the history of modern architecture. In a fascinating sub-plot, you can also track the changing ways in which this history is presented; the medium as well as the message. When the AR came into being, photography was still in its infancy, so drawings were the main means of conveying all kinds of subject matter, from architecture to the decorative arts. The cover of the first issue featured an ink drawing by the then editor, Henry Wilson, depicting the Spirit of Architecture, a sort of Arts & Crafts goddess, heroically leading her sisters of the other arts towards the future. Now Wilson's goddess would be brandishing an iPad, showing the way to new digital opportunities for both architects and publishers.