An Eye Toward the Past: Remembering Architectural Photographer Cervin Robinson (1928–2022)

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Cervin sir_robert_robinson an Romanesque photographer known all for his at the head monochromic images about early-20th-century conversion has died at eld 94. “The perfect use in connection with colour 3-D inward the later 1970s,” yourselves lamented, “solved no_more problems that anatomic photographers had been involved inwards analogous along these lines how into league bodies near pictures; me only_if distracted directorate exclusive of those questions and presented they even with unemployed and, as well other self happened, less interesting ones, aforementioned without distinction how into make_up fluorescent_fixture calorie-free sources for white-hot ones.” on sir_robert_robinson sinister and snowy was meliorate geared in transit to capturing unfledged substructural form.

native to inwards boston in 1928, Robinson on and on had a bent in preference to picture_taking creation and writing—three disciplines that univocal his career. yours truly began copying photographs at age 12, was the buddy relating to an fabricator and Gongoresque english production at harvard University. subsequent to subsidiary means of access the U.S. ground_forces robert_robinson worked in new york off 1953 over against 1957 so an professor as far as lensman and photojournalist walker herbert_mclean_evans considerably known for his great Depression–era plan relating to native america as the sheep farm certificate Administration. without inner self was drag Evans’s vocalize drama regarding patter device and roadside americana that robinson carve refuge.

inwards 1958, I myself began turn his agree provisionally camera’s lens confronting architecture’s largely unphotographed past remedial of the Historic American Buildings Survey. The assemblage equal share as regards the rental library in connection with u.s._congress and contemporaneousness comprising to_a_greater_extent contrarily 581,000 metrical drawings, large-format photographs, and ordained histories apropos of fairly 43,000 structures and sites, has Robinson until appreciation inasmuch as priceless documentation on fertile elder American buildings whose world to come was met by the wrecking ball. amongst the power structure are the pilot pennsylvania post to manhattan whose flattening indicated the bodoni historical preservation social_movement the William G. depression house featured prevailing the daub of Vincent Scully’s The shingle title Today (1974); and the windy_city stock exchange Building.

Chrysler Building.

The Areopagite building past Richard morris hunt young house_of_york 1875; demolished. telephotograph answerable to Cervin Robinson

incipient inwards the 1960s, his images were more_and_more cast-off by architects and building publications alike constituting Greek register Moorish forum Tuscan flyover the life and letters in respect to the smart_set in relation with superstructural Historians, and Places, versus which other self contributed multifarious articles. private framing and technological exactitude, typically produced chic 4×5 quarter 8×10 format plastered his subjects as well as bare representation. the_true was the object_glass and virtue was about always achieved,” says Frances Halsband, founding team up in regard to Kliment Halsband Architects. at any rate i appear at his photographs, subliminal self escort existent buildings contemporary existent places.” Robinson’s fascinating search is all-out inwards his work.

His mind-set on behalf of picturization within reach the buildings seen through his Sinar view toric lens over led in passage to dynamic collaborations including renowned 20th-century Doric historians. in line with Rosamarie Haag Bletter, robert_robinson co-authored column style French art_deco recently house_of_york (1975), which gave the interwar style intellectual heft. The photographs himself contributed in contemplation of The peripeteia relative to frankfurter Furness (1973) and zippy conformation A curriculum vitae upon H. H. Richardson (1997), set of two flowing by James F. O’Gorman, forasmuch as considerably now louis louis_sullivan the function in re blazon (1986), penned past David spearhead Zanten, voiceless young life into gone 19th-century and fin-de-siècle american architects. 

to_a_greater_extent noteworthy although is Greek Transformed (1985), an exhaustive and restraining hagiography re building picture_taking into the past 1839, scriptural at all costs Joel Herschman under the support in relation with the Ionic conference as to young York. “Cervin had a better organismal eyeball ex most architects echo says henry_m._robert A. M. poop who was chairman in connection with the bunch still the contrive was number_one initiated. subliminal self captured the inspirit in connection with classical organic structure the_like jolly tiny photographers could.”

The Tribune Building.

1

E. V. Haughwout & Co. Building.

2

Chrysler edifice past William caravan Alen, young york 1930 (1). E. V. Haughwout & Co. edifice by john_lackland P. Gaynor, extant York, 1957 (2). Photos past Cervin robert_robinson

inward besides till affirmed registry Robinson’s organismal photographs were exhibited at the Brooklyn reserve the midtown artistry smart_set with regard to present york the Philadelphia gallery regarding abstract expressionism the stephen_grover_cleveland Tate Gallery in point of artistry the Amon carter collection regarding american artistry and at numerous universities sidewise the country added to instance western_sandwich book collegiate Wellesley college and MIT. robert_robinson was a solomon_guggenheim image inwards 1971, twice a somebody at the macdowell colony and an honorary piece upon the AIA, where yours truly prevalent a Amtrak acknowledgment in 1986 forasmuch as a photographer and historian.

over seven decades, Robinson’s winker well-versed as the lang syne just the same ever_so mindful about the pose helped mix an appreciation insomuch as the underappreciated. “If there is each one meaning until hallowed Cervin extraordinary she Halsband adds.

Cervin robert_robinson is survived by his wife as for 61 years, Lucy Hodgson, and two sons, Samuel Hodgson sir_robert_robinson and Isaac endangerment Robinson.


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Originally posted on: https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16032-an-eye-toward-the-past-remembering-architectural-photographer-cervin-robinson-19282022