If you ever have trouble understanding what Egyptian Revival is, look no further than the old Mount Moriah Lodge #40 on North Garrison Avenue. It almost certainly does not preserve its original paint scheme, but nonetheless it is in an excellent state of preservation. Combining elements of the Temple of Karnak at Luxor, it shows…
Tag: Egyptian Revival
Bellefontaine Cemetery, The Last Snow
I snapped these photos the last time it snowed in St. Louis back when it was just pretty and not a complete and total nightmare like this most recent snowstorm. I’m experimenting around with a new function which is a gallery; as has always been the case you can click on any photo to see…
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, Dayton, Ohio
Established in 1841, Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio is one of the oldest institutions in the rural cemetery movement. It’s interesting to compare it to Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, or to its similarly named counterpart in Quincy, Illinois. It is sited on some downright rugged terrain, creating a dramatic setting with deep…
McLean Mausoleum, Bellefontaine Cemetery
I’ve always enjoyed the McLean Mausoleum in Bellefontaine Cemetery. It’s perhaps an understated example of the Egyptian Revival in funerary architecture in local cemeteries, but there are other reasons I like it. The most obvious being, if you look closely, is that the obelisk towering over the mausoleum sits above thin air, as the window…
Bellefontaine Cemetery, Summer 2020
Bellefontaine Cemetery has been a welcome respite this summer with so many other places closed. The self-guided tour is a great way to spend some time safely. James Eads’s monument looks very much like Verrocchio’s design for Piero and Giovanni de Medici’s sarcophagus in the Old Sacristy at San Lorenzo in Florence. Leonardo da Vinci…
Calvary Cemetery, Summer 2020
This interesting enclosure at Calvary Cemetery is rare in St. Louis cemeteries; it is Gothic Revival in style and still has plenty of room left in it, as it seems like the burials are around the outside so far. Joseph O’Neil was born in 1817, coming to St. Louis in 1837, taking up the construction…
Bellefontaine Cemetery Late Spring 2020
Things are looking good around Bellefontaine Cemetery this spring, and I took the opportunity to walk around different parts of the grounds to see how the historic mausolea and tombs were doing. First up is this trio of two obelisks and a Corinthian column; compositionally they work together so well. I headed away from there…
Frank Spiekerman Mausoleum, Calvary Cemetery
The Frank Spiekerman Mausoleum in Calvary Cemetery is unique in that the full name of the owner is written across its front, and it is the most prominent Egyptian Revival edifice in the cemetery. Bellefontaine Cemetery has the very beautiful Tate Mausoleum, also in the Egyptian Revival style. Spiekerman donated a large number of painted…
Dubuque County Courthouse, Dubuque, Iowa
The Dubuque County Courthouse, opened in 1893, is one of the more extraordinary seats of government in the Midwest, and does not easily fit into neat architectural descriptions. I would perhaps describe it as Renaissance Revival, but that is not satisfactory. While it does not possess a Mansard roof, it also has some of the…
Temple, Bridge, Minneapolis, Minnesota
One thing that St. Louis does not have in its downtown is an extant Egyptian Revival building, which is something that Minneapolis can claim. Apparently this was an old location for Marquette Bank. Am I totally thrilled with the the bridge going right into the middle of the second floor? No, but I prefer it…