Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation

[Kathleen]

Surprised to find that this recently formed organization has not been mentioned here.

From their website: "The Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation is a non-profit organization that was incorporated on May 14, 2020, to celebrate and preserve the legacy of Albert Kahn, often described as the foremost American industrial architect of the 20th century. His ideas and impact are still felt today.

The Foundation collects, preserves, maintains, displays, and makes available to the public materials related to the life and work of Albert Kahn, so that researchers, students, historians and the general public will know and appreciate how his designs and ideas changed industrial America and helped make Detroit the manufacturing capital of the United States during the first half of the 20th century."
For more info, including membership:
https://albertkahnlegacy.org/

Since they formed, they have hosted a number of free virtual talks and have two currently scheduled. Check here for more info and registration links: https://albertkahnlegacy.org/events/
Past talks are archived on their YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr9...2dzQ6ED5Hi5U8Q

Last year the Foundation mounted a small exhibit in the Fisher Building lobby. Now they have an upcoming exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum! Albert Kahn: Innovation and Influence on 20th Century Architecture opens April 22, runs through July 3, 2022
https://albertkahnlegacy.org/events/...-architecture/

[Kathleen]

One of the Foundation's recent speakers Dale Carlson, who you may remember from past Albert Kahn discussions on this site as well as his book Corrado Parducci: A Field Guide to Detroit's Architectural Sculptor, recently published Kahn's Detroit: A Field Guide to Albert Kahn Designs of the Metro Area.

[Ray1936]

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/560/albert-kahn

Great info on his Findagrave site.

[Lowell]

Thanks Kathleen. I'd been intending to announce that but... well. I've donated to, am a member of the group, and have attended some of the Zoom presentations--which as you note are also available on YouTube. Some here will also recognize Einar Kvaran, pictured on the left, who has sporadically posted here over the years and is a Parducci expert.

This one, in yesterday's newsletter, is of the Carlson presentation you mention.

Last month historian Dale Carlson discussed Albert Kahn's "Unintended Consequences," especially his influence on the modernist and international styles of architecture. He also shared his countdown of 25 of Kahn's most influential structures including work created in Russia.

If you missed the virtual talk or want to watch it again, it is now available on YouTube.



Ford Motor Company Highland Park Factory


Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant , Russia

[Kathleen]

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/560/albert-kahn

Great info on his Findagrave site.

From the Foundation's website:
The Life of Albert Kahn: https://albertkahnlegacy.org/life-of-albert-kahn/
The Works of Albert Kahn: https://albertkahnlegacy.org/work-of-albert-kahn/

The group has proposed an Albert Kahn postage stamp:
https://albertkahnlegacy.org/albert-...p-is-proposed/

I'd like to see a statue of Albert placed somewhere in the city!

[Zacha341]

Awesome information and details Kathleen! Thanks.

[Burnsie]

I see it has the same address-- 1800 Fisher Building-- as the still-active Albert Kahn Associates architecture firm. I hope this means that a focus will be made on preserving the firm's historic drawings, ideally scanning them at high resolution so the public can research them.

[Kathleen]

Several of the Foundation's Board members are Albert Kahn Associates. And others are involved with sharing the history. So perhaps creating a digital archive of Kahn's historic drawings is in the works!

As you undoubtedly know, there are a few archival sources of his papers and more:
https://albertkahnlegacy.org/life-of...onal-resources

[Kathleen]

Upcoming Virtual Event...Free!!

Albert Kahn: Global Architects
Virtual Talk with Claire Zimmerman
March 31, 2022 , 7:00 pm

https://albertkahnlegacy.org/events/...al-architects/

[kathy2trips]

It's good to see that his house is still standing and is in good condition at 208 Mack. I hope the interior wasn't messed with too much.

[Zacha341]

That house is owned by the Detroit Urban League. They rent parts of the property out for special events on occasion. I've been to a couple of events over the last decade. Very nice, but it could use some renovations - particularly the bathrooms...

https://miserves.org/listing-item/th...tern-michigan/

[KnnNike]

Non-profit my butt. Try contacting them as someone who owns an Albert Kahn house that you're trying to restore, and explaining that you want a copy of the original plans [[for which they've already been paid once). They will tell you that each plan sheet costs $1,000. What a freaking racket.

[Zacha341]

^ Yeah, this kind of thing seems to be the way of it, increasingly.

I'm no longer surprised by some non-profits behaviors vs. what they state.

We've several sterling examples, current, of so-called non profit CEO's [claiming to affirm/ support oppressed and endangered] living lavishly -- purchasing prime property, suburbs far, FAR away the eh' problem areas.

Perhaps in the case with this property, the info is online somewhere... gratis or at lower cost?

[Kathleen]

^^
It seems likely that Albert Kahn Associates hold the blueprints as part of their business and, as such, may charge for copies of the blueprints.

The Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation was formed to "to celebrate and preserve the legacy of Albert Kahn" and, as such, "collects, preserves, maintains, displays, and makes available to the public materials related to the life and work of Albert Kahn."

Not sure that blueprints fall into the realm of their purpose and activities.

[KnnNike]

^^
It seems likely that Albert Kahn Associates hold the blueprints as part of their business and, as such, may charge for copies of the blueprints.

The Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation was formed to "to celebrate and preserve the legacy of Albert Kahn" and, as such, "collects, preserves, maintains, displays, and makes available to the public materials related to the life and work of Albert Kahn."

Not sure that blueprints fall into the realm of their purpose and activities.

The fact remains that they do indeed hold the blueprints for old properties like this...I had to write out a $5,000 check to the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation to obtain a fraction of the blueprints for my home that existed.

So here's me, trying to restore my house to as close to original as possible. Yet unable to, because the AKLF wants to double-charge for their drawings. Tell me how that's in the spirit of preserving AK's legacy.

[KnnNike]

Nope. These are detailed interior drawings, plaster detail on the ceilings, etc. The kind of stuff that absolutely nobody who does not own the house would ever have any interest in.

Yet because of AKLF's exorbitant pricing racket, we were unable to achieve the level of authentic restoration that we wanted to...seems like you'd want to do everything in your power to get these drawings into the hands of those who truly need them.

[Kathleen]

"Albert Kahn: Stories of Innovation" Lecture and Book Launch
Sunday, June 12th, 2022 | 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Cranbrook Art Museum

Lecture, Conversation, Book Signing, and Reception with Twelve Authors
https://center.cranbrook.edu/events/...nd-book-launch

[Kathleen]

MotorCities At Home Series presents
"Detroit's Industrial Architect: Albert Kahn" with John Gallagher
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at Noon

FREE live Zoom webinar

https://www.motorcities.org/motorcities-at-home-series

[Kathleen]

MEET LEGO ARCHITECT JIM GARRETT

June 5 2022 | 1:30pm to 3:00pm




Meet LEGO Architect Jim Garrett on Sunday, June 5 in the Albert Kahn exhibit in the Detroit Historical Museum's Community Gallery.
Jim designed and created all the Legos models for the exhibit, including the Fisher Building, Piquette Plant, Russell Industrial Center, and The Albert apartment building. He'll answer your questions about the process of building the models and share details of his "avocation.”
No registration is necessary, and this event is free with museum admission.

Check out Jim’s Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/decojim/

[Gistok]

I am familiar with Jim's AMAZING buildings made with LEGO. He has had to have spent well over $50,000 on LEGO parts alone. My favorite of his buildings is the Guardian Building... he pretty much bought out a significant chunk of the world's [available] supply of orange LEGO bricks.

The best place to buy LEGO parts is on a site called Bricklink, which has 13,500 independently owned online LEGO stores from around the world. The largest store has over 15 million elements for sale, and in total, over a billion LEGO elements are for sale. Jim Garrett has purchased most of his LEGO from these stores, and probably directly from TLG [The Lego Group].

I remember a dozen years ago when some folks on DYES used to make fun of me because of my involvement with LEGO. But today it has an adult fanbase of millions. $$$

[xdet]

Yep, that's my photo there of the area his remains are placed. I was visiting to see the area my grandfather's boss, Charles Gauss, were placed. Gauss was the largest tobacco wholesaler west of NYC and funded the building of the Historic Trinity Lutheran Church [[although it was a real estate sale to Henry Ford that funded it- funny story!) My grandfather was his chauffeur from about 1916 to 1923. Also was his delivery driver and mechanic.

[xdet]

Would be interesting to see if they have any of the Highland Park Model T plant as Edward Gray, Henry Ford's Chief Engineer, claims some of the ideas for the plant were his. Gray as noted as the one that was assigned moving equipment from the Piquette Plant to Highland Park. My grandfather Elmer LeSuer was Gray's draftsman and the two of them worked on the Gas-steam engines at Highland Park with one Mr. Ford personally directed to be saved and be the first item placed in his museum. You can find articles related to the 'spate' between the two in some of the later tax papers-

[Kathleen]

Albert Kahn: Creating The Modern World
Exhibit at the Scarab Club
October 5-November 12, 2022
Gallery Talk by John Gallagher: Thursday, October 27, 6pm
https://albertkahnlegacy.org/events/

[Richard]

Following in the footprints of Detroit demolishing the Packard Plant the city of Jacksonville has announced the demolition of another Albert Kahn design factory built for Ford,only in use for 8 years it was shut down during the depression and built on pilings over the Jacksonville river.

They are demolishing it 100 years later because they say the pilings are deteriorating to the point it cannot be saved.

Albert Kahn design was the mushroom shaped support pilings and you can see that where it was copied all over the world.

You have to figure in his early days there was no building codes and no blueprints that said this works or this does not,he really was a pioneer in building factories and also set the standard for the world to follow.

Between Albert Kahn and factories and Horace Trumbauer and gilded estates they had to be the premier architects of the late 18th early 19th century in the U.S. they were both in a league of their own.

Both cases they only served clients that had more money then God,which kinda helped build their reputations.

Kahn and associates are still building factories all these years later,they did one for Canadian railroad in the south to manufacture rail cars,CR bilked millions out of the city and pension funds when they walked away after never even opening the factory, but at least the city got stuck with a really nicely designed factory.

[Kathleen]

^^ According to news reports in Jacksonville, the plant will be "extensively photographed and documented for historical purposes before demolition work gets underway."

https://www.archpaper.com/2022/10/ja...ssembly-plant/