By and large, architectural historians use texts, drawings and photographs to craft their narratives. Oral testimony from those who actually occupy or construct buildings is rarely taken as seriously.
Essays by an international group of scholars look at varied topics, from the role of gossip in undermining masculine narratives in architecture and workers’ accounts of building with cement in midcentury London to a sound art piece created by oral testimonies from Los Angeles public housing residents.
About the Editors
Janina Gosseye is an architectural scholar with a special research interest in the notion of collectivity in post-war architecture. Her writing is situated at the nexus of architectural theory, urban planning and social and political history.
Naomi Stead is a Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture at Monash University and Adjunct Professor in Architecture at the University of Queensland.
Deborah van der Plaat is a Research Fellow at the Architecture Theory Criticism and History Research Centre, University of Queensland.
About the Publisher
For nearly 40 years, Princeton Architectural Press has been a leading publisher of books on architecture, design and visual culture. In recent years, the Press broadened its scope, introducing a children’s list and a line of stationery products. Princeton Architectural Press made its reputation by identifying new trends, publishing first books on emerging talents, as well as definitive works on established names, and by creating books of unsurpassed design quality and production values, producing nearly 1,000 intelligent and stimulating publications.