The Structure Of Skyscrapers In America 1871-1900
Reference Illustrated Non-Fiction Architectural History Technology History Construction Historic Preservation Structural Engineering American History
The Structure of Skyscrapers in America 1871-1900 is the definitive engineering deep-dive for anyone who wants to understand how iron and steel frames first reached toward the clouds. In 442 heavily-illustrated pages, structural engineer Donald Friedman dissects the pivotal three decades when wind-braced cage construction, passenger elevators, and fire-proofing technologies merged to create the world’s first true high-rise cities—Chicago and New York. Rather than glossy coffee-table photos, buyers get 250 rare historic drawings, shop-fabrication plans, and on-site construction shots that show exactly how riveted columns, cast-iron baseplates, and masonry curtain walls worked together to resist gravity, wind, and fire.
What makes this 2020 paperback special is its preservation focus: Friedman explains how each early skeleton frame was assembled so that today’s architects, restoration consultants, and National-Register historians can evaluate, stabilize, and repurpose these landmarks without guesswork. Entire chapters are devoted to lost prototypes—the 1871 Equitable Life Building, the 1889 Tower Building, the 1892 Chicago Auditorium—giving readers the forensic detail needed to write convincing Historic Structure Reports or Tax-Act applications. The book is written in plain English, so driven undergraduates, young professionals, and serious skyscraper enthusiasts can follow load paths, decipher period drafting symbols, and understand why a slightly thicker rivet or an extra diagonal brace once meant the difference between a record-breaking tower and headline-grabbing collapse.
Collectors appreciate that this copy is clean and tight—no previous owner marks, no dog-eared pages, just a gentle bump to the upper page corners that never interferes with text or illustrations. Because the Association for Preservation Technology International keeps modest press runs, later printings can be hard to find; securing a good-condition copy now ensures you have the go-to reference before the next wave of downtown adaptive-reuse projects pushes demand (and prices) higher.
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