The Steedman Exhibit features images selected from some of the most beautiful and influential architecture-related books in the George Fox Steedman Architectural Collection.
Donated to St. Louis Public Library in 1928 with the express purpose of exposing local architects to the great published works on architecture and the allied arts, volumes from the Steedman Collection are rarely displayed to the general public.
Visitors to this online exhibit will discover exquisite details in fine printing and illustration, see examples of major architectural styles and monuments, and learn about architects whose works and structures changed the course of western architectural history.
Magnificent images illustrate individuals, structures, and styles. You are invited to view pages from 16th-century editions of Vitruvius, the only architect from the ancient world whose writings have survived. Browse through selections from the works of Renaissance masters Alberti and Palladio and influential early Frank Lloyd Wright editions. Sample architectural achievements, including Baroque churches such as St. Peter’s in Rome, and pages from Gustave Eiffel’s book on his Tower. Brief descriptions place the images in context of their time, place, and importance.
St. Louis Public Library invites you to enjoy the Steedman Exhibit. Come experience the thread of development and growth that connects these western architects, their works, and their lasting ideas.