Meet the director of the Newport Summer School

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD GUY WILSON

By Roberta Mayer & Majda Kallab Whitaker

Richard Guy Wilson, Director of the Victorian Society in America's Newport Summer School, holds the Commonwealth Professor's Chair in Architectural History at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia (Thomas Jefferson's University). He is also Chair of the Department of Architectural History. His specialty is the architecture, design, and art of the eighteenth to the twentieth century both in America and abroad.

Born in Los Angeles, the home of everything new, Richard grew up in a house designed by R.M. Schindler for his parents. Schindler was the leading Modernist in California from the 1920s to the 1940s and the subject of a major exhibition currently on tour (that Richard contributed to.) Richard received his undergraduate training at the University of Colorado. His M.A. and Ph.D. were completed at the University of Michigan. After that, he taught at Michigan and Iowa State University before coming to Virginia in 1976.

Richard is a frequent lecturer for universities, museums, and professional groups and has published approximately 200 articles and reviews. Among the books that he has authored or co-authored are The Prairie School in Iowa (1977), McKim, Mead & White, Architects (1983), The AIA Gold Medal (1984),and The University of Virginia-Campus Guide (1999). Most recently, he published a book entitled Richmond's Monument Avenue. Currently he is writing a guide book to the architecture of Virginia for the Society of Architectural Historians and working on several museum exhibitions and books.

As curator and author for major museum exhibitions, Richard Wilson's projects include "The American Renaissance, 1876-1917," "The Art that is Life: The Arts and Crafts Movement in America,” “The Machine Age in America, 1918-1941," and "Honor and Intimacy: Drawings by AIA Gold Medalists," all of which appeared across the country at different museums. He served as co-author and co-curator at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for "The Making of Virginia Architecture" (1992) and organized, edited, and wrote an essay in the catalogue of "Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village: The Creation of an Architectural Masterpiece" (1993).

Richard Wilson has received a number of academic honors, among them a Guggenheim fellow, prizes for distinguished writing, and, in 1986, was made an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and a Doctor of Fine Arts from Salve Regina University. He has served as an advisor and commentator for a number of television programs on PBS, the History Channel, C-Span, and most recently over sixty-five segments of "America's Castles" on A&E.

Richard Wilson, you have been running the Summer School for the Victorian Society in America since 1979. Would you summarize the history and objectives of the VSA Newport Summer School?

In short, the Summer School is designed to provide knowledge and first hand contact with some of the great examples of American Victorian architecture and associated arts as found in Newport, Rhode Island.

Does this program emphasize the extravagant "cottages" that were built during the Gilded Age, and does it include Newport's history from a broader historical perspective?

We certainly do examine the "extravagant 'cottages"' that were built during the Gilded Age! One could not spend any time in Newport without looking at them. But we also study the seventeenth and eighteenth century beginnings of this important port town and examine many of the earlier, more humble buildings. At times, the Summer School program has focused attention on mills, mill towns, and other issues. We also visit several nearby towns and cities that contain splendid examples of American design.

Can you tell me about the early years of the VSA Summer School? How has the program changed over time?

The Summer School began in 1975 in England. I attended it in 1976. The idea for an American Summer School was proposed in 1977, and I was part of the planning committee which met in Williamsburg. As a result, the first program was held in Boston in 1978, and, that year, I gave one lecture. Although the Boston Summer School went well, the planning committee felt that the program would be more coherent if a single expert in the field of American architecture took responsibility for the planning. In 1979, I accepted this role and organized a three-week course of study. Then, there was a hiatus for several years. Around 1984, we offered a two-week Summer School in Philadelphia. In 1987, we moved this two-week program to Newport, its present location. Finally, in 1989, the course was shortened to ten days.

Explain the general format of the present program.

The goal of the Summer School program is to see, hear, and experience as much as possible in ten days. Hence, very full days! There are usually one or two lectures every day, normally in the morning. I am one the lecturers, along with other experts in the field. Although there are some exceptions, in general, the students are given opportunities to tour the large Newport houses before the arrival of the crowds. Several days are devoted to day-long excursions.

Could you highlight some of the specific opportunities for studying architecture, decorative arts, and cultural history?

On a square-inch basis, Newport is more architecturally rich than any other place in the United States. In Newport, students can study leading masterpieces of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early-twentieth centuries that appear in almost every textbook of architectural history. I believe that Newport may have more surviving eighteenth-century buildings than any other city in the United States. With respect to decorative arts, Newport was dominant in the later eighteenth century, and one can see Goddard and Townsend furniture in situ. Newport offers leading examples of Aesthetic interiors, Shingle-style houses, and high-style French imports from the later nineteenth century. There are also opportunities to study the design of the Arts & Crafts era. Likewise, the gardens and landscapes of Newport and the surrounding area are extremely important and are included within the Summer School program.

Who are the strongest candidates for the Summer School program?

The Summer School is designed for many types of individuals-from the graduate student to the expert to those who are simply interested in the period. We draw graduate students from many different disciplines, including architecture, art history, decorative arts, historic preservation, art conservation, and even nineteenth-century literature. Professional architects and designers also have participated in the Summer School program. Individuals who are simply interested and involved in their own hometown historical society or house have attended. Each has their own reason, but all do gain. Individuals with very specialized knowledge-such as nineteenth-century dance or vintage bulbs and garden plants, for example-can contribute to the group and also broaden their own perspective.

What is expected of the Summer School students?

This is really an immersion program. Most students attend to learn and to discuss their interests with others. I ask students to give a very brief report of only a few minutes on what most interests them. Some students who want college credit for the Summer School can arrange that with their institution, and, frequently, a report or paper can be submitted. But that is not necessary.

How are the students accommodated in Newport?

Most are housed in a student dormitory owned by Salve Regina University. The building is a converted Shingle Style house dating from 1890 that is across the street from the "Breakers" and one block from the ocean. We also use the classrooms at Salve Regina for lectures.

What are some of your fondest memories?

Seeing people's mouths drop when they enter some of the smaller houses. Or watching them gasp when they closely examine a window by Louis C. Tiffany or John La Farge. Or seeing students jumping with joy when they see a house designed by Henry Hobson Richardson.

Do you have a favorite site?

Every location that we visit in Newport is one of my favorite sites. Each revisit--no matter how many times I have been there--is a new and wonderful experience. It is like hearing a favorite piece of music again or seeing an important and wonderful painting again.

Could who highlight some of the more famous students and instructors who have participated in the Newport Summer School?

To pick out "famous" students would be unfair to the approximately six hundred or more students who have attended over the years. We have had leading scholars as students, museum curators from large and small institutions, many preservationists, and graduate students who have gone on to important teaching positions. We've also had many students from abroad, including several each year from the English National Trust, as well as others from Australia, Russia, Czech Republic, Hungary and other places.

After completion of the Summer School program, students are eligible to join the VSA Alumni Association. What kinds of opportunities does this offer?

The Alumni Association offers select tours both at home and abroad, as well as lecture programs.

Thank you so much!