Guardians of Detroit: Architectural Sculpture in the Motor City by Jeff Morrison

Abstract

Book Reviews 163 Jeff Morrison. Guardians of Detroit: Architectural Sculpture in the Motor City. Detroit: Painted Turtle/Wayne State University Press, 2019. Pp. 336. Appendices. Bibliography. Illustrations. Notes. Cloth: $39.99. Architecture, among many other things, is a means of communication. French architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, during his twenty-five-year restoration of the Notre Dame in the mid1800s , propounded that the restoration of the gargoyles and other grotesques on the building were “means to re-establish [the church] to a finished state, which may in fact never have actually existed at any given time.” Jeff Morrison, an avid photographer and a self-proclaimed lover of “buildings with sculpted ornamentation” (p. xi), believes in the value of such architectural sculptures for its symbolism, meanings, and potential interactions with people. In his book Guardians of Detroit, Morrison presents a comprehensive and vivid documentation of architectural sculptures in buildings across Detroit and the metro area. These artistic pieces have been less studied and often neglected in spite of quantity, quality, diversity, and richness of “Detroit’s wealth of architectural wonders” (p. xi). Using page after page, building after building, photograph after photograph, and frame after frame, Morrison highlights such sculptures’ role and relevance in completing the architectural experience in the city and shaping Detroit’s built environment. Driven by a passion for art, sculpture, and architecture in the city, Morrison produces a “labor of love,” most importantly driven by “documentation” as “the most important aspect” of the book toward growing awareness of such architectural gems and their preservation (p. xiii). The illustrated work is a powerful and beautiful documentation of architectural sculptures in Detroit. At the same time, the monograph rarely goes beyond being a glorious documentation as a coffee-table book. Morrison illustrates twenty-nine cases of architectural sculptures integrated with buildings in different ways. The timeline ranges from 1855 until the 1920s, and the buildings vary in typology including churches, corporate offices, theaters, banks, residences, and stores. Each of the case studies epitomize rich symbolism and meanings as well as possible stories inherent in these sculptures. Morrison has diligently researched and presented details of the architects and sculptors wherever possible. These names, along with some historic background, provide hints of artistic dynamics, business decisions, and working relationships among these artists and designers. The book would have assumed a greater clarity and a higher level of documentation if Morrison had elaborated on some of these dynamic relationships. Here, Morrison misses an opportunity to 164 The Michigan Historical Review present a larger narrative of art, architecture, and design underlying the story of building and rebuilding of Detroit. Using photographs of the sculptures and through careful research of underlying history, Morrison produces a catalog encompassing the immense history and high design value. Across various sculptors and their styles, Morrison underlines these sculptures as a “metaphor for the city” (p. 3), “a symbol of nationalism” (p. 73), “a representation of history and ideals” (p. 149), and “a marvel” (p. 241). In the process, however, Morrison fails to introduce or conclude regarding the possible storyline of integration of art, architecture, culture, and city building. He finds the perfect tool in his photographic skill—a passion and love—but does not allow it to provide a bigger picture. The book will be helpful for art and architecture students, researchers, and practitioners, especially those interested in the history of art and architecture in the region as well as to general citizens and city leaders interested in rich artistic traditions in Detroit. Through illustrative documentation of architectural sculptures from eight decades in Detroit’s history, the book offers a critical insight into the architectural scene in Detroit. It also argues for a much-needed case for documentation, preservation, and historic conservation in the city and the region to identify, protect, and celebrate its rich heritage in art and architecture. Anirban Adhya Lawrence Technological University Mark Slobin. Motor City Music: A Detroiter Looks Back. New York: Oxford University Press, 2019. Pp. 233. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Notes. Cloth: $29.95. In Motor City Music, ethnomusicologist Mark Slobin aims to combine concentrated studies of the cultural impact of different immigrant and migrant groups in early- to mid-twentieth...