Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Michigan Modern, scope of collection

The Michigan Modern site seeks to document all Modern architecture in Michigan, which is a big task. The effort started with a list of buildings, organized by county, for each county in the state. The Washtenaw County list is a good place to start for local information.

Notable Modern architects with works in Michigan

The site also has a list of architects, designers, and firms associated with Modern building who have works in Michigan. It's known to be an incomplete list, but the collection includes substantial information about a number of individuals responsible for buildings in the area.

A profile of Alden B. Dow, who designed the Ann Arbor City Hall, Ann Arbor District Library, and Fleming Administration Building in Ann Arbor, notes his extensive work in Midland. A 1998 Ann Arbor Observer piece by Grace Shackman titled "Alden Dow's Ann Arbor" profiles the architect, and collects the mixed opinion that locals have of his works.

The Ralph Gerganoff profile notes his many building designs in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, including the Washtenaw County Courthouse. A Flickr photo pool collects photography from admirers, and the Bentley Historical Library has a collection of the archives of his architecture firm.

Eero Saarinen designed the University of Michigan North Campus. A University of Michigan history from the 1970s includes photos from the building of North Campus.

More information

I've just scratched the surface here, compared to the number of words you could write about Modern architecture, let alone the furniture of the era.

Modernism Magazine is a quarterly print publication covering the works of the era:

"Modernism is a quarterly magazine for people who love 20th-century modernist design. We present the best of both iconic and lesser-known modern masters, covering everything from Art Deco and Streamline Moderne to midcentury, pop and postmodern. We offer articles on furniture, ceramics, glass, jewelry and other decorative arts and feature significant architecture and interiors that integrate premier design collections. Like the modernist designers, we embrace everything from thermostats, costume jewelry and prefab housing to the most breathtaking homes and public spaces."

The Mid-Century Modernist weblog "is a tribute to the mid-century modern movement as both a historical milestone and a living ideal, reflected in today’s best furniture, architecture, and design."

Edward Vielmetti remembers when the Undergraduate Library was a Modern building, before its "ugli" blue facade panels were replaced by academic campus-style brick. Contact him at edwardvielmetti@annarbor.com.