What Is Architectural History?

"What is architectural history?" is a question asked of the modern academic field that began to gain widespread acceptance in the form of cultural history and art history from the late 19th century onwards. This question, along with Andrew Leach's nuanced style, introduces the conceptual problems encountered by those who write about architectural history and those who examine the work of architectural historians.

The book, which evaluates approaches to architectural historiography, reveals the fundamental problems that shape the way historical architectural knowledge is formed, collected, and disseminated. The rhetorical, analytical, and historicist traditions through which modern architectural history has gained knowledge about its own boundaries and interests are examined, addressing the conflicts faced by architectural historians in the 20th and 21st centuries. Additionally, the history of recent architectural historiography and the impact of architecture's "theory period" on architectural historians are explored.

Andrew Leach is a faculty member at Griffith University in Australia.
(From the Promotional Bulletin)