The Colonial Revival movement was a national expression of early
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n culture, primarily the built and artistic environments of the
east coast colonies. The Colonial Revival is generally associated with the eighteenth-century provincial fashion for the
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
and
Neoclassical style
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The pr ...
s. The movement inspired a variety of expressions to fulfill symbolic and functional needs during times of great change.
The Colonial Revival was motivated by a range of historical events, particularly a rapidly growing industrial way of life and increasing immigration. Beyond its association with the development of a national historic consciousness that began in the 1870s, the Colonial Revival style in
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
, decorative arts, landscape and
garden design
Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise. ...
, and American art has served to promote notions of democracy, patriotism, good taste, and moral superiority.
Although its popularity continues to exist, particularly in architecture and decorative arts, the movement reached its peak between 1880 and 1940.
See also
*
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...
References
*William B. Rhoads. ''The Colonial Revival.'' New York: Garland Pub., 1977.
*Allan Axelrod, ed. ''The Colonial Revival in America.'' New York: Norton, 1985.
;Specific
External links
Colonial Revival in America: Annotated Bibliography
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