American Gothic, a photo from Michigan, Midwest

Photographer's Note

If you’ve seen some of my earlier photos you might think this looks familiar. It's because this building was inspired by a subject of one of my other posts, my university, or now former university.

This is my former high school, Fordson High School.

Built between 1926 and 1928 and designed by H.J. Keough, a Detroit architect, it was proclaimed the most beautiful school in Michigan by the State Superintendent of Education. It is an English Renaissance/Gothic style. It was also the first high school to cost more than 1 million dollars. It cost 2.2 million dollars.

Its plan is H shaped with a 442 foot long main wing connecting the two ends. A newer third wing extends down the middle in back. Each section is devoted to certain subjects. The main tower seen here is the main entrance to the library which extends across the upper floor to the left and right while offices make up the ground floor.

This building was inspired by the University of Michigan's Lawyers' Club , the Memorial Quadrangle at Yale and Rushton and Apethorpe halls in Northamptonshire, England.

On the exterior is granite and Briar Hill sandstone trim. The library has hand carved oak paneling, a fireplace, painted wall murals by Zoltan Sepeschy, tapestires and Jacobean fumed-oak furnishings.

The building was also equipped with a swimming pool, greenhouse, laboratories and an auditorium. The auditorium and library have been faithfully maintained. There was also a concrete stadium with seating for 5000 but that has been replaced by bleachers now. The main entry through these doors contains busts of famous Greek philosophers and mathematicians as well as a Fordson Tractor, a Ford built tractor, which is our mascot.

The other two high schools in the city both pale next to this in appearance since they were both built in the post-war years as international style glass and brick boxes.

Zanni, cmartos, jhm, elihesamian, jhonny_blue, electro76, Pompey, bertolucci, kajenn, Spoony, joseelias, Didi, gaetantgp has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Zanni (6108) 2004-05-15 0:57

It's a pity, Paul, that the time of my studies is finished many years ago, otherwise this would be a good school for me.
The photo is nitid, well exposed. Rigt to put the entrance in the middle of picture. Complete notes

jhm (122474) 2004-05-15 3:12

Paul, this is great architecture picture, wonderful sharpness and clair, your note is subliem, my compliments

cmartos (242) 2004-05-15 3:17

A beautiful building and place to learn indeed. I remember my high school here in Switzerland which was quite far fom gothic style :-D. The height of the facade with the two octagonal towers is impressive and stands proud, like a confirmation of knowing and science. Putting the entrance slightly off center to include more of the tree is very well seen. So branches are not "abstract" patterns. The light is great and reveals stone details and structure very well. Excellent notes too. Well done Paul, now I want to go back to school :-D.

elihesamian (26127) 2004-05-15 4:25

Bravo,Paul!
Nice architecture shot you creat,with excellent capturing the colors in perfect composition.Thank you very much for great note here.
Details are wonderful & excellent,With nice angle of view you choosed.
You did great.

jhonny_blue (4956) 2004-05-15 4:49

Very beautiful building Paul !
The place is magnifique and the colours perfect !
Congratulations !

wilkinsonsg (8662) 2004-05-15 12:16

Great composition IMHO.
Very sharp, good colours and I also like the notes :)

bertolucci (13351) 2004-05-15 12:44

This is a nice symmetrical frontal composition. Very fitting for this kind of formal archticture. Its must have been quite an experience to start here as a young lad! The tree, the subtle shadows, and the drive way give it a nice sense of depth. I love all the details - the masonry is nicely rendered and colours and light are very nice too. The reflection of the tree in the window is a nice detail. Very fine work, Paul!

kajenn (2406) 2004-05-15 14:13

Yes, I recognize it, Paul, but it's a somewhat more compact version. A nice central composition, given some kind of support by the bare tree and the glimpse of a spruce. All details of the building's structure, colors and style are beautifully rendered. A very nice capture!

Spoony (3539) 2004-05-15 14:50

Great angle ans perspective.
Interessant building here.
Well seen.

joseelias (369) 2004-05-18 8:51

Excelent POV, clarity and colors! The tree in the right sucessfully brakes the simetry and add to that gothic image/feeling.

With some heavy clouds and a lower diagonal view using BW or sepia you could make very strong images with this building.

Didi (48934) 2004-05-24 3:05

Le cadrage est bien travaillé, le bâtiment est parfaitement net.
Le commentaire est très intéressant à lire.

Framing is well worked, the building is perfectly clear, good DOF. The comment is very interesting to read.

gaetantgp (1310) 2004-05-26 20:44

Nice colors and clarty Paul, we could all the details of the stones and that roof. That what's good when the leafs are of the trees, we could see more of the architecture. Well done...Gaétan

FHS-V-Swimming (0) 2007-02-13 21:41 [Comment]

Show Comment

FordsonTractor2 (0) 2010-01-06 8:30

Very Nice Picture Paul, This is also my former high school, i graduated from Fordson High School on 2001, Its a shame there aren't any photos for the magnificent paintings and tapestries from the Library.