Cast Iron Window Lintel c. 1937

William Kerby made this drawing of a cast-iron window lintel, but we don’t know exactly when. Here we see two elevations of the same architectural detail, a decorative element placed above a window opening. Its style is a simplified classicism, using a limited vocabulary of vegetal and geometric forms. We might ask, what is the public role of ornament in architecture? The revival of classical styles in the United States was often driven by a desire to associate new buildings with the traditions of European culture. This could express the cultural aspirations of the elites who commissioned these buildings, as well as the institutions that promoted the classical style. The decorative program of a building could express ideas about civic virtue, public order, or historical memory. To better understand this drawing, we might consult archives of architectural pattern books and trade catalogues, as well as the records of specific buildings and the commissions that shaped them. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.