Mrs. Huxtable

Photo Copyright Harry Heleotis

She Knows Moses...

Ada Louise Huxtable wrote a great Wall Street Journal article on the Robert Moses exhibits currently – and appropriately - scattered through Manhattan. If anyone knows from Moses....it must be Mrs. Huxtable.

For the majority of the 20th century and on, she defined the language relevant to architecture, urban development and planning which also informed the whole direction of contemporary historic preservation while saving important landmarks of old New York.

She continues to make us feel that she shares our pain when great buildings are annihilated and stands firm when mediocrity is proposed or executed.

And she negotiated a tricky course with grace; Mrs. Huxtable helped Americans to reconcile the idea that modern architecture must replace the old - even if this includes durable examples of a vernacular. Cities change - lets make it good change.

It takes courage to be the first at anything in a public discourse but imagine – a woman writing in the New York Times and getting in the public faces of thuggish developers, politicos (like Moses, himself) and perhaps even colleagues. She received a Pulitzer Prize in criticism because she carved such an impressive niche.

Huxtable's work is infused with a sublime sense of irony and Yankee wit. It’s not hyperbole to rank her zingers about design with Oscar Wilde’s. One of her book titles is “Kicked a Building Lately?”

Last year, it was my privilege to have cocktails with Mrs. Huxtable at her club - the Century Association. She was a fantastic hostess with incredible warmth and kindness. I could have spent days there – just the two of us - in those leather chairs sipping a special Amontillado.

The Club’s identity is wrapped up in the creative history of New York. Every surface seems encrusted with artworks and books - all produced by its members which have included the building’s architect Stanford White, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Winslow Homer, Morse, Dove and on and on. It was heaven. We laughed like crazy.

Stanford White

Samuel F. B. Morse

I asked her if there was an architect working today that she would compare with Frank Lloyd Wright in terms of originality and influence and without pause she declared, “Gehry. No doubt. Because you know – Gehry has a program.” We talked about his line of jewelry that had just been launched by Tiffany & Co.

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In terms of her career (1963 – 1982) at “the paper” she stressed that Clifton Daniel was a heroic mentor - and she expressed a tremendous gratitude to him which proved a general point again - even the best acknowledge help.

She knows such incredible people and has seen such enormous change. When I brought up the idea of an autobiography she was completely dismissive in an authentic self-effacing manner. A tender light of shy vulnerability flickered in her eyes.

Here I must objectify. For any age - she has a gorgeous head and bearing. She reminds me of a Roman empress or a lady in a portrait by Ingres.

We lost track of time and left the club much later than planned. Some aspects of Manhattan will never change. Getting a cab on a Friday night remains a crap shoot. Throw in an oncoming rain shower and we rolled snake eyes.

I remember watching the cars zip by on 42nd Street, Grand Central Terminal behind herself and I was amazed that this woman, for whom every New Yorker owes a debt of gratitude, was going to hop a city bus. Just then a gorgeous gypsy town car pulled up. We negotiated two stops for thirty dollars – Mrs. H. to her Park Avenue awning and me back around to the site of another bloody preservation battle - Penn Station.

As we drove back to Park Avenue, patrician limestone façades rolled by mixed with newer glass walls the color of cheap sunglasses. Mrs. Huxtable gave me brief lessons about a few of the buildings. When we arrived she said something with such wistful sincerity that I’ll never forget it; “You must come back soon. There’s no place in the world like New York.”

Postscript: I read this over and I have to say that my awe produced a slightly memorial tone. Mrs. H. is still very much alive, kicking and writing a new book. She is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal (which should make us all want to subscribe).

June 2007 Addendum

OH OH OH Another Brilliant article.

A moment in time and some stuff (Although the National Trust is a capital sucker) that just makes ALH the most vital voice.

Mrs. Huxtable wrote independently on the Glass House and clearly after the NYT Celebutant treatment that appealed to those who would like to envision white powder and backward sexses in a portable petri dish.

She did this great treatment and overcame it all so to speak. I just think she gets better as she gets better. The glue is the idea of Johnson and Huxtable cocktailing and absorbing the view of the flora and fauna.

IN THE GLASS HOUSE.. IMAGINE; They're laughing the whole time. Think about the acoustics in a glass house.

I remember I asked Mrs. Huxtable why she hasn't published a biography and she just sort of fizzled kind of like "that's not what 'they want' or maybe what I would I do"? I don't think she thinks we want it. And we do.

Very, very much. I really think the BIG story is Mrs. H life - the span and scale and romance. It's not about structure - it's about language. I'd buy it in a book or a movie or a download on youtube. Good Lord. Give us the low down, nitty gritty love we deserve! Sign a heavy upfront contract and research the hell out of it but give us your pure overview.