The Structure of Skyscrapers in America 1871-1900
Architectural History Civil Engineering Technology History Historic Preservation Structural Engineering Construction History American History
The Structure of Skyscrapers in America 1871-1900 by Donald Friedman is the definitive engineering deep-dive for anyone who wants to understand how iron and steel frames first pushed vertical limits after the Great Chicago Fire. Across 442 heavily-illustrated pages, Friedman—a practicing structural engineer and preservationist—reconstructs the trial-and-error evolution from cast-iron fronts to riveted skeletons, explaining in plain language why each new connection, wind-brace and foundation system mattered. Architects, students and armchair historians alike gain a clear, physics-based narrative of how early skyscrapers stood up, and why so many still do.
What separates this 2020 paperback from coffee-table photo books is its blend of archival drawings, period photographs and modern stress diagrams that let you “see” forces travel through columns and spandrels. Friedman mined patents, insurance surveys and out-of-print engineering journals to profile key buildings—the 1890 Wainwright, the 1895 American Surety, the 1898 St. Paul—showing how each solved unprecedented height, fire-proofing and wind-load problems. The result is a practical reference that preservationists use to document significance and that students cite for technical data on riveted built-up sections, wind bracing and early concrete-encased steel.
Collectors value this Association for Preservation Technology International edition for its rarity outside institutional libraries and its durable sewn binding that lies flat for desk use. This copy is clean and unmarked inside, with only a bumped upper corner from shelf life—no ex-library marks, no inscriptions, no underlining. For builders restoring late-19th-century lofts, historians writing National Register nominations, or enthusiasts tracing America’s race to the clouds, Friedman’s book is the single most comprehensive guide to the birth of the skyscraper era.
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