Fall 2011 Lecture Series

First Church of Christ, Scientist (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

Tickets: $15

Saturday, 24 September 2011
7:30 pm
First Church of Christ, Scientist
2619 Dwight Way, Berkeley

Mark A. Wilson :: Bernard Maybeck: Architect of Elegance
Mark A. Wilson, author of the new book Bernard Maybeck: Architect of Elegance (Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2011), will discuss Maybeck’s legacy and photographer Joel Puliatti will screen slides from the book. Maybeck’s granddaughter, Cherry Maybeck Nitler, will describe some of the most interesting anecdotes from her memories of growing up with “Ben.” A reception and book signing will follow. Co-sponsored by the Friends of First Church.



Thursday, 13 October 2011
7:30 pm
The Hillside Club
2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley

Christopher Grampp :: From Yard to Garden: The Domestication of America’s Home Grounds
Christopher Grampp, author of From Yard to Garden: The Domestication of America’s Home Grounds, examines the history of the American home garden and tracks the evolution of front and back yards as the nation evolved from an agrarian to an industrial economy. He connects the emergence of the modern home garden to the rise of suburbanization, the growth of city services, and the post–World War II baby boom, which established the single-family home and its grounds as the ideal American dwelling. Grampp argues that the home garden is best understood as an expression of habitability, or the ways in which Americans have collectively and individually transformed their home grounds into functional outdoor living areas. A reception will follow.


First Unitarian Church (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2004)

Friday, 18 November 2011
7:30 pm
Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley
1 Lawson Road, Kensington

Daniella Thompson :: The Berkeley Unitarians and Architectural Innovation
Early Berkeley Unitarians, whose membership included the Maybecks, the Keelers, and fellow founders of the Hillside Club, held a progressive view of architecture. Their first church building at Bancroft Way and Dana Street, designed by A.C. Schweinfurth and completed in 1898, incorporates startling architectural features and has been characterized as a “powerhouse.” Daniella Thompson will trace the history of the Unitarian community in Berkeley, introduce its cast of leading characters, and discuss the links between culture and nature embodied in its church buildings. A reception will follow. Co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley.

Directions to the church (please note: venue has changed)..

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