<i>E 40°: An Interpretive Atlas</i> (review)

“auto house.” though function is inevitably the primary focus of the book, distinctive form is also noted, as when the different shapes of parapets are analyzed and illustrated for the subtype known as the “auto shed with parapet” (with examples mostly from the 1920s). besides helping to organize this material, this analysis demonstrates the pride taken in these newfangled structures by their owners. anyone interested in the history of the garage or any community interested in preserving what is left of their own garage structures would be advised to consult this book. guides, guidebooks, and surveys declare what we think is architecturally significant. a book on garages would have been unthinkable fifty years ago; as pevsner himself said, “a bicycle shed is merely a building, lincoln cathedral is architecture.” the field is much more broad-minded and egalitarian than it used to be about what is considered worthy of attention (and preservation). at the same time, this very shift means we sometimes swim in data and are swamped with examples, an acute exasperation when producing a guidebook. Fortunately, as these books demonstrate, the answer to this dilemma does not have to be “either/or”; it can be “both/and.” no guidebook or survey will ever be complete and none will be definitive. each generation must produce its own, reflecting the evolving concerns of the time and the ongoing state of research.