March 7, 2025 • 59 mins
Guests: Kirk Henderson, Exhibits Manager, and Connor Lynch, Exhibits Associate, of the Georgia Tech LIbrary.
First broadcast March 7 2025. Transcript at https://hdl.handle.net/1853/77431
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"These folks live in the Exhibits Gallery."
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
(00:01):
[Clip from "So I Married anAxe Murderer"] VICKY: Hello,
everyone, I am a Park Rangerand I will be leading you
on the tour.
All of the Park Rangershere at Alcatraz
were at one timeguards, myself included.
My name is John Johnson, buteveryone here calls me Vicky.
Will you please follow me?
TONY (00:15):
I love Vicky, he's a great guy.
CHARLIE (00:17):
He's the best.
TONY (00:18):
Oh!
[ROCK MUSIC]
CHARLIE BENNETT (00:41):
You are listening to WREK Atlanta.
And this is Lost in theStacks, the Research Library
Rock'n'Roll Radio Show.
I'm Charlie Bennett,for the second time
in the studio with everybody.
Each week on Lost in theStacks, we pick a theme
and then use it to create amix of music and library talk.
Whichever you're herefor, we hope you dig it.
MARLEE GIVENS (01:01):
Our show today is called Defining Skylines,
in honor of ourguest's latest effort.
This is part six in our series,the Georgia Tech Library
Guidebook.
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:09):
On the first Friday of each month,
we visit a site inthe guidebook and talk
about a space or service inthe Georgia Tech Library.
FRED RASCOE (01:16):
Our site today is the exhibits gallery
on the first floor of thePrice Gilbert Library,
home of exhibits like 50Years of Science Fiction
at Georgia Tech, Fulton Bagand Cotton Mill, New South
Industry, and Design and Makingin the Trinidad Carnival.
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:32):
All of which have been
featured on Lost in the Stacks.
FRED RASCOE (01:35):
And while the work in the exhibit gallery
is the most immediateand visible,
we have exhibits and artthroughout the library
buildings, thanksto our guests today.
MARLEE GIVENS (01:45):
Our exhibits gallery is home
to the library'sfeature exhibit,
and our gueststoday are the ones
who help curators bring theirideas to life in the gallery.
So for our guidebook,we'll consider their work
centralized in one place.
ALEX MCGEE (02:00):
It's true, these folks
live in the exhibit gallery.
OK, just kidding.
They actually havedesks elsewhere,
but they have been practicallyliving in the gallery
the past few weeks.
The newest library exhibitis called Defining Skylines--
John Portman and theArchitectural Evolution
of Downtown Atlanta,which opens next week.
FRED RASCOE (02:16):
And our songs today are
about building design,construction of cityscapes,
and the feelings evoked bythoughtful architecture.
Portman's work can bevisited all around the globe.
But we like to think thatthe best things he did
were right back herein the city of Atlanta.
So let's start with "Back inAtlanta" by The Constellations,
(02:37):
right here on Lostin the Stacks.
[THE CONSTELLATIONS, "BACK INATLANTA"]
MARLEE GIVENS (02:50):
Indeed, that was "Back in Atlanta"
by The Constellations, andthis is Lost in the Stacks.
Our show today is calledDefining Skylines,
and it's all about theexhibit gallery and the latest
exhibition opening next week,also called Defining Skylines--
John Portman and theArchitectural Evolution
of Downtown Atlanta.
This is the sixth in our GeorgiaTech Library Guidebook series.
ALEX MCGEE (03:14):
On the first Friday of each month,
we visit a site fromthe guidebook featuring
a space or service inthe Georgia Tech Library.
And our guides today arepast and future guests, Kirk
Henderson and Connor Lynch.
MARLEE GIVENS (03:24):
And Alex, we're actually giving you
guest status on theshow, since you're
such a big part of theDefining Skylines exhibit.
ALEX MCGEE (03:31):
Let's do it.
I can multitask, no problem.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:34):
Let me make it official.
Our guests are all fromarchives and special collections
at the Georgia Tech Library.
Kirk Henderson is theExhibitions Program Manager,
Connor Lynch is theExhibit Specialist,
and Alex McGee is theUniversity Archivist and Curator
of this latest exhibit.
Welcome back to theshow, all of you.
KIRK HENDERSON (03:51):
Thank you.
ALEX MCGEE (03:52):
Thanks for having us.
CONNOR LYNCH (03:53):
Thank you.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:54):
OK, Kirk, let me go after you first.
Why are you doingwhat you're doing?
What is the goal of theLibrary Exhibits Program?
KIRK HENDERSON (04:04):
We like to think of the library
as a place of discovery.
I think that goes withoutsaying for the function
of a library in society.
And when we redesigned thebuildings a few years back,
one of our goalsand intentions was
to create a space wherethat kind of discovery
could happen with ourspecial collections that
(04:25):
wasn't just checkinginto the reading room
and looking at somematerials, but to experience
those materials, thoseunique collections that
are a part of GeorgiaTech's overall collection
in an exhibits fashion.
And that that serendipity ofjust encountering the stories
that these materials cantell would be a good way
(04:47):
to expose studentsand other folks.
Those exhibits that wedo in the gallery fall
into two overarching categories.
One would be things that dofeature our special collections,
so unique and rare materials.
But also, we workwith campus partners
to feature research andscholarship at Georgia Tech that
(05:08):
helps to platform what folksin other parts of the campus
community are doing.
So it's not exclusivelyhistory kind of exhibits.
But it's those twokinds of categories,
like special collections,unique stories
from history in ourcollections, and partnerships
with other campus entities.
CHARLIE BENNETT (05:29):
When you say "materials,"
I feel like that mustcover a lot of ground.
What are thesematerials you're talking
about from thespecial collections?
KIRK HENDERSON (05:37):
Well, we are an archive--
so if you think alot of documents,
photographs, thosekinds of things.
But also, we collect artifacts.
One of our more recent exhibitshad some sewing machines from
a 19th century textile mill.
This exhibit, that'sabout John Portman's work,
(05:58):
is going to have some chairs.
We couldn't afford to get thebuildings inside the building.
But he was veryfocused on designing
things that weren't just theexterior and the interior
of the building, but also thethings that made it work inside.
CHARLIE BENNETT (06:16):
Was he in competition with the Eames
about the chairs?
KIRK HENDERSON (06:19):
I think all architects-- and Alex can speak
to this, I think--all architects have
a stake in designing chairs.
ALEX MCGEE (06:28):
Totally.
CHARLIE BENNETT (06:30):
Hey, Connor.
CONNOR LYNCH (06:31):
What's up?
CHARLIE BENNETT (06:32):
Tell us about where we can see the work
that you and Kirk dothroughout the library.
CONNOR LYNCH (06:36):
Yeah, so we have the exhibits gallery that's
on the first floorof Price Gilbert.
But we also have otherlocations around the library.
There's the WinsettGallery that's
on the third floor of Clough.
Right now, there isthe OIE, or Office
of International Education photocompetition, so that's there.
We also have exhibitcases on the first floor
(06:57):
of Crosland Tower in theArchives Reading Room,
in the Si-Fi Lounge there.
And then depending on otherneeds or other exhibits
we want to work on, we willlocate other areas that
are appropriate in the library.
So coming up atthe end of March,
we have anotherexhibit partnering
with ChristinaShivers that's going
to go on the secondfloor of Crosland.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:19):
And how often do you have to switch out?
I mean, all the locationsyou just described to me,
it seems like maybe you'reconstantly changing everything.
CONNOR LYNCH (07:26):
It's a rotating door, yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:28):
Yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (07:29):
So the Price Gilbert Exhibit Gallery,
that one is maybe only once ayear just because of the scale
in which it has tobe done and the cost.
So that's about once a year.
But the other locations,we can change them out
a little more often.
So there's alwayssomething going on.
We probably change somethingout every couple months.
(07:49):
But there's alwaysother ideas we have.
We have a running list ofideas and things we could do,
and so there's alwayssomething in development.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:56):
Can you tell us something from that list?
CONNOR LYNCH (07:59):
Oh, gosh.
I've been at Techabout two years,
so I'm still learning aboutthe lore and different stories.
So I've always wantedto do something
about drownproofingand Fred Lanoue,
and that early classthat people had to take,
and maybe featuring that inthe Archives Reading Room.
So that's a maybe.
ALEX MCGEE (08:18):
I'll just go ahead and say, we
can make that happen.
CONNOR LYNCH (08:20):
Yeah.
MARLEE GIVENS (08:20):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:21):
When I came to tech long ago,
they were still talkingabout how you didn't have
to do drownproofing anymore.
CONNOR LYNCH (08:28):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:28):
It was still the, "oh, yeah, and you all."
So I would love to do ashow on drownproofing.
So do that exhibit, andwe'll bring you back on.
CONNOR LYNCH (08:37):
I'm trying to think if there's anything else.
There's so muchin Tech's history,
but also in our archivesthat could be featured.
So there's infinitepossibilities.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:47):
So we're coming to the end of the segment.
So I'm going to ask youa question that's huge.
But I still want youto try and answer it
in the last couple of minutes.
What do you workon with exhibits?
What are the thingsthat excite you?
What are the problemsthat you have
to solve in creatingexhibits that you enjoy?
CONNOR LYNCH (09:05):
One thing that Kirk and I
have talked about, I loveproblem solving and figuring
things out.
So that inherently,I think, as exhibits,
is trying to figure out howare we going to display things?
How are we going toput stuff together,
how are we goingto put stuff up,
what materials do we need,all that kind of thing.
But the whole process ismuch longer than that--
(09:28):
the fancy words of ideation,development, implementation
are kind of thebig three, I think.
KIRK HENDERSON (09:34):
Yeah.
I usually think ofit in terms of what
story are we going to tellwith this stuff that we have?
And so it becomesa design problem
of what's the informationdesign of what
are we going to tellyou about the things
that we're going to show you?
And then it also evolves intoa physical and visual design
(09:55):
issue of how do weput things that we
want to display in a space--
display them, tell yousomething about them.
Create the graphicmaterial around it.
Write all the material that goeswith that to help the visitor
actually appreciatewhat it is that we're
trying to tell them, show them,with materials that we have.
MARLEE GIVENS (10:15):
This is Lost in the Stacks
and we will be back withmore from Kirk Henderson
and Connor Lynchafter a music set.
File this set in any one ofthe nine folders dedicated
to John Calvin Portman inthe Georgia Tech archives.
[ROCK MUSIC]
ALEX MCGEE (10:40):
That was "Grave Architecture" by Pavement,
and before that,"Tall Buildings"
by The Josephine Network--
songs about beinginspired by architecture.
CHARLIE BENNETT (10:52):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and today's show iscalled Defining Skylines.
It's another episode in ourGeorgia Tech Library Guidebook.
MARLEE GIVENS: And we are talking (11:00):
undefined
with Kirk Henderson, ConnorLynch, and Alex McGee
about the newest exhibit openingnext week in the library's
gallery in Price Gilbert.
Connor, what is thenew exhibit about?
CONNOR LYNCH (11:13):
So the exhibit is about John Portman,
who is a Atlanta architect, butalso a Georgia Tech graduate.
He graduated in 1950.
And the exhibit exploresboth his education at Tech,
his role in Atlanta's growth,and then the influence
of his designs thereafter.
MARLEE GIVENS (11:33):
So, Alex, you have some experience
with John Portman.
Why John Portman now?
ALEX MCGEE (11:44):
So for those that don't know--
if you look me up on LinkedIn,you would find this out--
my first paid archivesgig was as an archivist
for John Portman.
So I actually worked inthe Portman archives.
And it's funny, we've hadstuff in this exhibit where
I was like, oh, that's myhandwriting on stuff that's
on loan from Portman.
(12:05):
Why now?
He passed away atthe end of 2017.
And I think Peachtree Center'sat a really interesting moment
where we're kind of seeing whatdo we do with these tall office
towers in downtown.
I think reflecting back onwhat his intentions were,
what he believed shouldbe a downtown area.
(12:27):
This concept ofthe coordinate unit
that we go intoin the exhibit, he
believed that people shouldbe able to work, live, shop,
get an education, butdo all these functions
in what he called acoordinate unit where you
shouldn't have to get in a car.
He's also a hugeproponent of MARTA.
He actually was very supportiveof getting that vote, where
(12:48):
it would eventually pass.
But I think just reflecting onhis time at Tech, his education,
and how that influenced hisdesigns and the investment
he had in the city of Atlanta.
And truthfully, Kirk pitchedme on, hey, maybe one day
we can do an exhibit sinceyou worked at Portman.
And I think we originallywere like, cool down the line.
(13:12):
And what do you know, "downthe line" ended up being--
KIRK HENDERSON: And we're here now. (13:14):
undefined
ALEX MCGEE (13:15):
--here now, yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:16):
Yeah.
So it is kind ofcoincidence, though, that you
were an archivist atthe Portman archives,
because this is part of youruniversity archivist mission.
This is a famousalum that you're
celebrating and exhibiting.
ALEX MCGEE (13:30):
I'm sure it didn't hurt when I interviewed
for this job, so yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:36):
And so is that how exhibits come to be?
You have an idea.
You think, oh,wouldn't it be cool?
And then see if youcan make it happen?
KIRK HENDERSON: Sometimes these things (13:44):
undefined
are based on whatcollections do we have?
In this case, theopportunity emerged
because of Alex's connectionsand the connection
of John Portman to Georgia Tech,that it was an idea that we
thought made real sense.
And I think one ofthe things is we
started to talk about howthe storyline could work.
(14:06):
Because Portman is a worldfamous architect and there's
a lot of stuff to cover,and we have a gallery
that's about 1300 square feet.
So the way that weworked the story
was that we realized he wasa Georgia Tech graduate.
We knew that.
And then we also realized thatsome of his last contributions,
(14:27):
in terms of being an architectas well as an artist,
were things that arehere at Georgia Tech.
So notably, it'sthe Coda Building,
which opened in 2019, thatwas one of the last building
projects that he wouldhave had a hand in.
And then the Cohensculpture that's on campus
was a contribution of his.
It was dedicated after hisdeath, but dedicated in 2021.
(14:50):
And that was an example ofhim being an artist, which
was very important to him interms of creative expression
and understanding the world.
And that's something we alsotry to cover in the exhibit.
So we saw Georgia Tech as abookend to his life experience.
And then in termsof crafting, well,
(15:11):
what can we coverin the exhibit,
I think it was Alex whobrought to the table the idea
of the building cluster downtownthat is Peachtree Center,
the Merchandise Mart, and allof those buildings which were
things that weredeveloped in the 1960s,
was an important turningpoint for Atlanta.
(15:32):
I think we have a quotein the exhibit someplace
from Mr. Portman'sson, Jack, where
he says his father continuedto develop in downtown Atlanta
when everybody else wasleaving town and moving
to the suburbs andthat kind of thing.
That Portman was veryinvested in developing
that downtown core--and is responsible for,
(15:55):
in some folks' opinion--for sort of saving
that portion of Atlanta.
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:00):
Did you look at our collection first?
Or did you ask for thingsfrom Portman archives
first when you were tryingto collect materials?
I'm kind of interested inwhat's the order of operations
when it comes to puttingsomething into the exhibit.
ALEX MCGEE (16:14):
Yeah, so initially when we were like, OK,
can we do this exhibit,the first thing I did was I
went to Portman and Iasked for permission.
I asked if they wouldcollaborate with us, basically.
Would they let me go inand look at the collections
again and loan things to us?
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:28):
Could you have done it without permission?
Like, not using theirmaterials, just done it?
ALEX MCGEE (16:31):
It would have been more expensive for us.
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:33):
OK.
ALEX MCGEE (16:34):
I mean, they provided images to us for free.
They gave us access to theircollections to do research.
They're a privatearchive, so they don't
have to give people access.
And it is part of their mission,I think, now, that they want to.
But they can say no to people.
(16:54):
So he had his solo firm,and got frustrated basically
that he was not gettingbig enough commissions.
He was doing houses,maybe an elementary school
here and there in the city, buthe wanted to do something more.
And so he actuallyformed a partnership
with H. Griffith Edwards,who was his professor here
at Georgia Tech.
So we do have H. GriffithEdwards's papers.
(17:15):
And we have stuff fromtheir partnership, Edwards
and Portman, which doesinclude a lot of materials
around the early projects.
The Hyatt RegencyAtlanta is probably
the most significantone in there.
But the Dana Fine ArtsCenter over at Agnes Scott
is in there, theMerchandise Mart,
the construction of the earlyPeachtree Center towers,
(17:35):
and the very beginningof Embarcadero Center
in San Francisco areall in that collection.
So we knew we hadstuff, it was just
going to be a lot easier if wehad Portman working with us.
CHARLIE BENNETT (17:45):
And all the stuff you just talked about,
that fits the sortof bookend narrative
that you were talking about.
Is that what made it clear?
Like, oh, look, we havestuff from the beginning
of the career.
Or did you start thinking aboutGeorgia Tech on either side--
oh, good, here it is?
ALEX MCGEE (18:00):
I'll confess, we had not
processed H. GriffithEdwards's papers,
so that actuallyhappened over the summer.
And we were like, oh,great, we have stuff.
CHARLIE BENNETT (18:10):
OK, good.
ALEX MCGEE (18:11):
We had a very high level description where
I felt good about it,but found more things
once it got processed.
CHARLIE BENNETT (18:18):
So the order of operations was chaos?
ALEX MCGEE (18:21):
No.
No, no, no.
MARLEE GIVENS (18:23):
But how long has it taken, start to finish?
ALEX MCGEE (18:27):
I think I had a meeting with the Portman family
in December of 2023.
MARLEE GIVENS (18:35):
All right.
You are listening toLost in the Stacks,
and we will hear moreabout the latest exhibit
opening in the library onthe left side of the hour.
[ROCK MUSIC]
JAD ABUMRAD (18:59):
Hey, this is Jad Abumrad from Radiolab,
and you are listeningto Lost in the Stacks,
the one and only researchlibrary rock and roll radio
show here on WREK in Atlanta.
[ROCK MUSIC]
CHARLIE BENNETT (19:21):
Today's show is called Defining Skylines.
And I want to read a quotefrom John Portman's book
The Architect asDeveloper, written in 1976.
"We cannot afford toabandon the cities.
It is a course of actionthat makes no sense--
either economically,politically, or socially.
And if we do not intendto abandon our cities,
(19:41):
we must stop acting as if thatis what we are going to do.
We must learn torestructure cities,
to make them economicallyhealthy and desirable places
for people to live and work in.
A city is not a fixed objectlike an individual building.
A city is a living entitythat is changing all the time.
You do not design a city in theway that you design a building.
(20:03):
But you can make a citya humane environment,
not just in isolated places,but continuously throughout its
whole fabric."
File this setunder NA737.P63B37.
[ROCK MUSIC]
(20:30):
[PRIESTS, "DESIGN WITHIN REACH"]
PRIEST (20:31):
(SINGING) Into it, out of it, into it, into it, into it
CHARLIE BENNETT (20:39):
That was "Design Within Reach"
by Priests.
And before that,"Blueprint" by Fugazi.
Songs about the design andplanning of big things.
ALEX MCGEE (20:53):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and our show today is partof the Georgia Tech Library
guidebook.
Today's episode is all aboutthe Exhibit Gallery, where
the newest exhibit in thelibrary, Defining Skylines,
opens next week.
CHARLIE BENNETT (21:04):
We're speaking with Kirk Henderson, Connor
Lynch, and Lost in theStacks producer Alex McGee.
They are all part of theGeorgia Tech Library's archives
and special collections.
And they are essentialpersonnel for Defining Skylines.
So off-air we were chattingabout what you hope people
take away from the exhibit.
And I was delightedwhen that just
(21:25):
devolved into enjoying all theselittle pieces of the exhibit.
There's Easter eggs almostthroughout the whole exhibit,
things that you really enjoy.
So I want to giveyou all a chance
to talk about what's yourfavorite little thing
in the exhibit that you kind ofhope people will stumble across?
CONNOR LYNCH (21:41):
Yeah.
So as you said, we have a lotof really fun, unique artifacts,
I think, in the exhibit.
And one of my favoritethings is a little paintbrush
that has a note attached to it.
And the story behindit is that someone
was visiting John Portman,or one of his studios,
and took this paintbrush askind of a sneaky souvenir.
CHARLIE BENNETT (22:00):
They stole the paintbrush.
CONNOR LYNCH (22:02):
They borrowed it, long-term loan.
So they took it, andthen years later,
I think probablya decade or more,
they sent it back becausethey felt so guilty.
And there's a noteattached to it apologizing
for taking the paintbrush.
And so that will bein one of the cases
that you can findin the exhibit.
CHARLIE BENNETT (22:18):
Nice.
Kirk?
KIRK HENDERSON: Yeah, I was thinking (22:21):
undefined
that one of the thingsthat I'm most fond of
is the fact that hewrote down what he
was thinking about in a book.
It's called Architectas Developer.
And when you'reworking on an exhibit
and you're trying to puttogether all the pieces
and parts, and thethings you have to write,
and things you have to find thephotograph for, and the things
(22:41):
you have to figure out how toexplain what this person was
thinking, and he did it for us.
So we just had to do alittle editing and harvest.
And when you visitthe exhibit, it'll
be fun to just gothrough and find out
what he's thinkingabout what he was doing,
and just let himexplain himself.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:01):
So having to write all that stuff is not
your favorite part of the job?
KIRK HENDERSON (23:05):
Well, I don't mind writing things.
I mean, I think that's oneof the interesting things
about doing an exhibitis figuring out
how to compact the story.
An old colleague thatI used to work with
said an exhibit'snot a book on a wall.
And so some people wouldbring a lot of expertise
into a particular exhibit,topic matter, subject matter,
(23:25):
and they want totell you too much.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:28):
Yeah.
KIRK HENDERSON (23:29):
And an exhibit, kind of like a radio show,
it's like we have todistill this down to we
have a certain amount ofspace, a certain amount of time
to cover this, andyou need to think
about what those thingsare that you want to say.
And so I enjoy that process.
But it's also very helpfulwhen the historical figure
you're talking with, ordoing the exhibit about,
(23:52):
does some of the work for you.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:53):
Nice.
Alex, we're goingto get to you, but I
want to jump over toMarlee real quick.
What was the thing thatcame up for you, Marlee,
when we were talking aboutparts of the exhibit?
MARLEE GIVENS (24:02):
The life-size cutout.
CHARLIE BENNETT (24:03):
The life-size cutout?
MARLEE GIVENS (24:04):
Mm-hmm.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Explain yourself. (24:05):
undefined
MARLEE GIVENS (24:07):
It's apparently a life-size cardboard
cutout of John Portman thatvisitors can take a selfie with.
# ALEX MCGEE: #PosingWithPortman, that (24:16):
undefined
is what we areasking people to do.
MARLEE GIVENS (24:22):
Is it gator board, foam board?
ALEX MCGEE (24:24):
It's not cardboard.
It's a littlestronger than that.
MARLEE GIVENS (24:25):
Oh, I'm sorry.
CONNOR LYNCH (24:26):
It's OK.
Yeah, so exhibit's come in--
CHARLIE BENNETT (24:29):
It's called a chip board.
MARLEE GIVENS (24:30):
Yeah, yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (24:31):
The materials we print
on come in manyshapes and forms.
But gator board, it's likea really stiff foam board.
So he's pretty sturdy.
ALEX MCGEE (24:41):
It's like a photo of a very young him.
I can't remember,is it '50s or '60s?
CONNOR LYNCH (24:48):
I would have to back and look.
ALEX MCGEE (24:50):
Leaning against a lamppost on Peachtree Street
where Peachtree Center is.
CONNOR LYNCH (24:55):
So yeah, we cut him out.
Went into Illustrator and cut aline out, but left the telephone
pole to make it look like hewas still leaning on something.
And that's what greetsyou when you first
come into the exhibit gallery.
So he's there.
ALEX MCGEE (25:08):
It was inspired-- there's
a cutout of LBJ,Lyndon Baines Johnson,
at the LBJ PresidentialLibrary that I have photos
from me in 2019.
He was known forleaning over people.
And so they had thislife-size cutout of him
where you could be likeahh, he's standing over me!
(25:30):
And I think my husband Tyler wasposing and was like, peace sign.
And so I came to Kirk andConnor with that idea of,
what if we do alife-size cutout?
CONNOR LYNCH (25:41):
I will say, we got a lot of our graphics last week,
and we've been putting them up.
And I forget he'sin there sometimes.
And I'll be working, andthen I'm like, what was that?
It's John Portman.
MARLEE GIVENS (25:53):
Oh, this happened on a previous guidebook episode
where Nic Fann wastalking about the buzz--
CHARLIE BENNETT (25:58):
Yeah.
MARLEE GIVENS (25:59):
--that was in the LRC.
ALEX MCGEE (26:01):
Oh.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:02):
And if you walk back far enough,
there's a standingshape waiting for you.
MARLEE GIVENS (26:05):
Yeah, catch it out of the corner of your eye.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:08):
So, Alex, what is your favorite little bit
of the exhibit?
ALEX MCGEE (26:12):
Well, there are many.
But I would probablysay the thing
that I really like getting toshowcase that we weren't talking
about earlier is probably ourbonus exhibit outside, which
we haven't even mentioned.
We actually have contentoutside of the gallery
with this exhibit,and it is a chapter
(26:33):
that I had come up withcalled Unbuilt Atlanta.
It's featuring renderings.
They have thisamazing collection
at Portman ofwatercolor renderings.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:43):
Wait, you said a chapter you came up with?
ALEX MCGEE (26:44):
For the exhibit.
CONNOR LYNCH (26:45):
Oh, yeah.
ALEX MCGEE (26:46):
Chapters in the exhibit.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:47):
Is that what you call it?
ALEX MCGEE (26:48):
That's how I-- yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (26:49):
Kirk, maybe you will explain it better.
But it's when we comeup with a narrative,
we think of it insections and we call
them chapters a lot of times.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Oh, that's great. (26:56):
undefined
ALEX MCGEE (26:56):
Yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (26:57):
Because we've said, if somebody only
read the headlines ofthings, would they still
get the concept of whatthe exhibit is about?
And so chapters area way to place that.
MARLEE GIVENS (27:07):
Yeah.
ALEX MCGEE (27:08):
And so Unbuilt Atlanta
is basically featuringsome model photographs,
some watercolorrenderings of projects
that he had done designconcepts for in Atlanta
that did not get realized.
There are some really--
we'll go with "trippy" ones.
There was an outdoor Peachtree--
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:29):
No, we say conceptual.
ALEX MCGEE (27:30):
Conceptual.
There was an outdoorentertainment arts complex
that he pitched thatwas in a huge city
block in Peachtree Center.
There was a GeorgiaCenter for the Arts
that would have been downtown.
He had a design for, RIP,Georgia World Congress Center.
So it's this look at anAtlanta that could have been,
is what I pitched it as.
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:52):
It sounds very cool.
Connor or Kirk,do one of you have
notes on the openingtimes and dates
for the exhibit and all that?
CONNOR LYNCH (28:02):
Yeah.
We have our officialopening reception,
RSVP only, on Tuesday, March 11.
But then it will be open to thepublic on Wednesday, March 12.
Our hours are 9:00 AM to 6:00PM every day of the week.
MARLEE GIVENS (28:17):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and today we visited theexhibition gallery located
in Price Gilbert Library for theGeorgia Tech Library Guidebook.
ALEX MCGEE (28:25):
Our guests today are Kirk Henderson, the Exhibitions
Program Manager, and ConnorLynch, the Exhibit Specialist
Exhibits Associate,who knows, both--
CHARLIE BENNETT: The Exhibits Person. (28:34):
undefined
ALEX MCGEE (28:35):
Yeah, both applicable.
Both with the Georgia Techlibraries Archives and Special
Collections.
Thanks so much forbeing on the show.
CHARLIE BENNETT (28:43):
Nice job with the dual role there, Alex.
ALEX MCGEE (28:46):
Thank you.
MARLEE GIVENS (28:47):
File this set under F294.A84S53.
[ROCK MUSIC]
(29:10):
You just heard "Constructs"by Plume, before that,
"Construction" by Tomato Flower.
And we started our set with"Build" by The Minders.
Songs about the processes ofbuilding and construction.
CHARLIE BENNETT (29:25):
Today's Lost in the Stacks
was called Defining Skylines,as part of the GT Library
Guidebook, and we visitedthe Exhibit Gallery
at the Georgia Tech Library.
OK, for fun, let's do aquick survey of everybody.
What's your favoritepiece of architecture
you've seen, either inthe media or in person?
My favorite is David Lynch'shouse from Lost Highway.
(29:47):
Which I did go to visit, andI did stand on the stoop,
and I'm pretty sure Iheard a table saw running
while that was happening.
Fred, how about you?
FRED RASCOE (29:55):
Yeah, not as creepy.
When I was in high school,I was fortunate enough
to go on a two-week exchangewith about 14 of my classmates
to Brescia, which is atown in Northern Italy.
And on the first day there--
I grew up in Charlotte,North Carolina.
This was just peoplefrom suburban Charlotte,
North Carolina.
(30:15):
The first day there,we saw a temple.
In English, it's "TheTemple of Brescia,"
but it has an Italianname, as well.
And it was constructedin like 79 AD or CE.
CHARLIE BENNETT: [LAUGHS] Not 1979. (30:27):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (30:30):
The oldest thing that I pretty much had ever seen
was a strip mall.
And so seeing this--
I was, of course,aware of things that
were thousands of years old.
But seeing it in person just hada really profound effect on me.
Like, that's the thingthere, and people were there.
They touched itand existed in it.
CHARLIE BENNETT (30:48):
I think that's just as creepy.
[LAUGHTER]
Marlee?
MARLEE GIVENS (30:55):
I like Frank Lloyd Wright, so The Guggenheim.
Cody?
CODY (31:04):
I think of, I guess it's a church
on top of a mountain inSpain that I went to.
I had a similarreaction to you, Fred,
where I was like, man, thisso old and so beautiful.
And I can think about how manypeople have been through here.
ALEX MCGEE (31:20):
Well, let me just add
to the list of Europeanchurches, I guess.
I would say La SagradaFamilia in Barcelona.
I have been lucky to go twice.
I went in 2017, and then Iwent back again last summer.
And they had actuallycompleted another tower
while I was there, sothat was really cool.
But I think the stained glassbeing in there is just--
(31:43):
I mean, I could bein there for hours.
And I took manyInstagram-worthy photos.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:50):
Connor?
CONNOR LYNCH (31:51):
Oh, me?
OK, so I had to think about it.
It's also a church.
We all love churches.
I have not been there.
But in Iceland, there'sa church in Reykjavik.
And I cannot remember the name,but it's a big Lutheran Church.
And I think when wethink of churches,
we think of big,ancient structures that
have been around a long time.
This is a newer church.
(32:11):
But it has these big, sweeping,walls come from very low
up to very, very highat the center of it.
It has just areally cool facade.
I don't want tobutcher the name,
but I think it's justthe Church of Iceland,
or Lutheran Church in Iceland.
KIRK HENDERSON (32:27):
For me, I think it's
going to be Frank LloydWright's home and studio
in Oak Park, Illinois.
The home he built forhimself and the studio
when he went out on hisown as an architect.
It was really very impressive.
And I thought, Icould live here.
CHARLIE BENNETT (32:47):
So churches, Frank Lloyd Wright and David
Lynch--
is that where we're at?
MARLEE GIVENS (32:52):
Mm-hmm.
CHARLIE BENNETT (32:52):
Cool.
Roll the credits.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Lost in the Stacksis a collaboration
between WREK Atlanta andthe Georgia Tech Library.
Written and produced byAlex McGee, Charlie Bennett,
Fred Raskin and Marlee Givens.
MARLEE GIVENS (33:06):
Legal counsel and a life-size cutout
of Philip Burrishimself were provided
by the Burrus IntellectualProperty Law Group
in Atlanta, Georgia.
CHARLIE BENNETT (33:15):
We're all going to take a selfie.
ALEX MCGEE (33:16):
Special thanks to Kirk and Connor
for being on the showtoday, and to Paige Adair,
Katie Toomey, and BeccaBrown at the Poorman Archives
for all they broughtto the exhibit.
And lastly, to Jana Portmanfor saying yes over a year ago
when I pitched this little idea.
And thanks, as always, toeach and every one of you
for listening.
Our web page is library.gatech.edu/lostinthestacks,
(33:38):
where you'll find ourmost recent episode,
a link to our podcastfeed, and a web form
if you want to getin touch with us.
MARLEE GIVENS (33:44):
Next week, we're doing some retro tech
archaeology on a gamingsystem from the '80s.
FRED RASCOE (33:49):
It's time for our last song today.
The great thing aboutthe Portman exhibit--
well, there's a lot of greatthings about the Portman
Exhibit.
But one great thing about thePortman Exhibit at the Georgia
Tech Library is thatanyone who visits
the exhibition inthe library gallery
can then subsequently takea short walk off campus
and see some of the actualbuildings he designed,
(34:11):
and that stroll throughdowntown Atlanta
will naturally take youdown Peachtree Street.
So let's close with"Peachtree Street"
by Frank Sinatra and RosemaryClooney right here on Lost
in the Stacks.
[SINATRA & CLOONEY,"PEACHTREE STREET"]
ROSEMARY CLOONEY (34:27):
Say, Frank, you want to take a walk?
FRANK SINATRA: Why, sure, sweetie. (34:30):
undefined
Just pick a street.
ROSEMARY CLOONEY: Piccadilly circus. (34:32):
undefined
FRANK SINATRA (34:33):
Oh, I'd rather not.
ROSEMARY CLOONEY: Champs Elysees? (34:34):
undefined
FRANK SINATRA (34:35):
Mais, non.
(00:01):
[Clip from "So I Married anAxe Murderer"] VICKY: Hello,
everyone, I am a Park Rangerand I will be leading you
on the tour.
All of the Park Rangershere at Alcatraz
were at one timeguards, myself included.
My name is John Johnson, buteveryone here calls me Vicky.
Will you please follow me?
TONY (00:15):
I love Vicky, he's a great guy.
CHARLIE (00:17):
He's the best.
TONY (00:18):
Oh!
[ROCK MUSIC]
CHARLIE BENNETT (00:41):
You are listening to WREK Atlanta.
And this is Lost in theStacks, the Research Library
Rock'n'Roll Radio Show.
I'm Charlie Bennett,for the second time
in the studio with everybody.
Each week on Lost in theStacks, we pick a theme
and then use it to create amix of music and library talk.
Whichever you're herefor, we hope you dig it.
MARLEE GIVENS (01:01):
Our show today is called Defining Skylines,
in honor of ourguest's latest effort.
This is part six in our series,the Georgia Tech Library
Guidebook.
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:09):
On the first Friday of each month,
we visit a site inthe guidebook and talk
about a space or service inthe Georgia Tech Library.
FRED RASCOE (01:16):
Our site today is the exhibits gallery
on the first floor of thePrice Gilbert Library,
home of exhibits like 50Years of Science Fiction
at Georgia Tech, Fulton Bagand Cotton Mill, New South
Industry, and Design and Makingin the Trinidad Carnival.
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:32):
All of which have been
featured on Lost in the Stacks.
FRED RASCOE (01:35):
And while the work in the exhibit gallery
is the most immediateand visible,
we have exhibits and artthroughout the library
buildings, thanksto our guests today.
MARLEE GIVENS (01:45):
Our exhibits gallery is home
to the library'sfeature exhibit,
and our gueststoday are the ones
who help curators bring theirideas to life in the gallery.
So for our guidebook,we'll consider their work
centralized in one place.
ALEX MCGEE (02:00):
It's true, these folks
live in the exhibit gallery.
OK, just kidding.
They actually havedesks elsewhere,
but they have been practicallyliving in the gallery
the past few weeks.
The newest library exhibitis called Defining Skylines--
John Portman and theArchitectural Evolution
of Downtown Atlanta,which opens next week.
FRED RASCOE (02:16):
And our songs today are
about building design,construction of cityscapes,
and the feelings evoked bythoughtful architecture.
Portman's work can bevisited all around the globe.
But we like to think thatthe best things he did
were right back herein the city of Atlanta.
So let's start with "Back inAtlanta" by The Constellations,
(02:37):
right here on Lostin the Stacks.
[THE CONSTELLATIONS, "BACK INATLANTA"]
MARLEE GIVENS (02:50):
Indeed, that was "Back in Atlanta"
by The Constellations, andthis is Lost in the Stacks.
Our show today is calledDefining Skylines,
and it's all about theexhibit gallery and the latest
exhibition opening next week,also called Defining Skylines--
John Portman and theArchitectural Evolution
of Downtown Atlanta.
This is the sixth in our GeorgiaTech Library Guidebook series.
ALEX MCGEE (03:14):
On the first Friday of each month,
we visit a site fromthe guidebook featuring
a space or service inthe Georgia Tech Library.
And our guides today arepast and future guests, Kirk
Henderson and Connor Lynch.
MARLEE GIVENS (03:24):
And Alex, we're actually giving you
guest status on theshow, since you're
such a big part of theDefining Skylines exhibit.
ALEX MCGEE (03:31):
Let's do it.
I can multitask, no problem.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:34):
Let me make it official.
Our guests are all fromarchives and special collections
at the Georgia Tech Library.
Kirk Henderson is theExhibitions Program Manager,
Connor Lynch is theExhibit Specialist,
and Alex McGee is theUniversity Archivist and Curator
of this latest exhibit.
Welcome back to theshow, all of you.
KIRK HENDERSON (03:51):
Thank you.
ALEX MCGEE (03:52):
Thanks for having us.
CONNOR LYNCH (03:53):
Thank you.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:54):
OK, Kirk, let me go after you first.
Why are you doingwhat you're doing?
What is the goal of theLibrary Exhibits Program?
KIRK HENDERSON (04:04):
We like to think of the library
as a place of discovery.
I think that goes withoutsaying for the function
of a library in society.
And when we redesigned thebuildings a few years back,
one of our goalsand intentions was
to create a space wherethat kind of discovery
could happen with ourspecial collections that
(04:25):
wasn't just checkinginto the reading room
and looking at somematerials, but to experience
those materials, thoseunique collections that
are a part of GeorgiaTech's overall collection
in an exhibits fashion.
And that that serendipity ofjust encountering the stories
that these materials cantell would be a good way
(04:47):
to expose studentsand other folks.
Those exhibits that wedo in the gallery fall
into two overarching categories.
One would be things that dofeature our special collections,
so unique and rare materials.
But also, we workwith campus partners
to feature research andscholarship at Georgia Tech that
(05:08):
helps to platform what folksin other parts of the campus
community are doing.
So it's not exclusivelyhistory kind of exhibits.
But it's those twokinds of categories,
like special collections,unique stories
from history in ourcollections, and partnerships
with other campus entities.
CHARLIE BENNETT (05:29):
When you say "materials,"
I feel like that mustcover a lot of ground.
What are thesematerials you're talking
about from thespecial collections?
KIRK HENDERSON (05:37):
Well, we are an archive--
so if you think alot of documents,
photographs, thosekinds of things.
But also, we collect artifacts.
One of our more recent exhibitshad some sewing machines from
a 19th century textile mill.
This exhibit, that'sabout John Portman's work,
(05:58):
is going to have some chairs.
We couldn't afford to get thebuildings inside the building.
But he was veryfocused on designing
things that weren't just theexterior and the interior
of the building, but also thethings that made it work inside.
CHARLIE BENNETT (06:16):
Was he in competition with the Eames
about the chairs?
KIRK HENDERSON (06:19):
I think all architects-- and Alex can speak
to this, I think--all architects have
a stake in designing chairs.
ALEX MCGEE (06:28):
Totally.
CHARLIE BENNETT (06:30):
Hey, Connor.
CONNOR LYNCH (06:31):
What's up?
CHARLIE BENNETT (06:32):
Tell us about where we can see the work
that you and Kirk dothroughout the library.
CONNOR LYNCH (06:36):
Yeah, so we have the exhibits gallery that's
on the first floorof Price Gilbert.
But we also have otherlocations around the library.
There's the WinsettGallery that's
on the third floor of Clough.
Right now, there isthe OIE, or Office
of International Education photocompetition, so that's there.
We also have exhibitcases on the first floor
(06:57):
of Crosland Tower in theArchives Reading Room,
in the Si-Fi Lounge there.
And then depending on otherneeds or other exhibits
we want to work on, we willlocate other areas that
are appropriate in the library.
So coming up atthe end of March,
we have anotherexhibit partnering
with ChristinaShivers that's going
to go on the secondfloor of Crosland.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:19):
And how often do you have to switch out?
I mean, all the locationsyou just described to me,
it seems like maybe you'reconstantly changing everything.
CONNOR LYNCH (07:26):
It's a rotating door, yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:28):
Yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (07:29):
So the Price Gilbert Exhibit Gallery,
that one is maybe only once ayear just because of the scale
in which it has tobe done and the cost.
So that's about once a year.
But the other locations,we can change them out
a little more often.
So there's alwayssomething going on.
We probably change somethingout every couple months.
(07:49):
But there's alwaysother ideas we have.
We have a running list ofideas and things we could do,
and so there's alwayssomething in development.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:56):
Can you tell us something from that list?
CONNOR LYNCH (07:59):
Oh, gosh.
I've been at Techabout two years,
so I'm still learning aboutthe lore and different stories.
So I've always wantedto do something
about drownproofingand Fred Lanoue,
and that early classthat people had to take,
and maybe featuring that inthe Archives Reading Room.
So that's a maybe.
ALEX MCGEE (08:18):
I'll just go ahead and say, we
can make that happen.
CONNOR LYNCH (08:20):
Yeah.
MARLEE GIVENS (08:20):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:21):
When I came to tech long ago,
they were still talkingabout how you didn't have
to do drownproofing anymore.
CONNOR LYNCH (08:28):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:28):
It was still the, "oh, yeah, and you all."
So I would love to do ashow on drownproofing.
So do that exhibit, andwe'll bring you back on.
CONNOR LYNCH (08:37):
I'm trying to think if there's anything else.
There's so muchin Tech's history,
but also in our archivesthat could be featured.
So there's infinitepossibilities.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:47):
So we're coming to the end of the segment.
So I'm going to ask youa question that's huge.
But I still want youto try and answer it
in the last couple of minutes.
What do you workon with exhibits?
What are the thingsthat excite you?
What are the problemsthat you have
to solve in creatingexhibits that you enjoy?
CONNOR LYNCH (09:05):
One thing that Kirk and I
have talked about, I loveproblem solving and figuring
things out.
So that inherently,I think, as exhibits,
is trying to figure out howare we going to display things?
How are we going toput stuff together,
how are we goingto put stuff up,
what materials do we need,all that kind of thing.
But the whole process ismuch longer than that--
(09:28):
the fancy words of ideation,development, implementation
are kind of thebig three, I think.
KIRK HENDERSON (09:34):
Yeah.
I usually think ofit in terms of what
story are we going to tellwith this stuff that we have?
And so it becomesa design problem
of what's the informationdesign of what
are we going to tellyou about the things
that we're going to show you?
And then it also evolves intoa physical and visual design
(09:55):
issue of how do weput things that we
want to display in a space--
display them, tell yousomething about them.
Create the graphicmaterial around it.
Write all the material that goeswith that to help the visitor
actually appreciatewhat it is that we're
trying to tell them, show them,with materials that we have.
MARLEE GIVENS (10:15):
This is Lost in the Stacks
and we will be back withmore from Kirk Henderson
and Connor Lynchafter a music set.
File this set in any one ofthe nine folders dedicated
to John Calvin Portman inthe Georgia Tech archives.
[ROCK MUSIC]
ALEX MCGEE (10:40):
That was "Grave Architecture" by Pavement,
and before that,"Tall Buildings"
by The Josephine Network--
songs about beinginspired by architecture.
CHARLIE BENNETT (10:52):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and today's show iscalled Defining Skylines.
It's another episode in ourGeorgia Tech Library Guidebook.
MARLEE GIVENS: And we are talking (11:00):
undefined
with Kirk Henderson, ConnorLynch, and Alex McGee
about the newest exhibit openingnext week in the library's
gallery in Price Gilbert.
Connor, what is thenew exhibit about?
CONNOR LYNCH (11:13):
So the exhibit is about John Portman,
who is a Atlanta architect, butalso a Georgia Tech graduate.
He graduated in 1950.
And the exhibit exploresboth his education at Tech,
his role in Atlanta's growth,and then the influence
of his designs thereafter.
MARLEE GIVENS (11:33):
So, Alex, you have some experience
with John Portman.
Why John Portman now?
ALEX MCGEE (11:44):
So for those that don't know--
if you look me up on LinkedIn,you would find this out--
my first paid archivesgig was as an archivist
for John Portman.
So I actually worked inthe Portman archives.
And it's funny, we've hadstuff in this exhibit where
I was like, oh, that's myhandwriting on stuff that's
on loan from Portman.
(12:05):
Why now?
He passed away atthe end of 2017.
And I think Peachtree Center'sat a really interesting moment
where we're kind of seeing whatdo we do with these tall office
towers in downtown.
I think reflecting back onwhat his intentions were,
what he believed shouldbe a downtown area.
(12:27):
This concept ofthe coordinate unit
that we go intoin the exhibit, he
believed that people shouldbe able to work, live, shop,
get an education, butdo all these functions
in what he called acoordinate unit where you
shouldn't have to get in a car.
He's also a hugeproponent of MARTA.
He actually was very supportiveof getting that vote, where
(12:48):
it would eventually pass.
But I think just reflecting onhis time at Tech, his education,
and how that influenced hisdesigns and the investment
he had in the city of Atlanta.
And truthfully, Kirk pitchedme on, hey, maybe one day
we can do an exhibit sinceyou worked at Portman.
And I think we originallywere like, cool down the line.
(13:12):
And what do you know, "downthe line" ended up being--
KIRK HENDERSON: And we're here now. (13:14):
undefined
ALEX MCGEE (13:15):
--here now, yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:16):
Yeah.
So it is kind ofcoincidence, though, that you
were an archivist atthe Portman archives,
because this is part of youruniversity archivist mission.
This is a famousalum that you're
celebrating and exhibiting.
ALEX MCGEE (13:30):
I'm sure it didn't hurt when I interviewed
for this job, so yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:36):
And so is that how exhibits come to be?
You have an idea.
You think, oh,wouldn't it be cool?
And then see if youcan make it happen?
KIRK HENDERSON: Sometimes these things (13:44):
undefined
are based on whatcollections do we have?
In this case, theopportunity emerged
because of Alex's connectionsand the connection
of John Portman to Georgia Tech,that it was an idea that we
thought made real sense.
And I think one ofthe things is we
started to talk about howthe storyline could work.
(14:06):
Because Portman is a worldfamous architect and there's
a lot of stuff to cover,and we have a gallery
that's about 1300 square feet.
So the way that weworked the story
was that we realized he wasa Georgia Tech graduate.
We knew that.
And then we also realized thatsome of his last contributions,
(14:27):
in terms of being an architectas well as an artist,
were things that arehere at Georgia Tech.
So notably, it'sthe Coda Building,
which opened in 2019, thatwas one of the last building
projects that he wouldhave had a hand in.
And then the Cohensculpture that's on campus
was a contribution of his.
It was dedicated after hisdeath, but dedicated in 2021.
(14:50):
And that was an example ofhim being an artist, which
was very important to him interms of creative expression
and understanding the world.
And that's something we alsotry to cover in the exhibit.
So we saw Georgia Tech as abookend to his life experience.
And then in termsof crafting, well,
(15:11):
what can we coverin the exhibit,
I think it was Alex whobrought to the table the idea
of the building cluster downtownthat is Peachtree Center,
the Merchandise Mart, and allof those buildings which were
things that weredeveloped in the 1960s,
was an important turningpoint for Atlanta.
(15:32):
I think we have a quotein the exhibit someplace
from Mr. Portman'sson, Jack, where
he says his father continuedto develop in downtown Atlanta
when everybody else wasleaving town and moving
to the suburbs andthat kind of thing.
That Portman was veryinvested in developing
that downtown core--and is responsible for,
(15:55):
in some folks' opinion--for sort of saving
that portion of Atlanta.
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:00):
Did you look at our collection first?
Or did you ask for thingsfrom Portman archives
first when you were tryingto collect materials?
I'm kind of interested inwhat's the order of operations
when it comes to puttingsomething into the exhibit.
ALEX MCGEE (16:14):
Yeah, so initially when we were like, OK,
can we do this exhibit,the first thing I did was I
went to Portman and Iasked for permission.
I asked if they wouldcollaborate with us, basically.
Would they let me go inand look at the collections
again and loan things to us?
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:28):
Could you have done it without permission?
Like, not using theirmaterials, just done it?
ALEX MCGEE (16:31):
It would have been more expensive for us.
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:33):
OK.
ALEX MCGEE (16:34):
I mean, they provided images to us for free.
They gave us access to theircollections to do research.
They're a privatearchive, so they don't
have to give people access.
And it is part of their mission,I think, now, that they want to.
But they can say no to people.
(16:54):
So he had his solo firm,and got frustrated basically
that he was not gettingbig enough commissions.
He was doing houses,maybe an elementary school
here and there in the city, buthe wanted to do something more.
And so he actuallyformed a partnership
with H. Griffith Edwards,who was his professor here
at Georgia Tech.
So we do have H. GriffithEdwards's papers.
(17:15):
And we have stuff fromtheir partnership, Edwards
and Portman, which doesinclude a lot of materials
around the early projects.
The Hyatt RegencyAtlanta is probably
the most significantone in there.
But the Dana Fine ArtsCenter over at Agnes Scott
is in there, theMerchandise Mart,
the construction of the earlyPeachtree Center towers,
(17:35):
and the very beginningof Embarcadero Center
in San Francisco areall in that collection.
So we knew we hadstuff, it was just
going to be a lot easier if wehad Portman working with us.
CHARLIE BENNETT (17:45):
And all the stuff you just talked about,
that fits the sortof bookend narrative
that you were talking about.
Is that what made it clear?
Like, oh, look, we havestuff from the beginning
of the career.
Or did you start thinking aboutGeorgia Tech on either side--
oh, good, here it is?
ALEX MCGEE (18:00):
I'll confess, we had not
processed H. GriffithEdwards's papers,
so that actuallyhappened over the summer.
And we were like, oh,great, we have stuff.
CHARLIE BENNETT (18:10):
OK, good.
ALEX MCGEE (18:11):
We had a very high level description where
I felt good about it,but found more things
once it got processed.
CHARLIE BENNETT (18:18):
So the order of operations was chaos?
ALEX MCGEE (18:21):
No.
No, no, no.
MARLEE GIVENS (18:23):
But how long has it taken, start to finish?
ALEX MCGEE (18:27):
I think I had a meeting with the Portman family
in December of 2023.
MARLEE GIVENS (18:35):
All right.
You are listening toLost in the Stacks,
and we will hear moreabout the latest exhibit
opening in the library onthe left side of the hour.
[ROCK MUSIC]
JAD ABUMRAD (18:59):
Hey, this is Jad Abumrad from Radiolab,
and you are listeningto Lost in the Stacks,
the one and only researchlibrary rock and roll radio
show here on WREK in Atlanta.
[ROCK MUSIC]
CHARLIE BENNETT (19:21):
Today's show is called Defining Skylines.
And I want to read a quotefrom John Portman's book
The Architect asDeveloper, written in 1976.
"We cannot afford toabandon the cities.
It is a course of actionthat makes no sense--
either economically,politically, or socially.
And if we do not intendto abandon our cities,
(19:41):
we must stop acting as if thatis what we are going to do.
We must learn torestructure cities,
to make them economicallyhealthy and desirable places
for people to live and work in.
A city is not a fixed objectlike an individual building.
A city is a living entitythat is changing all the time.
You do not design a city in theway that you design a building.
(20:03):
But you can make a citya humane environment,
not just in isolated places,but continuously throughout its
whole fabric."
File this setunder NA737.P63B37.
[ROCK MUSIC]
(20:30):
[PRIESTS, "DESIGN WITHIN REACH"]
PRIEST (20:31):
(SINGING) Into it, out of it, into it, into it, into it
CHARLIE BENNETT (20:39):
That was "Design Within Reach"
by Priests.
And before that,"Blueprint" by Fugazi.
Songs about the design andplanning of big things.
ALEX MCGEE (20:53):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and our show today is partof the Georgia Tech Library
guidebook.
Today's episode is all aboutthe Exhibit Gallery, where
the newest exhibit in thelibrary, Defining Skylines,
opens next week.
CHARLIE BENNETT (21:04):
We're speaking with Kirk Henderson, Connor
Lynch, and Lost in theStacks producer Alex McGee.
They are all part of theGeorgia Tech Library's archives
and special collections.
And they are essentialpersonnel for Defining Skylines.
So off-air we were chattingabout what you hope people
take away from the exhibit.
And I was delightedwhen that just
(21:25):
devolved into enjoying all theselittle pieces of the exhibit.
There's Easter eggs almostthroughout the whole exhibit,
things that you really enjoy.
So I want to giveyou all a chance
to talk about what's yourfavorite little thing
in the exhibit that you kind ofhope people will stumble across?
CONNOR LYNCH (21:41):
Yeah.
So as you said, we have a lotof really fun, unique artifacts,
I think, in the exhibit.
And one of my favoritethings is a little paintbrush
that has a note attached to it.
And the story behindit is that someone
was visiting John Portman,or one of his studios,
and took this paintbrush askind of a sneaky souvenir.
CHARLIE BENNETT (22:00):
They stole the paintbrush.
CONNOR LYNCH (22:02):
They borrowed it, long-term loan.
So they took it, andthen years later,
I think probablya decade or more,
they sent it back becausethey felt so guilty.
And there's a noteattached to it apologizing
for taking the paintbrush.
And so that will bein one of the cases
that you can findin the exhibit.
CHARLIE BENNETT (22:18):
Nice.
Kirk?
KIRK HENDERSON: Yeah, I was thinking (22:21):
undefined
that one of the thingsthat I'm most fond of
is the fact that hewrote down what he
was thinking about in a book.
It's called Architectas Developer.
And when you'reworking on an exhibit
and you're trying to puttogether all the pieces
and parts, and thethings you have to write,
and things you have to find thephotograph for, and the things
(22:41):
you have to figure out how toexplain what this person was
thinking, and he did it for us.
So we just had to do alittle editing and harvest.
And when you visitthe exhibit, it'll
be fun to just gothrough and find out
what he's thinkingabout what he was doing,
and just let himexplain himself.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:01):
So having to write all that stuff is not
your favorite part of the job?
KIRK HENDERSON (23:05):
Well, I don't mind writing things.
I mean, I think that's oneof the interesting things
about doing an exhibitis figuring out
how to compact the story.
An old colleague thatI used to work with
said an exhibit'snot a book on a wall.
And so some people wouldbring a lot of expertise
into a particular exhibit,topic matter, subject matter,
(23:25):
and they want totell you too much.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:28):
Yeah.
KIRK HENDERSON (23:29):
And an exhibit, kind of like a radio show,
it's like we have todistill this down to we
have a certain amount ofspace, a certain amount of time
to cover this, andyou need to think
about what those thingsare that you want to say.
And so I enjoy that process.
But it's also very helpfulwhen the historical figure
you're talking with, ordoing the exhibit about,
(23:52):
does some of the work for you.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:53):
Nice.
Alex, we're goingto get to you, but I
want to jump over toMarlee real quick.
What was the thing thatcame up for you, Marlee,
when we were talking aboutparts of the exhibit?
MARLEE GIVENS (24:02):
The life-size cutout.
CHARLIE BENNETT (24:03):
The life-size cutout?
MARLEE GIVENS (24:04):
Mm-hmm.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Explain yourself. (24:05):
undefined
MARLEE GIVENS (24:07):
It's apparently a life-size cardboard
cutout of John Portman thatvisitors can take a selfie with.
# ALEX MCGEE: #PosingWithPortman, that (24:16):
undefined
is what we areasking people to do.
MARLEE GIVENS (24:22):
Is it gator board, foam board?
ALEX MCGEE (24:24):
It's not cardboard.
It's a littlestronger than that.
MARLEE GIVENS (24:25):
Oh, I'm sorry.
CONNOR LYNCH (24:26):
It's OK.
Yeah, so exhibit's come in--
CHARLIE BENNETT (24:29):
It's called a chip board.
MARLEE GIVENS (24:30):
Yeah, yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (24:31):
The materials we print
on come in manyshapes and forms.
But gator board, it's likea really stiff foam board.
So he's pretty sturdy.
ALEX MCGEE (24:41):
It's like a photo of a very young him.
I can't remember,is it '50s or '60s?
CONNOR LYNCH (24:48):
I would have to back and look.
ALEX MCGEE (24:50):
Leaning against a lamppost on Peachtree Street
where Peachtree Center is.
CONNOR LYNCH (24:55):
So yeah, we cut him out.
Went into Illustrator and cut aline out, but left the telephone
pole to make it look like hewas still leaning on something.
And that's what greetsyou when you first
come into the exhibit gallery.
So he's there.
ALEX MCGEE (25:08):
It was inspired-- there's
a cutout of LBJ,Lyndon Baines Johnson,
at the LBJ PresidentialLibrary that I have photos
from me in 2019.
He was known forleaning over people.
And so they had thislife-size cutout of him
where you could be likeahh, he's standing over me!
(25:30):
And I think my husband Tyler wasposing and was like, peace sign.
And so I came to Kirk andConnor with that idea of,
what if we do alife-size cutout?
CONNOR LYNCH (25:41):
I will say, we got a lot of our graphics last week,
and we've been putting them up.
And I forget he'sin there sometimes.
And I'll be working, andthen I'm like, what was that?
It's John Portman.
MARLEE GIVENS (25:53):
Oh, this happened on a previous guidebook episode
where Nic Fann wastalking about the buzz--
CHARLIE BENNETT (25:58):
Yeah.
MARLEE GIVENS (25:59):
--that was in the LRC.
ALEX MCGEE (26:01):
Oh.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:02):
And if you walk back far enough,
there's a standingshape waiting for you.
MARLEE GIVENS (26:05):
Yeah, catch it out of the corner of your eye.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:08):
So, Alex, what is your favorite little bit
of the exhibit?
ALEX MCGEE (26:12):
Well, there are many.
But I would probablysay the thing
that I really like getting toshowcase that we weren't talking
about earlier is probably ourbonus exhibit outside, which
we haven't even mentioned.
We actually have contentoutside of the gallery
with this exhibit,and it is a chapter
(26:33):
that I had come up withcalled Unbuilt Atlanta.
It's featuring renderings.
They have thisamazing collection
at Portman ofwatercolor renderings.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:43):
Wait, you said a chapter you came up with?
ALEX MCGEE (26:44):
For the exhibit.
CONNOR LYNCH (26:45):
Oh, yeah.
ALEX MCGEE (26:46):
Chapters in the exhibit.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:47):
Is that what you call it?
ALEX MCGEE (26:48):
That's how I-- yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (26:49):
Kirk, maybe you will explain it better.
But it's when we comeup with a narrative,
we think of it insections and we call
them chapters a lot of times.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Oh, that's great. (26:56):
undefined
ALEX MCGEE (26:56):
Yeah.
CONNOR LYNCH (26:57):
Because we've said, if somebody only
read the headlines ofthings, would they still
get the concept of whatthe exhibit is about?
And so chapters area way to place that.
MARLEE GIVENS (27:07):
Yeah.
ALEX MCGEE (27:08):
And so Unbuilt Atlanta
is basically featuringsome model photographs,
some watercolorrenderings of projects
that he had done designconcepts for in Atlanta
that did not get realized.
There are some really--
we'll go with "trippy" ones.
There was an outdoor Peachtree--
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:29):
No, we say conceptual.
ALEX MCGEE (27:30):
Conceptual.
There was an outdoorentertainment arts complex
that he pitched thatwas in a huge city
block in Peachtree Center.
There was a GeorgiaCenter for the Arts
that would have been downtown.
He had a design for, RIP,Georgia World Congress Center.
So it's this look at anAtlanta that could have been,
is what I pitched it as.
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:52):
It sounds very cool.
Connor or Kirk,do one of you have
notes on the openingtimes and dates
for the exhibit and all that?
CONNOR LYNCH (28:02):
Yeah.
We have our officialopening reception,
RSVP only, on Tuesday, March 11.
But then it will be open to thepublic on Wednesday, March 12.
Our hours are 9:00 AM to 6:00PM every day of the week.
MARLEE GIVENS (28:17):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and today we visited theexhibition gallery located
in Price Gilbert Library for theGeorgia Tech Library Guidebook.
ALEX MCGEE (28:25):
Our guests today are Kirk Henderson, the Exhibitions
Program Manager, and ConnorLynch, the Exhibit Specialist
Exhibits Associate,who knows, both--
CHARLIE BENNETT: The Exhibits Person. (28:34):
undefined
ALEX MCGEE (28:35):
Yeah, both applicable.
Both with the Georgia Techlibraries Archives and Special
Collections.
Thanks so much forbeing on the show.
CHARLIE BENNETT (28:43):
Nice job with the dual role there, Alex.
ALEX MCGEE (28:46):
Thank you.
MARLEE GIVENS (28:47):
File this set under F294.A84S53.
[ROCK MUSIC]
(29:10):
You just heard "Constructs"by Plume, before that,
"Construction" by Tomato Flower.
And we started our set with"Build" by The Minders.
Songs about the processes ofbuilding and construction.
CHARLIE BENNETT (29:25):
Today's Lost in the Stacks
was called Defining Skylines,as part of the GT Library
Guidebook, and we visitedthe Exhibit Gallery
at the Georgia Tech Library.
OK, for fun, let's do aquick survey of everybody.
What's your favoritepiece of architecture
you've seen, either inthe media or in person?
My favorite is David Lynch'shouse from Lost Highway.
(29:47):
Which I did go to visit, andI did stand on the stoop,
and I'm pretty sure Iheard a table saw running
while that was happening.
Fred, how about you?
FRED RASCOE (29:55):
Yeah, not as creepy.
When I was in high school,I was fortunate enough
to go on a two-week exchangewith about 14 of my classmates
to Brescia, which is atown in Northern Italy.
And on the first day there--
I grew up in Charlotte,North Carolina.
This was just peoplefrom suburban Charlotte,
North Carolina.
(30:15):
The first day there,we saw a temple.
In English, it's "TheTemple of Brescia,"
but it has an Italianname, as well.
And it was constructedin like 79 AD or CE.
CHARLIE BENNETT: [LAUGHS] Not 1979. (30:27):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (30:30):
The oldest thing that I pretty much had ever seen
was a strip mall.
And so seeing this--
I was, of course,aware of things that
were thousands of years old.
But seeing it in person just hada really profound effect on me.
Like, that's the thingthere, and people were there.
They touched itand existed in it.
CHARLIE BENNETT (30:48):
I think that's just as creepy.
[LAUGHTER]
Marlee?
MARLEE GIVENS (30:55):
I like Frank Lloyd Wright, so The Guggenheim.
Cody?
CODY (31:04):
I think of, I guess it's a church
on top of a mountain inSpain that I went to.
I had a similarreaction to you, Fred,
where I was like, man, thisso old and so beautiful.
And I can think about how manypeople have been through here.
ALEX MCGEE (31:20):
Well, let me just add
to the list of Europeanchurches, I guess.
I would say La SagradaFamilia in Barcelona.
I have been lucky to go twice.
I went in 2017, and then Iwent back again last summer.
And they had actuallycompleted another tower
while I was there, sothat was really cool.
But I think the stained glassbeing in there is just--
(31:43):
I mean, I could bein there for hours.
And I took manyInstagram-worthy photos.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:50):
Connor?
CONNOR LYNCH (31:51):
Oh, me?
OK, so I had to think about it.
It's also a church.
We all love churches.
I have not been there.
But in Iceland, there'sa church in Reykjavik.
And I cannot remember the name,but it's a big Lutheran Church.
And I think when wethink of churches,
we think of big,ancient structures that
have been around a long time.
This is a newer church.
(32:11):
But it has these big, sweeping,walls come from very low
up to very, very highat the center of it.
It has just areally cool facade.
I don't want tobutcher the name,
but I think it's justthe Church of Iceland,
or Lutheran Church in Iceland.
KIRK HENDERSON (32:27):
For me, I think it's
going to be Frank LloydWright's home and studio
in Oak Park, Illinois.
The home he built forhimself and the studio
when he went out on hisown as an architect.
It was really very impressive.
And I thought, Icould live here.
CHARLIE BENNETT (32:47):
So churches, Frank Lloyd Wright and David
Lynch--
is that where we're at?
MARLEE GIVENS (32:52):
Mm-hmm.
CHARLIE BENNETT (32:52):
Cool.
Roll the credits.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Lost in the Stacksis a collaboration
between WREK Atlanta andthe Georgia Tech Library.
Written and produced byAlex McGee, Charlie Bennett,
Fred Raskin and Marlee Givens.
MARLEE GIVENS (33:06):
Legal counsel and a life-size cutout
of Philip Burrishimself were provided
by the Burrus IntellectualProperty Law Group
in Atlanta, Georgia.
CHARLIE BENNETT (33:15):
We're all going to take a selfie.
ALEX MCGEE (33:16):
Special thanks to Kirk and Connor
for being on the showtoday, and to Paige Adair,
Katie Toomey, and BeccaBrown at the Poorman Archives
for all they broughtto the exhibit.
And lastly, to Jana Portmanfor saying yes over a year ago
when I pitched this little idea.
And thanks, as always, toeach and every one of you
for listening.
Our web page is library.gatech.edu/lostinthestacks,
(33:38):
where you'll find ourmost recent episode,
a link to our podcastfeed, and a web form
if you want to getin touch with us.
MARLEE GIVENS (33:44):
Next week, we're doing some retro tech
archaeology on a gamingsystem from the '80s.
FRED RASCOE (33:49):
It's time for our last song today.
The great thing aboutthe Portman exhibit--
well, there's a lot of greatthings about the Portman
Exhibit.
But one great thing about thePortman Exhibit at the Georgia
Tech Library is thatanyone who visits
the exhibition inthe library gallery
can then subsequently takea short walk off campus
and see some of the actualbuildings he designed,
(34:11):
and that stroll throughdowntown Atlanta
will naturally take youdown Peachtree Street.
So let's close with"Peachtree Street"
by Frank Sinatra and RosemaryClooney right here on Lost
in the Stacks.
[SINATRA & CLOONEY,"PEACHTREE STREET"]
ROSEMARY CLOONEY (34:27):
Say, Frank, you want to take a walk?
FRANK SINATRA: Why, sure, sweetie. (34:30):
undefined
Just pick a street.
ROSEMARY CLOONEY: Piccadilly circus. (34:32):
undefined
FRANK SINATRA (34:33):
Oh, I'd rather not.
ROSEMARY CLOONEY: Champs Elysees? (34:34):
undefined
FRANK SINATRA (34:35):
Mais, non.
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