Photographer Who Preserved Everyday Architecture

Francis Benjamin Johnston looked beyond grand estates to document the ordinary buildings that defined American life. The photography piece "Photographer Who Preserved Everyday Architecture" first appeared in JSTOR Daily.

This symbol indicates free access to related research on JSTOR.

Alexandria, exterior view of house, ca. 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Hillsborough, King and Queen, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Garst Log Fort, Roanoke, Virginia, circa 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Clerk's office, Northampton, Virginia, circa 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Cross of Christ, New Kent, Virginia, ca. 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Cabell House, Nelson, Virginia, circa 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Butch House, Virginia Beach, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Apperson Farm, New Kent, Virginia, circa 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Huggins, Virginia Beach, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Road, Alexandria to Middleburg, Clark, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Rich Neck, Surry, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Raleigh's Tavern, Roanoke, Virginia, circa 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Murray, Virginia Beach, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Mantua, Northumberland, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Lost House, Virginia Beach, Virginia, circa 1929-1935. Click on the image to see more

Landsdowne, Spotsylvania, Virginia, ca. 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Johnston had the foresight to document buildings that he knew would not last another generation.

In 1981, architectural historian Dale Upton wrote in "Typical Buildings: A Bibliographic Essay on Native American Architecture" that "the primary data of Native architecture are the buildings themselves," while also noting that "few Native buildings are widely documented." Johnston had the foresight to document buildings that he knew would not last another generation. At a time when vernacular architecture was not a popular or prestigious subject of study, he recorded everyday activities. Today, it is common to study everyday buildings such as houses, commercial centers or office complexes. But widespread scientific interest in these buildings did not emerge until the 1970s and 1980s.

Road, Alexandria to Middleburg, Fairfax, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Wilmington, Westmoreland, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Wigwam, Powhatan, Virginia, circa 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Union Hill, Nelson, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Sweet Hall, King William, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Stratford, Westmoreland, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image to see more

St. John's Church, King William, Virginia, ca. 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Seven Springs, King William, Virginia, about 1929-1935. Click on the image for a detailed view.

Johnston took his documentation of the built environment seriously. Elizabeth M. Goshi describes Johnston's meticulous and methodical approach. He writes that "Johnston, once on site, scoured the site for a selection of views and angles. He often waited for a very bright sun or pesky storms to see the structure in the right light. On a good day, Johnston could make fifteen good negatives of a structure, on a bad day, none."

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Get the best JSTOR Daily stories in your inbox every Thursday.

What best describes you? * Reader, undergraduate student, master's student, graduate student, instructor/researcher, faculty librarian

Have a correction or comment about this article?

JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers and students. JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our articles for free on JSTOR.