James Stevens Curl

Besproken in AQC, jrg.104 (1991), 1992, pp.244,245:
“What a delight to welcome a scholarly, but eminently readable, text on a new subject to beautifully produced and copiously illustrated. That delight is the greater when one realises that the author, who is Professor of Architectural History and Director of the Architecture Research Unit at the departement of Architecture, Leicester Polytechnic, is not himself a freemason and comes new to the subject…Beginning with an introduction on Freemasonry, the theories of origins and the use of architectural symbolism in both a visual and an oral sense, the author then discusses in detail what the terms ‘the great prototype’ – King Salomon’s Temple – and its place as both an actual building and as a symbol of the ideal in human thought. Using masonic engravings, designs for buildings and actual buildings he then considers the influence of Freemasonry on the development of neo-classicism, leading to a very detailed discussion of the Egyptian revival. This latter section – Egypt – I found the most satisfying and stimulating part of the book…In his final section the author raises the question ‘Is there a masonic style?’ There are elements on many buildings which find an echo in masonic symbolism but does this constitute a masonic style or is it merely happenstance?
This is important study which I would recommend to anyone interested in the arts and the history of ideas.”
Besproken in Q.C.J. 29 1992, pp.244-247:
“Der Autor, renommierter Hochschullehrer der Architektur-Geschichte, beginnt seine Arbeit mit einer Hommage an die maurerischen Historiker [ Kloss, Findel, Begemann, Woodford, Gould, Hughan] …Er erkennt bei diesen maurerischen Forschern dankenswerterweise Arbeiten ohne dilettantischen oder sensationellen Makel. Damit lässt er eine anspruchsvolle Arbeit erwarten. Der Leser wird nicht enttäuscht John Hamill berichtet aus London, dass Curl, selbst kein Freimaurer, seit nahezu zwanzig Jahren von der freimaurerischen Architektur begeistert ist. Er bezeichnet seine Arbeit als erstes wissenschaftliches Werk über maurerische Architektur…
Alles in allem eine anregende Studie, nicht nur für freimaurerische Architekten.”… (meer)