Brumfield's lecture begins with a presentation of his unique historic photographs of the Bakhmetev Street Bus Garage, both interior and exterior. These photographs, taken in the summer of 1994 when the garage still functioned, are part of the collection of Brumfield's work at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. After a brief survey of the history of the garage and the complexities of its restoration, the lecture will emphasize the importance of proper photographic documentation in the study and preservation of avant-garde architecture. Examples from Brumfield's photographic documentation include in addition to Moscow: Ekaterinburg, Berezniki, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-na-Amure. The presentation of these photographs will be accompanied by commentary on the challenges in preserving avant-garde architecture.
William Brumfield is an American historian of Russian architecture, photographer, historian of the Vologda region, author of books and articles on the problems of preserving architecture. Professor of Slavic Studies and Jewish studies at Tulane University (New Orleans, USA). Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts (RAA), winner of the prize of D.S. Likhachev.