LYNN MILLER AND THERESE DOLAN

The authors chronicle the French presence and impact on Philadelphia thorugh its art and artists, as well as through the city's social and political culture.  

One highly visible example of French influence on the city of Philadelphia is the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, modeled on the Champs-Elysees. In Salut!, Lynn Miller and Therese Dolan trace the fruitful, three-centuries-long relationship between the City of Brotherly Love and France. This detailed volume illustrates the effect of Huguenots settling in Philadelphia and 18-year-old William Penn visiting Paris, all the way up through more recent cultural offerings that have helped make the city the distinctive urban center it is today.

Salut! provides a magnifique history of Philadelphia seen through a particular cultural lens. The authors chronicle the French influence during colonial and revolutionary times. They highlight the contributions of nineteenth-century French philanthropists, such as Stephen Girard and the Dupont family. And they showcase the city's vibrant visual arts community featuring works from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and the Joan of Arc sculpture, as well as studies of artists Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, and Henry Ossawa Tanner. There is also a profile of renowned Le Bec-Fin chef Georges Perrier, who made Philadelphia a renowned culinary destination in the twentieth century.

Therese Dolan is Professor Emerita of Art History at Temple University's Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She is the author of Manet, Wagner, and the Musical Culture of Thier Time and Inventing Reality: The Paintings of John Moore, and the editor of Perspectives on Manet. 

480 pp. / 7" x 10"

169 color photos / 2 halftones / 1 map

$40.00T / cloth 978-1-4399-1712-1

2020

Reviews:

"Salut! documents connections so extensive, so fundamental, that the book  .  .  .  reads like a history of the city told through French eyes  .  .  . 

From its founding to the present, Philadelphia has been shaped quietly by French visionaries. Though its French heritage may not be Philadelphia's most obvious characteristic, it's there to be discovered, subtly marking America's first city as uniquely European." In plein sight, by Pamela J. Forsythe, Broad Street Review, December 7, 2020. 

"Salut! provides readers with a wonderful glimpse into the French flair that Philadelphia has proudly brandished for centuries. As a coffee table book or a serious academic study, it's accessible to a wide variety of readers. and for anyone who has wanted to take pride in Philadelphia's French roots, it's a must-read." Jason Villemez, Philadelphia Gay News, November 30, 2020. 

"Salut! reveals the profound impact of France on the visual culture of Philadelphia--on the physical spaces, public sculptures, art collections, and artistic traditions that are such a vital part of the urban landscape. But the book does much more than this. Miller and Dolan take us back to the origins of the city, revealing how deeply French culture was woven into American political, philosophical, and artistic life from the very beginning. Packed with historical detail, and highly readable, this is an essential source for anyone interested in Philadelphia and its rich visual history." (Martha L.)

"A very well-written and compelling view into the long relationship and influence of French culture, architecture, art, and overall history on Philadelphia. Deeply researched and factual, while providing tremendous insight and color into the people involved and how this connection has endured." (Jim R.)

Awards:

    Salut! received the annual Art and Architecture Award from the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, April, 2021.