James Betelle, Where Are You?

The Search for a Lost Architect

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Guilbert & Betelle are teaching us how we may learn to look away for a time from a too close dependence upon historical styles and to walk alone for a season into a more nearly American style of Architecture. — Rawson W. Haddon, Modern American School Houses

Entries Tagged as 'Biographical'

Betelle Retires

September 12th, 2006 · No Comments · Biographical

In a hand-written letter to the American Institute of Architects, Betelle announced his (very deserved, in my opinion) retirement. It’s not specified what the bill he requests is for (probably his dues), nor, unfortunately, did my photocopy show his new office address. The letter was dated received by the AIA December 21st, 1939. Courtesy [...]

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“A Great Architect”

August 13th, 2006 · No Comments · Articles, Biographical

This article appeared in the October, 1929 issue of Fortune Story magazine. Fortune Story was a 15¢ pulp magazine filled with these kinds of up-lifting, moralistic tales aimed at impressionable younger readers. The only new information it garnered was G&B’s first office being “in an attic room over an art store”, but the writing [...]

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James Betelle Obituaries

August 8th, 2006 · No Comments · Articles, Biographical

These are the two obituaries I found for Betelle at the Newark Public Library. The first is from The Newark Evening News from June 5th, 1954. This was a Sunday, which establishes Betelle’s death as Thursday, June 3rd (whether that is the local or Italian date is unknown). The second obit (source unclear) is almost [...]

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The Widow Betelle

July 27th, 2006 · No Comments · Biographical, Diary

John emailed me a few days ago with new information he dug up; Marie Betelle’s obituary from the New York Times:
August 30, 1959
Mrs. Marie Ann Louise Betelle, widow of James O. Betelle, an architect, died of a brain hemorrhage early yesterday at University Hospital. She was 52 years old.
Mrs. Betelle lived at 450 [...]

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Photo of Betelle?

July 21st, 2006 · No Comments · Biographical, Miscellaneous

This is a group photo of the staff of Cope & Stewardson, circa 1899, where JOB served as draftsman. Is one of these fine moustachioed gentlemen our James?
Edit: The photo actually has a caption, buried on another page:
From Left to Right: Alfred Morton Githens, William Charles Hays, Walter Cope, John A. MacMahon, James O. Betelle, [...]

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