The early twentieth century saw several leaps forward in the design of school facilities. In From Factories to Palaces, Jean Arrington celebrates C. B. J. Snyder’s role in introducing these changes to the public schools of New York City during his tenure as head of the Board of Education’s Building Bureau.1 In doing so, she continues the work of Marta Gutman, Dale Gyure, R. Thomas Hille, Amy Ogata, and others in devoting attention to the spaces where children spend so much of their lives. Arrington also draws attention to the role of architect as civil servant, suggesting parallels between Snyder and both William B. Ittner in St. Louis and Dwight H. Perkins in Chicago. She focuses on Snyder’s completed school projects and uses his publications to bolster her discussions of the buildings. As the author notes, New York City represents a paradox in school design. As a major...

You do not currently have access to this content.