The Cartoonist as Architectural Critic.

This article focuses on Alan Dunn (1900–74) as an architectural critic through his cartoons, particularly his early work for the magazine *record* starting in 1937. Dunn’s cartoons humorously depicted modern American architecture and its evolving styles, often highlighting tensions between avant-gar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Architectural Record Vol. 214; no. 5; pp. 34 - 36
Format: Book Review
Published: BNP Media May2026
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        Modern architecture
        Cartoonists
        American architects
        Modern movement (Architecture)
        Caricature
        Avant-garde (Arts)
        Suburbs
        Architectural design
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          Modern architecture
          Cartoonists
          American architects
          Modern movement (Architecture)
          Caricature
          Avant-garde (Arts)
          Suburbs
          Architectural design
      ab: This article focuses on Alan Dunn (1900–74) as an architectural critic through his cartoons, particularly his early work for the magazine *record* starting in 1937. Dunn’s cartoons humorously depicted modern American architecture and its evolving styles, often highlighting tensions between avant-garde designs and traditional suburban homes. His first commissioned cartoon illustrated a radical, minimalist house juxtaposed with a more conventional modernist home, reflecting contemporary architectural debates influenced by concepts like spacetime. Dunn’s work gained popularity for its insightful critique of architectural modernity’s fleeting nature, leading to regular features in *record* and recognition by the American Institute of Architects in 1973.
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