Entrance to Austin Hall, built for the Harvard University Law School, which continues to occupy the building today. Commissioned in 1881 and completed in 1884, the building features a front facade dominated by three monumental Romanesque arches with polychromatic stonework above, alternating light and dark Longmeadow sandstone.
Both the exterior design and the interior decoration are considered among architect Henry Hobson Richardson’s finest work. It appears he was especially proud of the design as well, as he “signed” the building by setting his monogram into a stone to the left of the arches.
This photograph, which the Glessners displayed in the cork alcove off of their library, was made by the Detroit Photographic Company in 1900. It was printed using the Photochrom process that produced colorized images from black-and-white negatives that were painted by hand.
To learn more about Austin Hall, read our Object of the Month article for April 2024.