Hugh Ferriss

Hugh Macomber Ferriss (12 July, 1889, St Louis, Missouri, USA – 28 Jan. 1962, New York City, USA) was an American architect, architectural artist, and poet who found inspiration in ancient cities, Angkor among others, in his visual exploration of modern urban life.

From the 1920s, he moved from applied architectural drawing to develop his own style of architectural rendering, depicting buildings mostly at night and in a surreal atmosphere evoked through chiaroscuro, an effect relying on heavily contrasted light and shadow. He evoked ancient Angkor in his charcoal illustrations for the serialized piece by Harry Hervey “Discovering A Lost City” in McCall’s Magazine in 1927, shortly before publishing his visionary essay, The World of Tomorrow (1929), which has informed many futuristic representations in American pop culture.

In 1955, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member, becoming a full Academician in 1960. Afrer his death in 1962, his professional drawings and papers were deposited at the Drawings & Archives Department of the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. The Avery Library team confirmed to us that five photostats of Ferriss’ 1927 drawings for Harry Hervey’s article were kept in their repository, while many of the artist’s “Ancient World” and travel-related sketches were donated separately by his estate to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.

The Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize for architectural rendering excellence is attributed every year by the American Society of Architectural Illustrators.

architectural rendering by Hugh Ferriss — 1) **‘Buildings like mountains’**, by Hugh Ferriss, nd [source: Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library online collection]. 2) Illustration for ‘Discovering a Lost City’ (III) by **Harry Hervey**, *McCall’s*, March 1927, p. 9. 3) **‘King’s Solomon’s Temple and Citadel’**, nd. [source: Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library online collection] 4) **‘United Nations General Assembly Hall’**, by Hugh Ferriss, 1950s [source: Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library online collection].

1) **‘Buildings like mountains’**, by Hugh Ferriss, nd [source: Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library online collection]. 2) Illustration for ‘Discovering a Lost City’ (III) by **Harry Hervey**, *McCall’s*, March 1927, p. 9. 3) **‘King’s Solomon’s Temple and Citadel’**, nd. [source: Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library online collection] 4) **‘United Nations General Assembly Hall’**, by Hugh Ferriss, 1950s [source: Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library online collection].

‘The City at Night, Descent into the Streets’ by Hugh Ferriss, USA; lithographic crayon on heavy cream wove paper; Gift of Jean Ferriss Leich; 1980−39−1, Cooper Hewitt Collections.

Selected Publications

“American Capitals of Industry: A Series of Drawings by Hugh Ferriss”, Harpers Magazine, July 1919.
Illustrations for Harry Hervey, “Discovering a Lost City” [about Ancient Cambodia], McCall’s Magazine, Jan., Feb., March, Apr. 1927.
The Metropolis of Tomorrow, 1929; repr. with an essay by Carol Willis. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1986. ISBN 0910413118.
Power in Buildings, An Artist’s View of Contemporary Buildings. New York: Columbia University Press, 1953.