Albert Kahn (architect)
Albert Kahn | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | December 8, 1942 Detroit, Michigan, US | (aged 73)
Nationality | American |
Occupation | architect |
Relatives | Julius Kahn, brother Albert E. Kahn, nephew |
Albert Kahn (March 21, 1869 – December 8, 1942) was an American industrial
Biography
Kahn was born on March 21, 1869, to a
Kahn quickly learned English and went to Detroit public schools. In 1883, he got a job at the architectural business of Mason and Rice where he got his initial architectural training.[4] While working there he primarily designed residences and bank buildings. In 1891, at age 22, he won a Rotch Traveling Fellowship to study in Europe, where he toured Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium with Henry Bacon, another young architecture student. Bacon later designed the Lincoln Memorial that is located in Washington, D.C.[4][5] After leaving Mason & Rice in 1895, Kahn joined in a partnership with Alexander B. Trowbridge and George W. Nettleton known as Nettleton, Kahn & Trowbridge.[6] He married Ernestine Krolik in 1896 and they had four children.[7]
Kahn, in 1902, formed a partnership with his brother Julius, a civil engineer. Later that year, Julius developed a novel and scientific method of reinforcing concrete with steel, making reinforced concrete construction practical and economical. After receiving a patent on the "Kahn System" of construction in 1903, Julius left Kahn's firm and established the Trussed Concrete Steel Company, or Truscon, to market the product. Reinforced concrete allowed for much larger open spaces within factory interiors not obtainable with conventional wood construction and at a lower cost than steel frame construction. Concrete had other beneficial characteristics, such as far better protection from fire and greater load-bearing capacity. By 1905, hundreds of buildings within the United States were being constructed using the Kahn System, including the first reinforced concrete automobile plant, completed for the Cadillac Motor Car Company at 450 Amsterdam Street in TechTown, Detroit.[8] Julius Kahn collaborated with his brother on the design of many industrial projects throughout the US constructed with reinforced concrete, particularly automobile factories, with the result that Kahn became widely known for his expertise in the construction of concrete industrial structures.[9]
Kahn was also responsible for designing many of the buildings and houses built under the direction of the Hiram Walker family in Walkerville, Ontario, including Willistead Manor. Kahn's interest in historically styled buildings is also seen in his houses in Detroit's Indian Village, the Cranbrook House, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, and The Dearborn Inn, the world's first airport hotel.[10] Kahn's firm designed the Art Deco Fisher Building in Detroit's New Center area, a 28-story designated landmark. In 1929, the building was awarded a silver medal by the Architectural League of New York in the category of the year's most beautiful commercial building.[11] From 1917 to 1929, Kahn's firm also designed the corporate headquarters for all three of the major Detroit daily newspapers and the General Motors building, at the time of its completion in 1922, the second largest office building in the world.[11] His work was part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.[12]
Michigan
Kahn also designed many of what are considered the classic buildings of the University of Michigan in the city of Ann Arbor. These include Angell Hall, Burton Memorial Tower, Hill Auditorium, Hatcher Graduate Library, and William L. Clements Library. Kahn said later in life that, of all the buildings he designed, he wanted most to be remembered for his work on the William L. Clements Library. Kahn frequently collaborated with architectural sculptor Corrado Parducci. In all, Parducci worked on about 50 Kahn commissions, including banks, office buildings, newspaper buildings, mausoleums, hospitals, and private residences.[15]
Kahn's firm was able to adapt to the changing needs of World War I and designed numerous army airfields and naval bases for the United States government during the war. During
In 1937, Albert Kahn Associates was responsible for 19% of all architect-designed industrial factories in the United States.[17] In 1941, Kahn received the eighth-highest salary and compensation package in the U.S., $486,936, of which he paid 72% in tax.[18] Kahn worked on more than 1,000 commissions from Henry Ford and hundreds from other automakers. Kahn designed showrooms for Ford Motor Company in several cities, including New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston.[4]
As of 2020, approximately 60 Kahn buildings were listed on the
Fifteen Kahn buildings are recognized by official Michigan historical markers:[23]
- Battle Creek Post Office
- The Dearborn Inn
- Detroit Arsenal Plant in Warren, Michigan
- Detroit Free Press Building
- Detroit News Building
- Detroit Urban League (Albert Kahn House)
- Eastern Liggett School
- Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
- Fisher Building
- Ford Motor Company Lamp Factory
- Grosse Pointe Shores Village Hall
- Highland Park Ford Plant
- Packard Automotive Plant
- Packard Proving Grounds
- Willow Run
In the Soviet Union
On May 8, 1929, through an agreement signed with Kahn by
Kahn-designed buildings
Kahn has been called the "architect of Detroit" and designed almost 900 buildings in the city.[27] Below is a listing of some of those buildings. All are located in Detroit, unless otherwise indicated.
- Dexter M. Ferry summer residence, 1890 (remodeling of an early 19th-century stone farmhouse), Unadilla, New York (known as Milfer Farm, held by Ferry heirs today; Kahn also designed the "Honeymoon Cottage" on the estate, one of the earliest prefabricated houses built)
- Hiram Walker offices, 1892, designer for Mason & Rice, Windsor, Ontario
- William Livingstone House, 1894 designer for Mason & Rice (demolished, 2007)
- Children's Free Hospital, 1896, Nettleton, Kahn & Trowbridge
- Bethany Memorial Church, 1897, Nettleton, Kahn & Trowbridge
- Bernard Ginsburg House, 1898, Nettleton & Kahn
- Joseph R. McLaughlin, 1899, Nettleton & Kahn
- George Headley, 1900, Nettleton & Kahn
- Edward DeMille Campbell House, 1899, Nettleton & Kahn Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Detroit Racquet Club, 1902 (Kahn designed the building, and the Vinton Company, whose offices were just down Woodbridge Street from the club, was awarded the general contract for erecting the facilities)
- Frederick L. Colby, building permit issued 5/22/1901, finished 1902
- Packard Automotive Plant, 1903 (Kahn's tenth factory built for Packard, but first concrete one)
- Palms Apartments, 1903
- Temple Beth-El, 1903 (Kahn's home synagogue, now the Bonstelle Theatre of Wayne State University)
- Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory, 1904
- Francis C. McMath, building permit issued 8/14/1902 finished 1904
- Arthur Kiefer, building permit issued 5/17/1905, finished 1905
- Charles M. Swift, 1905
- Albert Kahn House, 1906 (his personal residence)
- Burham S. Colburn, building permit issued 8/7/1905, finished 1906
- Gustavus D. Pope, 1906
- Julian C. Madison Building, 1906
- Allen F. Edwards, building permit issued 5/23/1906, finished 1906
- George N. Pierce Plant, 1906, Buffalo, New York
- Willistead Manor, 1906, Windsor, Ontario
- Battle Creek Post Office, 1907, Battle Creek, Michigan (building featuring the concrete construction method used in Kahn's Packard plant)
- Cranbrook House, 1907, Cranbrook Educational Community, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- Service Building for the Packard Motor Car Company, 1907, New York City
- Frederick H. Holt House, 1907
- Highland Park Ford Plant, 1908, Highland Park, Michigan
- Edwin S. George Building, 1908
- Kaufman Footwear Building, 1908, Kitchener, Ontario (renovated into lofts in the early 2000s)
- Mahoning National Bank, 1909, Youngstown, Ohio
- Frederick Stearns Building addition, c. 1910
- Packard Motor Corporation Building, 1910–11, Philadelphia
- Chalmers automobile plant, building permit issued 11/6/1909, finished 1911
- Merganthaler Linotype Company Buildings, 1910s-1920s, Brooklyn, New York City
- National Theatre, 1911
- Shaw Walker Company, Five-story expansion, 1912,[28] Muskegon, Michigan
- Bates Mill Building Number 5, 1914, Lewiston, Maine
- Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1914, Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Institute of Artsince 1981)
- Kales Building, 1914
- Liggett School-Eastern Campus, 1914 (Detroit Waldorf School since 1964)
- Benjamin Siegel, 1913-1914
- Detroit Athletic Club, 1915
- Garden Court Apartments, 1915
- Buffalo Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1915, Buffalo, New York
- Vinton Building, 1916
- Russell Industrial Center, 1916
- Omaha Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1916, North Omaha, Nebraska
- Ford Motor Company - Assembly Plant, 1916, remodeled in 1924, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Belt Line Center - Manufacturing Plant, 1916, Detroit, Michigan[29]
- The Detroit News Building, 1917
- Ford Motor Company New York Headquarters, 1917, New York City
- Ford River Rouge Complex, 1917–28, Dearborn, Michigan
- Multiple buildings and Aircraft Maintenance Hangars (Bldg 777&781), 1917–19, Langley Field, Hampton, Virginia
- Motor Wheel Factory, 1918, Lansing, Michigan (It has been renovated into residential lofts)
- General Motors Building, 1919 (former GM world headquarters and second largest office building in the world at that time)
- Dominion Tire Plant, 1919, Kitchener, Ontario
- Fisher Body Plant 23, 1919
- First Congregational Church addition, 1921
- Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1921, Toronto, Ontario (redeveloped into Shoppers World Danforth, 1962)
- Phoenix Mill, 1921, Plymouth, Michigan
- First National Building, 1922
- Park Avenue Building, 1922
- Former Detroit Police Headquarters, 1923
- Temple Beth El, 1923 (a new building to replace the 1903 temple, currently occupied by the Bethel Community Transformation Center)
- Walker Power Plant, 1923, Windsor, Ontario
- The Flint Journal Building, 1924, Flint, Michigan
- Olde Building, 1924
- Ford Motor Company assembly plant, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1924
- Ford Motor Company Lamp Factory, 1921–25, Flat Rock, Michigan
- Detroit Free Press Building, 1925
- Kalamazoo Gazette Building, 1925 (now Bronson Hospital Laboratory)
- 1001 Covington Apartments, 1925
- Blake Building, 1926, Jackson, Michigan
- Ford Hangar, 1926, Lansing Municipal Airport, Lansing, Illinois
- Packard Motor Car Showroom and Storage Facility, c. 1926, Buffalo, New York
- Packard Proving Grounds, 1926, Shelby Charter Township, Michigan
- Packard Showroom, 1926, New York City
- Consumers Power Company headquarters, 1927, Jackson, Michigan (demolished, 2013)[30]
- S. S. Kresge World Headquarters, 1927
- Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, 1927, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan
- Fisher Building, 1927
- Buffalo Ford Motor Company Car Showroom, 1927, Buffalo, New York
- Muskegon Chronicle Building, 1928, Muskegon, Michigan[31]
- Argonaut Building 1928 (General Motors laboratory, now owned by the College for Creative Studies)
- Brooklyn Printing Plant (New York Times), 1929, Brooklyn, New York City
- Detroit Times Building, 1929 (demolished, 1978)[32]
- Griswold Building, 1929
- Packard Service Building, 1929, New York City
- Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1930, Richmond, California
- Ford Engineering Laboratory and Powerhouse, 1930, Dearborn Michigan
- New Center Building, 1930 (adjacent to the Fisher Building)
- The Dearborn Inn, 1931, Dearborn, Michigan (world's first airport hotel)
- Former Congregation Shaarey Zedek Building, 1932
- Power Plant, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1933 [33]
- General Motors Building, 1933, Chicago Century of Progress International Exposition
- Chicago World's Fair; burned, 1963)
- Ann Arbor Daily News Building, 1936, Ann Arbor, Michigan (now University of Michigan Credit Union)
- Chevrolet/Fisher Body plant, Baltimore, Maryland, 1935 (demolished 2006)
- Burroughs Adding Machine Plant, 1938, Plymouth, Michigan
- Dodge Truck Plant, 1938, Warren, Michigan
- Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, 1941, Warren, Michigan
- Kaiserfor cars, then by GM for transmissions)
- Hangars A and B (later renumbered 110 and 111), 1943, NAS Barbers Point, Kapolei, Hawaii
- Upjohn Tower, Kalamazoo, Michigan (designed for the Upjohn Company; demolished after Pfizer buyout, 2005)
- Studebaker Factory, Building 84, 1923, South Bend, Indiana
- Cold Spring Granite Company Main Plant, 1929, Cold Spring, Minnesota (demolished 2008)
- King Edward Public School, 1905, Walkerville Neighbourhood, Windsor, Ontario. (demolished 1993, original front stone facade saved)
- General Motors Stamping Plant, 1930, Indianapolis, Indiana (demolished 2014)
- Bedrock Woodward Building 1449 Woodward
- Garden Court Apartments 2900 E. Jefferson
Buildings at the University of Michigan
Below are University of Michigan campus structures built during Kahn's career.[7][34]
- Engineering Building (now West Hall), 1904
- Psychopathic Hospital (demolished), 1906
- Hill Auditorium, 1913
- Helen Newberry Residence Hall, 1915
- Natural Science Building (now School of Kinesiology Building), 1915
- Betsy Barbour Residence Hall, 1920
- General Library (now Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library), 1920
- William L. Clements Library, 1923
- Angell Hall, 1924
- Physical Science Building (now Randall Laboratory), 1924
- University Hospital (demolished), 1925
- Couzens Hall, 1925
- East Medical Building (previously C. C. Little Building, now North University Building[35]), 1925
- Thomas H. Simpson Memorial Institute, 1927
- Alexander G. Ruthven Museums Building, 1928[36]
- Burton Memorial Tower, 1936
- Neuropsychiatric Institute (demolished), 1938
Greek Organization Buildings:
- Sigma PhiHouse (1900), 426 North Ingalls Street (demolished)
- Delta Upsilon House (1903), 1331 Hill Street
- Triangle House (1905–06), 1501 Washtenaw Avenue
- Alpha Epsilon Phi House (1912), 1205 Hill Street [37]
- Psi Upsilon House (1924), 1000 Hill Street
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Belle Isle, Detroit
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Temple Beth-El (1903) in Brush Park, Detroit
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First Congregational Church addition (1921) in Midtown Detroit
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Willistead Manor (1906) in Windsor, Ontario
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Battle Creek Post Office (1907) in Battle Creek, Michigan
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Detroit Athletic Club (1915) in Downtown Detroit
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New Center, Detroit
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Vinton Building (1916) in Downtown Detroit
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Kales Building (1914) in Downtown Detroit
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First National Building (1922) in Downtown Detroit
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New Center, Detroit
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Detroit Free Press Building (1925) in Downtown Detroit
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New Center, Detroit
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Griswold Building (1929) in Downtown Detroit
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Ford River Rouge Complex (1917–28) in Dearborn, Michigan
Death and legacy
Kahn died in Detroit on December 8, 1942.
The life and works of Kahn were celebrated in an exhibition of photographs, drawings, and models at the Detroit Institute of Arts from September 15 to November 1, 1970. It commemorated the 75th anniversary of the architectural firm which was founded by Kahn.[41] Many of Detroit's leading industrialists who work in the buildings designed by Kahn were present at the celebration.[42]
A staff writer for the Times Herald newspaper in 1970 wrote that Kahn was often called the father of industrial architecture. He was referred to as Architect of the Colossal by Reader's Digest magazine. The science museum Franklin Institute in Philadelphia recognized him as an architectural pioneer and awarded him their gold medal. The American Institute of Architects awarded him two of their gold medals in his lifetime. The staff writer estimated that Kahn was the architect of two billion dollars worth of structures before his death in 1942. The committee on science and arts of the Detroit Institute of Arts noted that none of Kahn's discoveries were ever patented, but instead were placed in the hands of architects and engineers engaged in construction during World Wars I and II. The 184 page catalogue put in book form called The Legacy of Albert Kahn consists of two essays on the works of Kahn, one by W. Hawkins Ferry the architectural writer and Honorary Curator of Architecture at the Detroit Institute of Arts and another written by Walter B. Sanders as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan.[43]
Detroit Free Press writer and historian John Gallagher notes that Kahn produced 1900 buildings, among them being the
See also
- Kahn System, the industrial construction technique developed by Julius Kahn
- Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
- Joseph Nathaniel French
References
- ^ "Ford River Rouge Complex | MiPlace".
- ^ Bryan 2003, p. 139.
- ^ Blenz 1981, p. 133.
- ^ a b c d e f g Johnson 1997, pp. 161–164.
- ^ Borth, Christy. Masters of Mass Production, Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1945, pp. 97-100.
- ^ ""About Albert Kahn"". Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation. 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c Blenz 1981, p. 134.
- ^ Smith, Michael G., "The First Concrete Auto Factory: An Error in the Historical Record," Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (2019) 78 (4): 442–453.
- ^ Ferry 1970, p. 11.
- ^ Ganem 2011, p. 108.
- ^ a b Galster 2014, p. 36.
- ^ "Albert Kahn". Olympedia. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ Borth, Christy. Masters of Mass Production, pp. 107-8, Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1945.
- ISBN 978-1-4000-6964-4.
- ^ Borth, Christy. Masters of Mass Production, pp. 109-10, 120-28, Bobbs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis, IN, 1945.
- ^ Herman 2012, pp. 51–2, 96–8, 148, 200, 227–9, 242.
- ^ Johnson 1997, p. 164.
- ^ "Compensation and the I.R.S.: It's not the 'Good' Old Days". The New York Times. 2010-12-01. (Business Day section). Retrieved 2014-01-21.
- ^ Hickman, Matt (27 October 2020). "Albert Kahn Associates celebrates 125th anniversary with launch of interactive map of projects in Detroit and beyond". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ Cass Tech High School (old). Historic Detroit. Retrieved on November 20, 2014.
- ^ "Donovan Building". Historic Detroit Organization. 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Checker's Albert Kahn Designed Plant". Checker Car Club of America. 30 May 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Michigan Historical Markers". Retrieved 2020-06-17.
- ^ a b
Melnikova-Raich, Sonia (2010). "The Soviet Problem with Two 'Unknowns': How an American Architect and a Soviet Negotiator Jump-Started the Industrialization of Russia, Part I: Albert Kahn". JSTOR 41933723.
- ^ "Industry's Architect". Time. June 29, 1942. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Albert Kahn Associates records". Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ John L. Dorman (March 26, 2018). "In Energized Detroit, Savoring an Architectural Legacy". New York Times online. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Plans at old Shaw Walker site". MLive. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ James and Jennifer Crumbley found in century-old building with rich history Detroit Free Press
- ^ "Brad Flory column: Good-bye to a landmark once 'the essence of Jackson'". MLive.
- ^ "Chronicle Building now owned by Muskegon Community College". MLive. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ "Detroit Times Building". Buildings of Detroit. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "New Heating Plant Under Constructio" (PDF). Notre Dame Scholastic Magazine: 14. 23 October 1931.
- ^ "Ann Arbor Observer". Ann Arbor Observer Company. 2002. pp. 27–33. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "U-M to remove Little, Winchell names from campus facilities". University of Michigan. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
- ^ "Major Projects: Alexander G. Ruthven Museums Building Renovation and Addition". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ "Alpha Epsilon Phi - ΑΕΦ | Greek Life". fsl.umich.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
- ^ "Bentley Historical Library Albert Kahn Associates Records 1825-2014".
- ^ "Albert Kahn Research Symposium". Archived from the original on 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
- ^ "Archives of American Art, Albert Kahn Papers".
- ^ Ferry 1970, pp. 1–11.
- .
- .
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Sources
- Blenz, Beth (1981). The Encyclopedia of Michigan. Somerset Publishers. ISBN 9780403099733.
- Bryan, Ford R. (2003). Henry's Lieutenants. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814337714.
- Ferry, W. Hawkins (1970). The Legacy of Albert Kahn. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1889-4.
- Galster, George (2014). Driving Detroit. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 9780812222951.
- Herman, Arthur (2012). Freedom's Forge. Random House.
- Ganem, Jennifer C. (2011). Dearborn Inn. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738582702.
- Johnson, Donald L. (1997). Makers of 20th Century Modern Architecture: A Bio-Critical Sourcebook. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 1136640568.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-3-933713-63-6
- Bridenstine, James A. (1988). Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. ISBN 9780814321614. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- Fogelman, Randall (2004). Detroit's New Center. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. OCLC 55981031. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- Hildebrand, Grant (1974). Designing for industry: the architecture of Albert Kahn. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press. OCLC 524330.
- Matuz, Roger (2002). Albert Kahn : builder of Detroit. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. OCLC 47650653.
- Melnikova-Raich, Sonia (2010). "The Soviet Problem with Two "Unknowns": How an American Architect and a Soviet Negotiator Jump-Started the Industrialization of Russia, Part I: Albert Kahn". The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology. 36 (2): 57–80. JSTOR 41933723. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- Detroit and Rome : building on the past. Melanie Grunow Sobocinski, Michele V. Ronnick, Marlise Beaudoen, Alfred Berkowitz Gallery. Dearborn, MI.: Alfred Berkowitz Gallery, The University of Michigan-Dearborn. 2005. )
External links
- Albert Kahn Research Coalition
- Albert Kahn papers from the Smithsonian Archives of American Art
- Historic Detroit — Albert Kahn
- Albert Kahn papers 1896–2008 Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.
- Photos and drawings of Soviet Diesel Tractor Plant, Canadian Centre for Architecture
- Energized Detroit, Savor an Architectural Legacy — The New York Times, March 26, 2018
- Walkerville
- Albert Kahn Associates
- Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
- Albert Kahn at Find a Grave
- Albert Kahn on LocalWiki