Glass House, New Canaan, CT
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 41° 08.544 W 073° 31.755
18T E 623427 N 4555606
The “living room” of Philip Johnson’s Glass House is featured on this 2005 stamp, one of a set of twelve commemorating various icons of modern architecture in America.
Waymark Code: WMPG4F
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 08/26/2015
Views: 4
The old adage that ‘people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’ has been around since at least the fourteenth century. But it wasn’t until the twentieth century that a glass house was actually built (at least one meant for human habitation). This “house” was designed by architect Philip Johnson (borrowing a few concepts from German architect Mies van der Rohe) as part of his masters degree thesis for the Harvard School of Design in 1949.
The house was built on Johnson’s estate in Connecticut and although commonly referred to as his personal residence, he didn’t actually live there, at least not in the conventional sense. He did spend most weekends at his estate and a lot of time in the Glass House but there were other structures present which also contained living quarters. On January 25, 2005, Philip Johnson died in his sleep at the Glass House at the ripe old age of 98.
You’d think that a house with transparent walls would lack privacy but it’s rather secluded and can’t be seen from the road. As Johnson one time noted: “in Connecticut, you can’t see the trees for the trees.” In order to visit this site, you have to take one of the tours offered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The stamp shows the interior of the Glass House, specifically the living room area, complete with the original furniture designed by Mies van der Rohe. Also partially visible on the stamp is the 17th century painting “Funeral of Phocion” by French artist Nicolas Poussin. This painting has been a fixture at the Glass House since the early ‘50s.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 19-May-2005
Denomination: 37 cents
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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