David Garrard Lowe, celebrated author, passionate cultural historian, and much sought-after lecturer, passed away peacefully on September 21 in New York City. He was 91.
Born in Baltimore in 1933, David was raised largely in Kentucky and Chicago. His parents separated when he was very young, and his mother died of complications from an operation when he was six. He attended boarding school at Millersburg Academy, a military school in Kentucky, for most of his childhood. But he spent summers with his father and father’s siblings in Chicago, where he roamed the city and developed a love for it.
He graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio and earned a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. After college, he moved to New York. David landed a position with American Heritage magazine, which was then overseen by Bruce Catton. He then moved on to an editorial spot at McCall’s magazine. David regularly contributed articles and essays on history, literature, art, and architecture to various publications. He went on to write several books on architectural history. It was his love affair with Chicago that gave rise to his best-selling book, Lost Chicago, in 1975. Chronicling the demise of many of Chicago’s major architectural treasures, the book surprised even its publisher with its wide popularity. Author Kurt Vonnegut told him, “This is for me the most moving and important American ghost story ever told.” Lost Chicago would go on to become one of Chicago’s most important histories and has gone through several editions. Once in New York, David embraced the culture and architecture of his adopted city, He wrote several well-received books on New York architecture: Beaux Arts New York, Art Deco New York, and Stanford White’s New York. The last of these was edited by Jacqueline Onassis.
David became a much sought-after speaker and lectured around the country, the world, and on the high seas. His lectures would sell out immediately, and he built a very large fan base. David was a true cultural historian in that he could expound on almost any topic, but his favorites were the art and architecture of European cities and the artists they produced. He regularly packed the Grace Rainy Rogers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where audiences would welcome his vast storehouse of knowledge and his acerbic wit. Following a stint as Director of the Gallery of the New York School of Interior Design, David went on to establish the Beaux Arts Alliance in 1995, an organization that celebrated the cultural links between the United States and France. In 2012, David was honored by the French government with the insignia of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
A traditional Anglo-Catholic church memorial service will be held at the Church of the Resurrection on 119 E. 74th Street in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 3 PM EST, with light refreshments to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations in David’s memory can be made to Oberlin College and Conservatory, Friends of the Allen Memorial Art Museum Fund, (AMAM Fund), IMO David Lowe ’55. Checks can be mailed to the Oberlin College Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 72110; Cleveland, OH 44192-0002. Donations can also be made online at
https://advance.oberlin.edu/donate
Please note that the donation is for “Friends of the AMAM Fund”, IMO David Lowe ’55.
Alternatively, one of David’s cherished places in New York City was the New York Society Library. It was where he found a haven to do research and to write. He was also directly involved with the Library, occasionally contributing essays and assisting with exhibitions. You can pay tribute to David by donating to The New York Society Library. You may mail a check, made payable to The New York Society Library, including a note that it is in memory of David Garrard Lowe, to The New York Society Library, 53 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075, Attention: Diane Srebnick. Or go to the website, nysoclib.org, click on the GIVE button in the upper right-hand corner, and scroll down to Tribute and Memorial Gifts.
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