Composer Michael Kropf was inspired. Having earned his doctoral degree at the U of M, he knew of the late Albert Kahn—father of industrial architecture. Kahn designed several buildings in Ann Arbor, including Angell Hall, Hill Auditorium and the Burton Memorial Tower. (Having lost my Burton, the name means more than it did when I attended the U of M in the ‘60s. But I digress.)
Learning that Kahn, at 14, had been a piano prodigy, Kropf had an idea. Kropf composes music that “engages with evocative places, personalities and histories.” He decided “to find a way to place music in conversation with Kahn’s work as an architect.”
That inspired “conversation” took place on Sept. 6 at the iconic Kahn-designed Fisher Building. And what a conversation it was.
Kropf composed “Albert Kahn” (2024), a beautiful sonata performed in the lobby near the Fisher Theater. A large screen above the piano simultaneously featured images of landmark Kahn buildings: The Fisher Building, the Belle Isle Aquarium, the now defunct Packard plant.
Before the program, tours of the Fisher Building brought back personal memories. Working on the College Board for Saks Fifth Avenue, representing the U of M. Having my hair done for my 1967 wedding at Antoine’s in the Fisher Building. Frequent visits to Julie’s.
As a correspondent for Women’s Wear Daily, I was besties with Virginia DeVoy, owner of the Fisher Building’s ultra-chic Julie’s boutique. When Virginia died, to assuage my grief, I wrote a poem about her. Her gracious sister, Ruth Ruwe, put my poem into Virginia’s casket, allowing me to accompany my friend to eternity.
I also recalled frequent visits to the Gertrude Kasle Gallery on the mezzanine of the Fisher Building. There I admired world class art by 20th century legends: Guston, Dine, Lichtenstein. The Kasle Gallery space became the Feigenson Gallery, then the Feigenson/Preston Gallery. At the latter, I lectured about former Detroiter, now nationally renowned artist Brenda Goodman. I bought the first piece of art sold by Jackie Feigenson, a Michael Luchs rabbit collage, and continued to buy when I could. (Shameless plug: See my book Detroit’s Cass Corridor & Beyond, Adventures of an Art Collector.)
On October 19, 1988, my son Andy, then 14, and I visited the Fisher Building for an official announcement: the New Center Building would henceforth be called the Albert Kahn Building. This was the first time Andy understood our distinguished heritage.
Albert Kahn’s older sister Mollie was my grandmother. Mollie is my middle name. As a child I thought the name old-fashioned. Now I understand the important role Mollie played supporting Albert and his also amazing brother Julius. Julius’ development of reinforced concrete allowed Albert’s designs to be realized. Today I brag about my middle name. And I’m happy to recommend author Michael G. Smith’s new book, Concrete Century: Julius Kahn and the Construction Revolution.
For several years pre-Covid, my sister Anne and I hosted “Kahnktails” for Kahn family members at Anne’s apartment in New York. On one of those occasions, we invited Detroit journalist Michael Hodges. His book Building the Modern World: Albert Kahn in Detroit tells a remarkable story. “… the story of the German-Jewish immigrant who rose from poverty to become one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. Kahn’s buildings not only define downtown Detroit, but his early car factories for Packard Motor and Ford revolutionized the course of industry and architecture alike.”
Albert Kahn factories significantly influenced the outcome of WWII. Military vehicles were built at Detroit’s Willow Run Bomber Plant. There Ford produced B-24 Liberator bomber planes. When Russia was industrializing, from 1929 to 1931 Kahn’s firm designed hundreds of tractor factories, converted to produce tanks empowering Russia to hold off the Nazis on the Eastern front.
At our Kahntails gathering, Anne and I asked Hodges to talk to us about his work. His words were so eloquent I wish I had recorded them. This recollection will have to do:
Hodges said, “It’s quite amazing that a young Jewish immigrant came to this country at 14 years old, with no money, speaking no English and having no knowledge of architecture. That young man grew up to create buildings that produced weapons and transport that helped to stop the worst tyrant in the history of the modern world. I’m not saying someone else couldn’t have done that, but Albert Kahn is the man who did. And that man is your relative. You should all be proud.”
That memory, and the gratitude and pride it invoked, flooded my senses as I sat in the front row for the debut of The Albert Kahn Sonata. I enjoyed a direct view of pianist Forrest Howell’s nimble hands and overhead mages of the Fisher Building, the Belle Isle Aquarium and the Packard plant.
After the performance, Forrest Howell was joined by composer Michael Kropf and filmmaker John Hanson. I was happy to see how young they were. To see the respect they showed for Detroit, for our history, and for my great uncle.
Many thanks to the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation for the splendid Kahnversation. (Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.) Thanks for all you’re doing to honor a true Detroit hero, one of the greatest architects of the 20th century.
to learn more about the event: https://albertkahnlegacy.org/events/the-albert-kahn-sonata/
ans https://www.michaelkropfmusic.com/