Seymour Persky (1922–2015) is the Chicago philanthropist who ensured that the James Charnley House would forever be open and available to the public. He did so by donating the National Historic Landmark to the Society of Architectural Historians in 1995 for its international headquarters. The house, designed by Adler and Sullivan at the time that Frank Lloyd Wright was a draftsman in their office, is internationally recognized as a turning point in modern residential architecture.
In order to get to know the man behind one of the most generous gifts to the Society in its history, in 2004 SAH Executive Director Pauline Saliga conducted an oral history interview with Persky to learn more about his background and his passion for collecting architectural fragments and decorative arts.
Read the SAH obituary for Seymour Persky, written by Pauline Saliga, former executive director of the Society of Architectural Historians and Charnley-Persky House.
In order to get to know the man behind one of the most generous gifts to the Society in its history, in 2004 SAH Executive Director Pauline Saliga conducted an oral history interview with Persky to learn more about his background and his passion for collecting architectural fragments and decorative arts.
Read the SAH obituary for Seymour Persky, written by Pauline Saliga, former executive director of the Society of Architectural Historians and Charnley-Persky House.