3 pen and ink drawings of Interiors for House & Garden, 1915

1915. Initailled at bottom center. 1 vols. Fine. Initailled at bottom center. 1 vols. "Alfred M. Githens was born in Philadelphia and attended the Episcopal Academy before receiving his B.S. in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1896. He then attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts while working as a draftsman for Cope & Stewardson during the years 1896-1901. In 1900 he received the John Stewardson Scholarship for his design for "The Improvement of the Entrance to Fairmount Park," and in 1901 he journeyed to Europe to attend the American Academy at Rome and stayed on to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. By 1903 (truncated) he had returned to the United States and begun his non-Philadelphia career. He first worked for Lord & Hewlett, but in 1904 moved to Cass Gilbert, both in New York. In 1904 he and Charles C. Haight launched their own firm in that city and continued working together through 1916. From 1917 to 1932 Githens was a partner in the firm of Tilton & Githens (Edward L. Tilton), again in New York City; and from 1937 through 1942 he and Francis Keally maintained a partnership. Githens became as wellknown for his writings as for his architectural designs, and his success with library buildings was reinforced by his publication in 1941 of The American Public Library, co-authored with J. L. Wheeler.
While Githens joined the T-Square Club in 1895, his other professional affiliations were not located in Philadelphia. He was a member of the New York Chapter of the AIA and registered as an architect in that state as well. He joined the national AIA in 1933, became a fellow in 1944, and subsequently achieved emeritus status. He taught architectural courses at Columbia University's University Extension from 1918 to 1921 and again at Princeton University from 1927 to 1928. At the time of his death Githens was residing in Laguna Beach, CA. (Inventory #: 266927)