
Yesterday, history and architecture entwined as the Library of Congress, in tandem with the National Park Service, crowned Laura Pressley the 2024 Leicester B. Holland Prize laureate. Pressley's meticulous drawing of the Wainwright Tomb at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis garnered the prestigious honor. Designed by famous early American modernist architect Louis Sullivan, the tomb is considered not just a St. Louis emblem but a beacon of modernist American architecture.
The Wainwright Tomb, erected in 1893, stands as Sullivan's third and final offering to the era's architectural heritage, following the Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb and the Martin Ryerson Tomb. Pressley's ability to beautifully capture this architectural jewel was lauded for her exceptional attention to detail in her drawing, which in turn landed her a not-too-shabby $1,500 and a certificate of recognition. Her work, executed during her grad student days at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will now permanently grace the Library of Congress' collection.
Dedicated to Leicester B. Holland, a prominent figure in the realm of American architecture and historic preservation, the prize celebrates the finest single-sheet, measured drawings of historic significance, prepared by professionals and students alike. The winners' illustrations are set to join the vast expanse of the Library of Congress' collections, offering a snapshot of America's past to the public eye.
For those itching to potentially join the ranks of winners like Pressley in the future, the door remains wide open. One can get all the details necessary to throw their hat in the ring at the National Park Service contest website. Meanwhile, the Library of Congress lingers not just as a colossal repository of knowledge but as an incubator of cultural appreciation, with the Center for Architecture, Design and Engineering at its heart, ever ready to engage the public with thought-provoking activities and publications.
For further ingress into this melding pot of history and architecture, or simply to satiate a curiosity about the Library's many programs, the curious and the studious alike are welcome to dive into their website. Meanwhile, those with a knack for heritage and design can view Pressley's prizewinning drawing of the Wainwright Tomb on Library of Congress website.