For Immediate Release: November 19, 2009
Media Contacts: Johanna Weber

Robert Lautman Memorial Service

WHAT

The Lautman family welcomes guests to join them for a private memorial service honoring acclaimed architectural photographer Robert Lautman.

Robert C. Lautman, the undisputed Dean of architectural photographers in Washington, D.C. and long-standing friend of the National Building Museum, passed away at the age of 85 on October 20, 2009. For more than 60 years, Lautman photographed the built environment, documenting American architectural trends during the second half of the twentieth century. Lautman's clients included the nation's most accomplished architects, and he himself earned The American Institute of Architects' Gold Medal for Architectural Photography.

In 2006, he generously donated his legendary photographic archives to the National Building Museum. The images in the Robert C. Lautman Photography Collection are a treasure trove of the Washington metropolitan area’s growth and development and will continue to be a remarkable resource for generations to come.

WHO

The program will begin with remarks from Robert Lautman’s son Jonathan and will include messages from the following individuals:

• Chase W. Rynd, Executive Director, National Building Museum 
• Susan Stein, Richard Gilder Senior Curator and Vice President for Museum Programs, Monticello 
• Carol Cadou, Director of Collections, Mount Vernon
• Carolyn Despard, former picture editor, Smithsonian Magazine
• Benjamin Forgey, former architecture critic, The Washington Post
• Frank Schlesinger, FAIA
• Donald B. Myer, FAIA, former clerk of the works, Washington National Cathedral
• Hugh Newell Jacobsen, FAIA  

A reception will follow the memorial service.

WHERE

National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001 (Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)    

WHEN

Friday, December 4, 2009 / 6:30 – 8:30 pm
This is a private memorial service. Please contact Jessie Cochran at 202-272-2448 x3150 with any questions.

The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and planning. Chartered by Congress in 1980 and open to the public since 1985, the Museum has become a vital forum for exchanging ideas and information about the built environment through its exhibitions, education programs, and publications. The Museum is located at 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Museum Shop. Café. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.www.nbm.org.