:: When Art Meets Science
Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 11:51AM 
My love for architecture and design happily collided with Mr. Galavanting's love of science while we were recently house-hunting.
But on the lookout for a house big enough for our five (million) kids, we didn't expect to find something that would become an awesome story.
We'd narrowed down our favorite home and were taking another look before making an offer -- which we ended up doing. Before leaving, we noticed the owner left out some historic documents about the house and original blueprints. Turns out it was a Sears Roebuck Catalog home.
I noticed the Sears letters were addressed to the original owner at his place of work -- the University of Chicago and that he was a professor. I called Mr. Galavanting (a professor and geologist / hydrogeologist) over to take a look. This was a cool tidbit, not only was the a well-maintained older house, but had a interesting history.
Then, something magical happened.
Upon reading the professor's name, my usually composed and reserved Canadian man just about lost his mind: "Holy Crap! J Harlen Bretz?!? He's a world famous geologist, and one of my heros!!"
Then he went on to name all the amazing discoveries and sciency research this guy had done.
That night, we found out there was actually a PBS documentary airing that night all about Dr. Bretz's work. Spooky.
Apparently many of Bretz's revolutionary theories were very unpopular with the scientific community until well after he'd retired from academia. But satellite images confirmed his hypotheses decades later and his ideas changed geology forever. He was so vindicated in fact that at age 96, he received the Penrose Medal -- the Geological Society of America's highest award.
Product image from a 1915-1920 Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog. (Click to enlarge)
Our offer was accepted, and the current owner loved the story.
After Mr. Galavanting sent around an email to colleagues scattered across the country, a bunch of them wrote back with stories of things they knew about Bretz. We're now looking forward to finding where he made his own cherry wine in a secret basement room during prohibition. Also on our to-do list is finding rocks brought back from his field research in the backyard. Apparently he numbered them and would quiz grad students during parties by having them identify them by type. The winner closest to his master list got a bottle of his homemade wine.
His biographer notes that Bretz was a prankser, a little eccentric and a strong advocate for free thought.
We'll definitely be at home there.
The soon-to-be home of our blended brood, built by Bretz and his dad from a Sears Roebuck catalog kit in 1921.
And back to the art side...
The history of Sears catalog homes themselves is also a fascinating one. Author Rosalind Thomas, who wrote an entire book about them, is interviewed below and gives a brief history of catalog kit homes:
Reader Comments (4)
That house is beautiful. I love it!!
If I were Bretz and people said my hypotheses were wrong and then later it turned out I was too right, I'd totally do the "I told you so" dance. At my awards ceremony. At age 96. Totally.
Oh, I love this story. It would be such a wonderful thing to have a house and know the history like that. And how wonderful for your husband to have someone he has admired be the original owner of the house. It is a gorgeous house, by the way.
Yeah, this was such a fun thing to have happen and we're really excited. So are the kids!
Candace: Totally.
The houses are very beautiful and I like art especially expressionism!