Armory Shows: The Spectacular Life of a Building Type to 1913.

In this article, the author discusses the various uses of armory buildings in the U.S. from the late 19th-century to the early 20th-century. The author notes that armories were employed to host both military and civilian events, including various kinds of exhibitions. Particular focus is paid to the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art held at the 69th Regiment National Guard Armory in New York City, an event which subsequently came to be known simply as The Armory Show. More specifically, the author looks to the architecture of armory buildings, their traditions of display and media representations in order to uncover evidence of militarism, commerce and spectacle in the 1913 Armory Show and previous armory exhibitions.