Fiske Kimball: A Biographical Sketch

Sidney Fiske Kimball (he dropped 'Sidney' early in his professional career) was born in Newton, Massachusetts on December 8th, 1888. His parents were Edwin Fiske Kimball and Ellen Ripley; his father taught, and later was head master, at various public schools in the Boston suburbs. Fiske attended Harvard University, receiving his Bachelors degree from the Architecture School in 1909 and his Master of Architecture in 1912. The curriculum emphasized formal elements of design based on the history of buildings and the built environment. It was based directly on the model provided by the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. The result, according to Kimball, was that Harvard students, "tended to graduate into teaching, writing and editing rather than practice." His career, in fact, included notable contributions in teaching, writing, editing, and practice.

• 1912-1919: Early Career
• 1919-1923: Kimball Heads the Department of Art and Architecture at the University of Virginia
• 1925-1935: First Decade as Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
• 1935-1950: Changes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
• 1950-1955: Culmination of Kimball's Career

Life and Accomplishments at the University of Virginia, 1919-1923

Shack Mountain

Other Architectural Designs

Director, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1925-1955

Contributions to Architectural Restoration

Culmination and Legacy