Abbott Lowell Cummings Prize

The Abbott Lowell Cummings Prize, named after the founding president of the VAF, is awarded annually to the publication that has made the most significant contribution to the study of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes of North America. In judging the nominated books, the jurors look for a publication that is

• based on primary research,
• emphasizes fieldwork,
• breaks new ground in interpretation or methodology, and
• contributes generally to the intellectual vitality of vernacular studies in North America.

Entries may come from any discipline concerned with vernacular architecture studies. Books published in the two years prior to the conference year are eligible for consideration. Edited collections are not eligible.

Nominations

The nomination deadline for the 2013 Cummings Prize is Friday, December 15, 2012.

There is no application form, but a cover letter should include a complete mailing address, phone number and email address in order to notify the candidate should the nominated work receive the award. Books should be sent directly to each of the committee members for the Cummings Prize. Please contact the committee chair with any questions.

2013 Cummings Prize committee:

Carla Yanni, Professor
Chair, VAF Cummings Prize
Art History Department
Rutgers University
71 Hamilton St
New Brunswick NJ 08901
carla.yanni@gmail.com
848-932-1250

Jennifer Elliott
803 Freedom Circle
Harleysville PA 19438

Elaine Jackson-Retondo
333 Bush Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104

2012 Prize Winner

Rebecca Ginsburg. At Home with Apartheid: The Hidden Landscapes of Domestic Service in Johannesburg. University of Virginia Press, 2011.
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All Cummings Prize Winners

The Abbott Lowell Cummings Prize was first awarded in 1983.
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