Bulldozer. Demolition and clearance of the postwar landscape

400 Pages·2016·11.562 MB·English

by  Ammon, Francesca Russello

Bulldozer

Bulldozer
Demolition and Clearance
of the Postwar Landscape
FRANCESCA RUSSELLO AMMON
/New HaveN & LoNdoN
Published with assistance from the Ronald and Betty Miller Turner Publication Fund,
from the income of the Frederick John Kingsbury Memorial Fund, and from the
foundation established in memory of Philip Hamilton McMillan of the Class of 1894,
Yale College.
Illustrations in this book were funded in part or in whole by a grant from the
SAH/Mellon Author Awards of the Society of Architectural Historians.
Copyright © 2016 by Francesca Russello Ammon.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations,
in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S.
Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written
permission from the publishers.
Chapter 6 is modified and expanded from “Unearthing Benny the Bulldozer:
The Culture of Clearance in Postwar Children’s Books.” Copyright © 2012
The Johns Hopkins University Press. This article first appeared in Technology
and Culture, volume 53, issue 2, April 2012, pages 306–336.
Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational,
business, or promotional use. For information, please e- mail [email protected]
(U.S. office) or [email protected] (U.K. office).
Designed by Mary Valencia.
Set in Century type by Tseng Information Systems, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015950794
ISBN 978- 0- 300- 20068- 3 (cloth : alk. paper)
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992
(Permanence of Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Frontispiece: Lowell Georgia/Denver Post/Getty Images (modified; see p. 201).
For Peter, Isabella, and Oliver
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction
A Culture of Clearance 1
Part One Bulldozers at War
1 “A Dirt Moving War”
Engineers and Seabees as World War II Heroes 21
2 Prime Movers
Equipment Manufacturers Prepare for Postwar Prosperity 61
Part Two Bulldozers at Work
3 Grading Groves and Moving Mountains
Suburban Land Clearance in Orange County, California 97
4 “Armies of Bulldozers Smashing Down Acres of Slums”
Urban Renewal Demolition in New Haven, Connecticut 140
5 “The Intricate Blending of Brains and Brawn”
Engineering the Postwar Highway Boom 182
Part Three Bulldozers of the Mind
6 Unearthing “Benny the Bulldozer”
Children’s Books and Tonka Trucks 221
7 Bulldozers as Paintbrushes
Earthworks and Building Cuts in Conceptual Art 251
Conclusion
Toward a Culture of Conservation 287
Notes 307
Index 369
This page intentionally left blank
Acknowledgments
This book is the product of years of research, writing, and conversation.
It is my pleasure to acknowledge the many people who have enriched
my thinking on this topic and the multiple institutions that have afforded me
access to this book’s wide- ranging source material. I also offer a quiet nod
of thanks to the varied social spaces—from libraries and archives to confer-
ence rooms, coffee shops, and kitchen tables—that provided both scenery and
soundtrack for the solitude of writing.
I have benefited immeasurably from the support of valued mentors.
Dolores Hayden initially observed that a study of demolition might appeal to
my interests. Not only was this a wonderful idea, but Dolores has proven to
be an ideal advisor. I have appreciated her encouragement, advice, and ex-
ample, and I thank her immensely for the countless investments she has
made in me throughout this process. Jean- Christophe Agnew shared his en-
thusiasm for cultural history and inspired me with his expansive ability to see
connections across space and time. Seth Fein, Matthew Jacobson, and Laura
Wexler also read drafts of parts of this project and shared feedback that has
greatly improved the shape of the book. A fellowship from the Miller Cen-
ter for Public Affairs introduced me to Edmund Russell, who offered valuable
suggestions on early chapters as well.
I have appreciated the opportunities to present and discuss parts of this
project at meetings of the Society for American City and Regional Planning
History (SACRPH), Urban History Association, International Planning His-
tory Society, American Studies Association, Business History Conference,
and Policy History Conference, and at symposia and workshops organized
by Hagley Museum and Library, the Program on the Study of Capitalism
at Harvard, the Agrarian Studies and American Studies programs at Yale,
ix