A large format showcase of three centuries of architectural design.

Civic Architecture Across America: Extraordinary Views highlights the work of renowned architectural photographer Thomas R. Schiff and features over one hundred and twenty of his civic panoramic photographs of the interior and exterior spaces of these civic buildings throughout the country. Schiff’s signature photographs in panorama offer a breathtaking full 360-degree sweep of civic architecture, allowing the viewer to see what is directly in front in addition to the views to the left, right, and the rear.

Each chapter of Civic Architecture Across America features one of eight short essays written by an architectural historian, practicing architect, or museum curator who shares their thoughts on an aspect of civic architectural expression and engagement surrounding public space today. The book unfolds regionally, beginning with a tour of our nation’s capital and its most iconic locations such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Library of Congress Reading Room photographed as you have never seen before. Readers then travel to each region of the country where they will meet an expert who shares their perspective on Schiff’s imagery and the architectural uniqueness, changes, and considerations that go into building these town, city, and state buildings, including indigenous sites and the edifices they influence today. This project includes the Maryland Statehouse, Buffalo City Hall, Federal Plaza in Chicago, Cincinnati City Hall, Faneuil Hall in Boston, New Hampshire Supreme Court, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the West Virginia Independence Hall, Sandra Day O’Connor United States Courthouse, the Scottsdale City Hall, the Y bridge, Pueblo Bonito, and over one hundred more locations. 

Published in collaboration with the Cincinnati Museum Center, this large format book expands upon a new traveling exhibit featuring Schiff’s lens-based architectural images of the people’s buildings as part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Complete with a foreword from Governor Mike DeWine (Ohio) and an introduction by Richard Guy Wilson.
 

Tom Schiff is a photographer and founder of FotoFocus, a nonprofit organization championing the medium and its role in contemporary culture. He is the author Sacred Spaces: Experiencing Liminality, Surrounded by Art: Panoramic Views of America’s Landmark Museums, Northern Kentucky University: A Panoramic History, Panoramic Parks, Wright Panorama: Elements of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architecture in 360 Degrees, and Panoramic Ohio: The Bicentennial Collection.