Mark Lamster

Mark Lamster|Essays

Delayed Gratification: On Architectural Criticism

Caught up in the formal design aspects of a building, critics like Nicolai Ouroussoff overlook the social context.

Mark Lamster|Essays

Really Great Gatsby

As Jeffrey Trachtenberg reports on the WSJ books blog, last week a 1925 edition of the Great Gatsby, with its vintage surrealist jacket, sold at auction for $180,000.

Mark Lamster|Essays

No More Neon on the Novy Arbat

In legislation somewhat reminiscent of Mike Bloomberg's restaurant smoking ban, Vladimir Putin isshutting down all casinos in Russia, effective tonight.

Mark Lamster|Essays

Meet James Ensor

It's been some three decades since James Ensor has had a major museum exhibition in the US, which makes MoMA's new show a rare pleasure.

Mark Lamster|Essays

MAS Macho

Behold the Museum aan de stroom (MAS), Antwerp's new municipal history museum. The building, designed by the Dutch architects Neutelings Riedijk, is due to open late next year.

Mark Lamster|Essays

The Most Beautiful Crapper in the World

In 1772, the Antwerp alderman Adrien van den Bogaert purchased a historic property in the center of the city and then hired architect Engelbert Baets to renovate the place.

Mark Lamster|Essays

Kosher in Antwerp

This is the first in what will be a series of posts generated over my recent trip to Belgium. Call it an appetizer, served with pleasure.

Mark Lamster|Essays

Lamsterdam

Master of Shadows will be published in Europe this November, and I'm hoping my distinguished Dutch publisher will undertake a guerilla art project to promote it in Holland.

Mark Lamster|Essays

European Holiday

I'm off to the Continent, which is a good excuse to dip into the family photo archive for a few reminders of a time when European travel was a bit more of a novelty.

Mark Lamster|Essays

Bottom of the Ninth

My review of Michael Shapiro's new book on the aborted life of the Continental League, a would be addition to the majors, appears in today's Los Angeles Times.

Mark Lamster|Essays

Red Star

The New York-Amsterdam connection has been much in the news of late, and rightly so, as this is the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's Dutch-sponsored voyage of American discovery.

Mark Lamster|Essays

Moscow's Jewish Museum

Earlier this week, plans were released for the new Jewish museum in Moscow.