Mr. Lewis talked about his biography, Frank Furness: Architecture and the Violent Mind, published by W.W. Norton. The author described the life of Victorian architect, Frank Furness, who was the son of an abolitionist minister, a Philadelphia native and a decorated Civil War hero. Mr. Lewis theorized that the abolitionist movement, his military service and the philosophy of transcendentalism influenced Furness' architectural style. He said that the structures designed by Furness, which include train stations, row houses and banks, while influenced by the Gothic style, were also the physical manifestation of his manic personality. The event took place in Philadelphia’s Union League building, which was designed by Frank Furness. Mr. Lewis accompanied his talk with slides of Mr. Furness' designs. 

Michael Lewis is an associate professor of American art and architecture at Williams College in Massachusetts.