Post War Architecture: The Innovative Architects Of The Midcentury Modern Period (OOL)
Osher Online | Registration opens Sunday, August 16, 2026 2:00 PM
From sleek new industrial materials to innovations in housing, mid-20thcentury designers faced the challenge of shaping an aesthetic that reflected the ideals of post-World War II America. In this course, we will explore the optimism that defined the relationship between design and lifestyle during this period, particularly through the emergence of open living spaces in architecture.
We will examine the influence of the Case Study Program and the work of leading designers, including Charles and Ray Eames, John Lautner, Eero Saarinen, E. Fay Jones, and Donald Wexler, while considering these developments within the broader context of rapid social and cultural change.
The program meets Wednesdays, 10/7/26 through 11/11/26 at 12:00 pm
Each live session is 90 minutes
Wednesday, October 7
Wednesday, October 14
Wednesday, October 21
Wednesday, October 28
Wednesday, November 4
Wednesday, November 11
As this class is delivered by the National Resource Center for OLLIs (NRC) at Northwestern University, you will receive a welcome email from osheronline@northwestern.edu. The email will include your credentials (username & password) as well as a hyperlink to the Osher Online Website through which you will access your course website.
Please save the link once you receive it. Multi-session courses will use this same link each week.
Eleanor Schrader
Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures and leads tours worldwide on art and architectural history. She was named a distinguished instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She completed graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby’s Institute in London and New York. She served as a design review commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and serves on the John Lautner Foundation board of directors.