Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home:
Chicago’s Forgotten Renaissance Man
Written by Richard Cahan & Michael Williams
Photography by Alexander Vertikoff
THIRD EDITION INTRODUCTORY VIDEO
ABOUT
Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home is the most important resource for exploring the masterworks of the late Chicagoan’s long and prolific career. Not merely an artist, designer, architect, or craftworker, but somehow a master in all those roles, Miller remains one of the most prolific and yet underappreciated creative spirits of modern America. With a career that spanned every decade of the twentieth century and an aesthetic palette that includes styles ranging from Medieval European to Art Deco, Miller made a name for himself by creating visionary and iconic spaces using dozens of unconventional materials and his own hands. Explore his biography and his design process as chronicled by authors Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, and view hundreds of examples of his art captured in incredible detail by architectural photographer Alexander Vertikoff in the latest edition of the book.
Now in its third edition, the book was updated and revised in 2024 to reflect new research and discoveries by the original authors and Edgar Miller Legacy. It also includes an introduction by curator Lisa Stone, a revised and updated chronology of Miller’s works, new photos and artwork, and an afterword by Zac Bleicher, executive director of Edgar Miller Legacy. These additions offer new perspectives on how Edgar Miller fits into the annals of Chicago and American art history.
Edgar Miller’s intricate creations and wondrous spaces are uncanny for the breadth and audacity of both their beauty and craftsmanship. And his rich life story is something out of a novel. His work dazzles the eye and inspires the soul. That is the joy contained within Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home.
The third edition of Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home is made possible through the generous support of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. All proceeds from sales of the new edition directly support the nonprofit foundation Edgar Miller Legacy.
“Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home is many things. Above all, it’s a love story. A story that takes place throughout the twentieth century—Edgar Miller’s lifetime—that tells of his love-powered, passionate and irrepressible creativity. In the first edition of this book, published in 2009, Richard Cahan and Michael Williams gave Edgar Miller (1899-1993) the moniker “Chicago’s Forgotten Renaissance Man.” Fifteen years on, because of this book and the inspired work of the artist’s foundation, Edgar Miller Legacy, and many devoted supporters and scholars, Miller is widely known and admired by a worldwide audience. And his story is hardly forgotten. It is our great fortune with this updated edition to once again provide access to Edgar Miller’s singular story and inspire new generations.”
Lisa Stone
