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The Harvard 5 in New Canaan


  • Devon Chivvis , Director
  • Alicia Albee, Producer

a modern glass house

About the Project

"The Harvard 5" tells the true story of five men – architects and industrial designers, husbands, fathers, lovers. Now known famously as the "Harvard 5", who in a post WWII era of hope and reinvention descended upon the white picked-fenced New England town of New Canaan, Connecticut, caused more than a raucous among the locals when they planted their "white boxes on matchsticks" in the local granite, changed the landscape forever, and ultimately changed the way in which post World War II America redefined traditional design. Through extensive interviews with their families, their friends, the locals, and with John Johansen himself, this film paints the picture of these 5 artists and tells the story of 5 remarkable men.