alan gowans (november 30, 1923 – august 19, 2001) was an art historian and university academic, educated at the university of toronto and princeton university. a charismatic teacher and prolific author, his academic specialty was north american architecture, frequently highlighting such unheralded structures as gas stations, restaurants, motels, bungalows and mail-order homes, and exploring their social, cultural and national significance. perhaps his most influential work was "images of american living".