5 comments about McKim, Mead & White: The Masterworks.

1. I had been panting over this book when I first learned of it's release and it was given to me as a gift, quite unexpected, considering it's costly list price.
   
   1) Just because you are related to Mr. White does not mean you have the same gifts. Where architect White was a gifted visionary, builder and man about town, (not to mention murdered lover of Evelyn Nesbitt) author White is pedestrian at best and swinging from gilded-age coat tails at worst.
   
   2) Some of the photography is excellent, and that is the reason this book still lives on my coffee table. However, I will warn you that much of it is flat and lacking in imagination.
   
   3) For lovers of architecture like myself and others who would want to own this book, it is amazingly short of drawings such as elevations and cross-sections. To see these buildings on paper and then in lush color photographs would have been a better exercise than the travelogue style presentation in this volume.
   
   In short, the book does have some lovely parts, but the whole is a bit disappointing. I don't know that I would pay retail for it, rather I'd look for a good used version, or ask Santa for it for Christmas.



2. Though the definitive book on these great architects work is still yet to be written, this book certainly does their work justice. I enjoyed the text and felt quite knowledged after reading it. I thought the pictures where bold and well selected, though not to the level of some books of this sort. I especially enjoyed the section on Penn Station, wow, what a building, it is so disheartening that it was leveled for a very mediocre building that may find itself meeting the same fate as Penn Station soon: poetic justice I suppose. I think instead of converting McKim, Mead, and White's Post Office Building into the new Penn Station, they should take the blue prints of the original and build it, this was the firms best work, it's a disgrace that is was so underappreciated by the city govenment a the time. At anyrate, if you have any interest in great Gilded Age architecture, you will certainly enjoy this book, just to get a peek inside some of the most exclusive clubs in America is worth the price of the book.



3. Since the author touts himself as a descendant of Stanford White, one doesn't expect much in the way of critical perspective from the text of this book. More disappointing are the contemporary photographs - although reproduced at enormous size, they are oddly flat and lifeless. For a better book at a better price, check out "The Architecture of McKim, Mead & White in Photographs, Plans and Elevations"



4. When captains of industry like Morgan, Astor, or Vanderbilt chose to build grand edifices they engaged the services of the architecture firm McKim, Mead, and White. During the firms most inspired period (1879-1915), it built nearly 1,000 commissions, including many famous and important buildings that are still vital parts of the landscape and include: The Morgan Library, Boston Symphony Hall, Columbia University, and the American Academy in Rome.

   Written by Samuel G. White (great grandson of Sanford White) and Elizabeth White, McKim, Mead, and White: The Masterworks documents non-residential works of America's greatest classical architects. This new book showcases twenty-four public buildings in remarkable detail. The majority of the buildings included in The Masterworks are still in use however several notable examples; Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, 4 pavilions at the World's Columbian Exposition, and Madison Square Presbyterian Church were demolished long ago.

   The architects spared no expense when they created their masterworks and it is apparent that Rizzoli Publishers spared no expense in producing this lovely book. Contemporary color photographs by Jonathan Wallen document the buildings as they are today capturing the totality of their grandeur as well as their finest details. Fascinating archival photographs illustrate how the buildings appeared were when their doors first opened. And almost every building profile is augmented with elevation drawings, sketches, watercolors, and other rare background material. An informative text accompanies each profile. It sheds light on the personalities of the architects, their sources of inspiration, the personalities who commissioned the buildings, and the times when they lived and worked.




5. One of the most handsome books on architecture of recent years, beautifully written in a style that is concise without being in the least off-hand. You may find yourself mourning the passing of an age when so much distinguished architecture enhanced our cities, and mourning equally the fact of so much of it being taken for granted (and in many cases, heartlessly demolished)

   One regrets, however, that the book's designers have gone the fashionable route of having its pages printed in a nearly matte-finish.
   Rather than being the velvety ideal, here the photographs seem compromised by this technique. A good example is the photograph of the library at the University Club,( New York). What must be the most complexly rich and improbably Italianate room in North America comes off looking disapointingly murky and flat.( The author/photographer's previous book, Houses of Mc Kim Mead White, while employing the same approach, was rather better printed.)
   But this is a quibble; the book is ravishing.

4 comments about The Bauhaus Ideal: Then and Now: An Illustrated Guide to Modernist Design and Its Legacy.

1. Great book; found it very useful for a presentation on Bauhaus.



2. Today's design students are overloaded with too many skills and ideas to absorb. Unfortunately, as students race into the future, it seems that subjects like Design History are the first to suffer. This book addresses that problem. You could think of it as the 'cliff notes' of Modernism. It's concise, fun to read, and beautifully illustrated. You can read it in one sitting. It connects Modernist ideas across design, art and architecture from the Bauhaus until now. Along the way, Smock pokes fun at some of the more pretensious characters and positions of Modernism. Most of all, he puts the ideas and forms of Modernism in context for our time. The author clearly has a deep appreciation for his subject, and argues that we still have much to learn from the spirit and optimism of Modernism. For students, this book should help to inspire new interest in what Modernism was/is all about. It suggests that rather than seeing a dusty footnote in history, maybe it's something we should pick up, polish, and re-examine. As an intro, this book should inspire further study for young designers.



3. Sprinkled liberally with the author's own pencil sketches of famous architects, buildings and other design icons, "The Bauhaus Ideal" is a small book chock full of unique perspectives on the history of design. It is pitched at the lay reader or college student - even someone with no interest whatsoever in Bauhaus or architecture would find this an absorbing read, which is why I think it would do very well in an intro liberal arts course for college freshmen hoping to pick up some ideas about modern art and architecture before they branch off onto the irreversible "med school" or "law school" track. It reads rather like the notebooks of da Vinci because of the deft pencil sketches; it also reminds me of John Ruskin's manifesto, "The Stones of Venice". Smock would very conversationally talk about an architect or a building, then throw in a little sketch - the effect is like dropping in on a professor who really knows his stuff but is cool enough to not beat you over the head with it. Smock is good enough to be a professional illustrator. In a few lead strokes he would capture the spirit of a real person's face, or the bare branches of winter. For the non-lay reader, the architect, or "those in the know", this book reaffirms one's thoughts about the giants in the architecture world and asks provoking questions about why things are what they are. All in all, a real treat and worth the price.



4. 
   
   This is the book for people who are interested in design (i.e. buy things)
   but don't read design magazines. Thought-provoking and funny.

3 comments about Private Landscapes: Modernist Gardens in Southern California.

1. This book is a bit light on for photos. If you are buying it for ideas for a modernist inspired garden you might be disappointed.



2. Although this is mostly a coffee-table book (great pictures and original & later landscaping plans), it does give an unexpectedly generous amount of historical background on the modernist architectural movement in Southern California.
   
   It also focuses on specific examples of modernist houses and gives the background on the thought process of the architects and landscape designers, how they designed the houses and landscapes in relation to the lots and surrounding areas.
   
   I think the best part of this book is how it juxtaposes pictures and plans of each house from the past and how they look in the present day. Thus, you can get an immediate sense of how well the designs have held up over time. Some of it looks dated, but much of it remains relevant (especially with the resurgent interest in mid-century design). Also, you get to see how some of the houses were revised by later architects and designers. You get to see how the original plants have aged as well.
   
   I borrowed this from the library, but I may end up buying it.



3. Kathryn Smith's erudite introduction and the authors' texts add historical resonance to this enticing collection of new and original gardens (including several by Burton) that set off classic houses by Schindler, Neutra, Soriano, and Quincy Jones. The plans and photographs are reminders of how Garrett Eckbo and others led the way in integrating modern architecture with landscape, inspired by Neutra's vision of the house as "a machine in the garden." (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

5 comments about Richard Neutra: Complete Works (Architecture & Design).

1. I am a strong believer that any discussion of a good archtiect must contain excellect picures and drawings. This book is a good overview. It has some excellent pictures, but the selection, organization and orientation of those pictures are sometimes very poor.
   
   THE BOOK IS NOT COMPLETE. Richard Neutra designed the Gettysburg's Cyclorama Center in 1962. It has been visited by millions of people and is facing destruction (or already has been destroyed). But it is not shown or even mentioned in this book.



2. What a lovely book. I am so glad that this book was reissued. It is huge, with lots of beautiful photos of Neutra's work. A must for those interested in California modern architecture and the Case Study Houses.



3. It could better be called the incomplete works.
   It does not contain a description of Neutra's live.
   
   For many realized projects texts are incomplete (e.g. what is the history about realization of the projects?, what ever happened with the buildings?), or even missing, plans are incomplete, missing, or contain errors if compared with the pictures, or not all the floors are represented by plans.
   
   Basically, the book, in spite of its price and weight, looks attractive because of the very good photography and layout, everything else (the texts and plans) are disappointing and certainly not worth the money.



4. Barbara Lamprecht and Julius Shulman have created one the great architecture books about this leading figure of 20th century modernism. As a fan of Lamprecht's excellent writing, the text in this book is, of course, excellent---full of information, opinion and wit. The depth of information provided, including floor plans, is rare in an architectural photo book. Shulman's photos (and some by the new architectural photo star--John Ellis) are superb. The very large format of this book shows off the beautiful buildings to their best advantage. The real wood cover seems a bit odd for a book on Neutra, but it certainly is handsomely impressive. Though [the price] is a a lot for a book, this one's worth it. Buy it now. The second edition might not be so large and impressive, and certainly won't be made of wood!



5. This book is amazing though the photos of Neutra's projects are generally not as large as one would hope. It is amazing how much Neutra created during his career. A brilliant book filled with insightful information and general floor plans of building projects. Best of all, there is even a map as to the location of his buildings.

No comments about Foster 40: Projects / Themes.

5 comments about Sourcebook of Modern Furniture, Third Edition.

1. This is the best compendium of pictures and details about the Modern Furniture movement!



2. The third edition of Jerryll Habegger and Joseph H. Osman's SOURCEBOOK OF MODERN FURNITURE should be on the reference shelves of ANY serious interior design collection. Appearing in its third revised edition, SOURCEBOOK provides one of the most authoritative guides to furniture and lighting designs of the 20th and 21st centuries in print, pairing color photos with features of works by hundreds of notable designers. Photos arranged by type of furniture or fixture make it simple for quick look-ups, while lists of suppliers and indexes of designers and manufacturers provide invaluable cross-referencing.



3. did not someone write that they are coming out with a new edition in fall 2004? this is the only problem with this edition. it is not updated. soon to be resolved it seems.



4. As predicted, the 3rd edition is OFF THE HOOK!!! The 3rd edition, published in 2005, has close to 700 new entries. Nearly half of the photos are in color and the authors have included web site information for manufacturers. This latest edition is in the collection of prominent museums and academic institutions across the globe, especially universities which have significant design and architecture programs. This is certainly a must have edition for the intellectually astute connoisseur of furniture and design.
   
   BTW, many of the listed reviews are referring to the 2nd edition which is now 10 years old!!! Check to be sure which edition other reviewers are referring to before making a purchase decision...you wouldn't want to miss out!!



5. I was disappointed with the book and returned it. Nothing by Robsjohn Gibbings. Nothing by Harvey Probber. Only a single piece by Wormley. Only two by Finn Juhl. Instead, the selection seems weighted heavily toward austere Italian designs of metal and glass, esp. those produced in the 1960s and later. I did not expect the editors to show such a lack of interest in wood. And given the book's definitive-sounding title, I did not expect them to adopt such an rigid and uninteresting definition of "modern."

5 comments about Draw Fashion Models! (Discover Drawing Series).

1. Great book by Lee Hammond that really shows how to draw detail of clothing, different poses, and much more. It is a very good book. She goes into so much detail that you can follow so easily. Lee is a very good instructor. I would highly recommend this book to those wanting to draw clothing, especially!



2. This book briefly goes into how to draw flats, but for learning every other aspect; from shading, to creating fabric folds, to drawing lace, and plaids i would recommend Fashion Sketchbook instead. Hope this helps :D



3. just a common book on how to scratch. talks about drawing models, but has nothing to do with fashion. squeezed the hot word in just to attact more attention. plus, you'll never draw like that for your fashion creative work.



4. This is a very handy reference to use while sketching people. It offers plenty of information and gets right to the nuts and bolts of getting the artwork done right. While other books seem to be filled with the author trying to entertain this one is filled with the author trying to explain and teach. Recommended.



5. i enjoyed this book from an artist point of view, it is really great if you are more so into giving your work a more "polished" artistic look but not much for fashion illustration. Only the section about rendering fabric patterns (gingham,stripes, and fabric folds) are really useful.

1 comments about Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future.

1. This book was put together as an accompaniment to a touring exhibit of Eero Saarinen's work. It is one of three books I purchased for an architectural class project on Saarinen and this book is the best of the three, more comprehensive, more personal, and just as if not more informative. I would highly recommend it, it offers tremendous insight into the man as well as the work. The personal interviews and discussions at the end are superb. The editors obviously have a great admiration and affection for Saarinen, and they do an excellent job of making you understand why.

4 comments about Harbor Hill: Portrait of a House.

1. Harbor Hill: Portrait of a house deals with one of the most important private homes built in America's "gilded age." Both the family involved, and the architect, provide the meat for a good story. Unfortunately, the result is a dry review of the details. Perhaps there are few surviving photographs of the home's interior, but too few are included to gain a good picture of the interior design and furnishings. In the end, the book is something of a disappointment.



2. BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS AND WELL WRITTEN STORY OF AN ESTATE THAT NO LONGER EXISTS....THE AUTHOR MADE IT EXIST AGAIN, IF ONLY IN THE MIND OF THE READER.



3. Gave as gift and person who received it absolutely loves it. She could not put the book down and we have ordered another copy to give as gift to somene else! Very well written and immensely interesting.



4. Harbor Hill was one of the most spectacular mansions ever built in America. Designed by the iconic Stanford White and built to embody the MacKays desire to accend to the pinacle of NYC society. This book charts the rise of the MacKays and their ultimate demise, along with the similar fate of this great house. The mistress of the house was a real peice of work, but this beautiful showplace was really her creation, she knew what she wanted and Stanford White gave it to her, with Mr. MacKay's money of course. The book is well researched and it's an interesting read and the images are first rate. Honestly, it's tragic that this house no longer survives, you just wonder what kind of philstine could tear something like this down, unfortunitely this being America and not Europe, none of us should be surprised it was so uncerimoniously destroyed. Harbor Hills fate closely resembles the great Philadelphia mansion, Whitehall, and the MacKays are more than a bit similiar to the Stotesbury's, both thought they built their great estates to last for centuries and instead they barely outlived them..when you see the kind of grand mansions built today in places like Bel Air and Palm Beach, you can't help but notice how inferior they are in comparison to the great Gilded Age mansions like Harbor Hill, it's a shame we dont have more respect for beautiful architecture of the past, we inherited so much from the Europeans, but that unfortunitely was not one of them...too bad for Harbor Hill, now just a ghost, haunting old sepia stained images.

No comments about The Architecture of Parking.