2 comments about Peep-Machine Pin-Ups: 1940s-1950s Mutoscope Art.

1. I was always curious about Mutoscope cards and having bought the book I'm still curious. It seems cards were dispensed from coin-operated machines for mere pennies but the book doesn't picture the machines or tell me how they were dispensed or, as another reviewer has mentioned, how many different sets there were.
   
   The 128 pages feature the pin-up cards printed in 175dpi and presented in a very boring layout, not even a thin grey drop shadow to give them a lift on the page. On the cover the thumbnail cards do have a depth shadow added though. The first few pages have some very skimpy text about the cards and the four artists who painted most of the artwork throughout the book.
   
   I thought this was a rather expensive publication but if you like pin-up art there is a better book available. For a third of the price to can get Taschen's The Great American Pin-Up (Midi) which has hundreds of pictures and although I haven't checked I bet all these Mutoscope pin-ups are included (there is also a large coffee-table version of this wonderful book).



2. If you are looking to view the authors' collection of 230 Mutoscope Pin-Up cards, nicely reproduced, this is the book for you. If you want more information, look elsewhere.
   There is a cursory history of Mutoscope cards and brief biographies of 4 artists represented, but that's it. No information on how many were made (386); over what period of time (1940-1954); how they were grouped (10 sets of 32 or 64 cards with 2 extras). It would have been nice to have a complete checklist and information on how to identify the various sets. Instead of being ordered by year or set, the authors put them alphabetically according to the cute quotes on the cards: from "A Clothes Call" to "You're The Top". There are Internet references, but you could have done that anyway, right? I am waiting for the complete reference guide. Anyone step up?

1 comments about A Collector's Guide to African Sculpture (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Vanity publication and advertisement for parties (who are) more interested in self-promotion than education. Sophomoric descriptions and overly inflated prices for less than mediochre examples of touristy junk.

3 comments about Collector's Value Guide to Oriental Decorative Arts (Collectors Value Guide to Oriental Decorative Arts).

1. An excellent quick reference for the beginning collector as well as the advanced. How else can all the related lexicography be retained without an easily portable volume such as this? Just remember that the values given can vary significantly in reality due to quite subtle variables.



2. Covers all of the ceramics and textiles I needed to research -- plus has great info. on woodblock prints, metal, markings, makers, restoration, museums, etc. A great value guide for anyone who collects Orientalia.



3. I wrote this book! It is my best work to date. It gives the reader the best information available. It includes a glossary, index, great illustrations, marks sections, listings, values etc. A must for dealers, collectors, appraisers and anyone interested in Oriental Decorative Arts.

No comments about Art Nouveau Floral Designs (The Treasury of Decorative Art).

No comments about American Folk Art Canes: Personal Sculpture.

No comments about Contemporary Australian Painting.

3 comments about Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates: Central Park, New York City 1979-2005.

1. I was mad at myself for not going to New York to see this exhibit.
   This book helped me to be there.
   I promised myself not to miss the next exhibit.
   When you think about how they go about putting together an exhibit, Christo & Jeanne-Claude are phenomenal!
   This book will show you that.



2. Excellent collection of images of his most interesting completed works; Valley Curtain, Surrounded Islands, Running Fence, Umbrellas and the Gates. Also, some images from the upcoming Over the River project. Images are printed full size on large heavy stock and are suitable for framing. A brief project description is on the back of each sheet. Strongly recommended for any fan of Christo's work.



3. The images in this book are all that remain of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Central Park outdoor art exhibit, The Gates, a massive, stunning and unforgettable project that was dismantled forever on Sunday, February 27, 2005, after a two-week run. This photographic chronicle is interspersed with prototype drawings and designs as well as reflections of the artists as they brought their project to life. Through "The Gates'" the couple created an artistic representation of two of our oldest cultural and religious totems: the myth of Hades and Persephone and that of Moses and the Burning Bush.
   
   The photos of a snow-covered Central Park in February with the naked, brown-grey trees - which lack depth but somehow yield shadows - reminded me of Hades; the orange gates reminded me of Persephone and her fateful pomegranates. Winter will yield to spring which will eventually yield right back to winter. Other photographs bring to mind the Biblical story of Moses with the orange gates looking like bushes blazing cross Central Park.
   
   The story of rebirth and redemption is expressed in literature and was exquisitively expressed in this outdoor art. Both stories, and about 4 million others based on crowd attendance figures, were told across Central Park for 16 short, sweet days. If you didn't have the personal experience, at least have the faithfully recorded one. And definitely plan on seeing their next art installation, Over The River, Project For Arkansas River, Colorado, (date tba) in person. You won't forget it or regret it.

No comments about Spongeware 1835-1935: Makers, Marks, and Patterns (Schiffer Book for Collectors.).

No comments about Flights of Fancy: American Silver Bird-Decorated Spoons.

No comments about Historical Drawings of Native Flowers (Ash Island Series).