5 comments about Erwin Blumenfeld (Phaidon 55's).

1. It is estimated that over 90% of the world's buildings were constructed without the services of an architect. Most of these buildings are owner or commuity constructed using traditional building technologies. They are part of a building tradition known as "vernacular" architecture.
   
   There are hundreds of millions of these traditional dwellings throughout the world and as Westerners we have a need to better understand these buildings by breaking them up into discrete and easily understood categories. There is probably no one in the world more knowledgeable about vernacular architecture than Professor Paul Oliver of Oxford and "Dwelings" is his attempt to classify these buildings into better understood categories.
   
   The strength of this book is in the many interesting photographs of vernacular buildings througout the world. They show the wide array of ingenious solutions people have come up with to shelter themselves from the elements. Of further value is Paul Oliver's broad categories into which he groups vernacular buildings. Unfortunately, in order to justify his categories, Paul Oliver turns to summarizing numerous academic articles on vernacular architecture. This need to summarize other people's work turns the text into an episodic and sometimes tedious narrative. "Dwellings" is a good jumping off point for the study of vernacular architecture. However, in depth knowledge of vernacular architecture will have to be found somewhere else.



2. A lot of text but of very good quality and wonderful pictures ! highly commandable together with Built by Hand from Steen(s)& komatsu(s) (almost only pictures of the highest quality) and Home Work from Lloyd Kahn, You get the best to study dwellings all over the world and maybe built with more simplicity healthy powerful and sacred places as all dwellings should be !



3. when we are looking for a new perspective to see architecture. this book is the one.
   paul oliver offers an inclusive, and balance view to see architecture. no more from western point of view.
   i think, this is in tune with rudofsky's 'architecture without architect'.
   i recommend those books to my coleagues as great and a must be read book!



4. I was really impressed by this careful selection of photographs by one of the most inventive photographers of the twentieth century. These beautifully printed images lead us through the life of Erwin Blumenfeld, from Holland, to Paris, to the United States. The photographs lead us through Blumenfeld's endless creativity from striking political photos (of Hitler in 1933) to pure beauty , and on to fashion in the fifties. Many of the interesting captions are taken from Blumenfeld's autobiography Eye to I which I had read with great interest a few years ago. The photographs (55) color and Black and white are placed in chronological order and some of them had not been published before.
   The variety of techniques and darkroom magic displayed here is a stunning lesson in photography and this book can be as well considered as a first approach to Erwin Blumenfeld's work as a more in-depth perception, thanks also to the excellent introduction by Michel Métayer.



5. Paul Oliver is a scholar with soul. In the early '70s, he published Shelter and Society, a wonderful book on indigenous building. He was formerly head of the Graduate School at the Architectural Association in London and is now Chair of the Master's Course in International Studies in Vernacular Architecture at Oxford Brookes University in Devon, England. Dwellings is about handmade buildings by indigenous people of the world, some of whom still thrive, others whose traditional ways of life are threatened. The photos, mostly by the author, are terrific, and the accompanying text is perceptive and informative.

3 comments about Novelty Hand Fans, Fashionable Functional Fun Accessories of the Past.

1. For anyone interested in costumes and accessories, the book, "Novelty Hand Fans" is FAN-TASTIC (pun intended). It is clearly written and wonderfully illustrated, offering details and descriptions.
   
   There is a glossary as well as line drawings showing the different types of fans in the beginning of the book. This helps to delineate the structural differences between fans.
   
   What is so remarkable about this book are the photographs of such a wide variety of styles of antique fans, old advertisements and photographs of people holding fans in portraits.
   
   It is inspiring to see the art involved in making and decorating fans. This is a book one wants to leaf through again and again simply because the author is so thorough in her writing, and because there are so many amazing fans to gaze upon.
   
   This book is really a bargain when you realize the enormous amount of research the author put into creating it. The layout and chapters are clear and easy to follow. For collectors or art lovers, this is a fascinating book to savor.
   
   It is so well thought out -- and even includes a humorous chapter on the Language of the Fan with funny photos, period graphics and song lyrics!
   
   The book includes an astonishing collection of fans ranging from parasol fans to puzzle fans! It lists a detailed bibliography, fan museums and organizations.
   
   If this book lacks anything, it is an index. Perhaps in the next edition, this feature will be added. But other than that, I can find nothing but praise for this wonderful book.
   
   I admit it -- I'm a big FAN of the book, NOVELTY HAND FANS!



2. Imagine the excitement of finding a well researched book that leads one into area of Fan collecting that has been neglected until now.
   Novelty Fans have been ignored in the past by many collectors but no longer. The bar has been raised with this beautifully illustrated reference tome. The authors overall dedication to this subject is to be congratulated.



3. Not only are the photographs gorgeous but the book is filled to the brim with tons of information on every kind of fan imaginable! I learned all about the many different kinds of fans that were made, and unlike most books, there were photos of people holding fans! If you want to learn about hand fans, this is a wonderful book and I highly suggest you get a copy.

No comments about Apt.301.

1 comments about Jewelry of the Stars: Creations from Joseff of Hollywood.

1. So little is written about this remarkable designer that it is great to have so much information in one source about Eugene Joseff. The photographs recording his designs are invaluable to costume jewelry aficionados and collectors. Joseff's contribution to film-making is unique and , until now, practically unsung. Movie stills, photos from the Joseff archives and photos produced for this volume provide a valuable record of his prodigious and truly remarkable output.

   Why the publisher doesn't assign an editor to clean up much of the amatuerish, gawky prose is beyond this reader's comprehension. While one does not expect erudition in a "collector book", one should not have to endure irrelevant and uninformative captions, homespun drawings and corny typefaces. Many of the photos are poorly planned, using strange props and odd angles which interfere with seeing the jewelry. The poor editing and the poor layout prevent me from giving a higher rating. But if you are a costume jewelry collector, especially of Joseff, you have to have this book.

4 comments about Hats: Status, Style and Glamour.

1. This coffee table size and style book reviews its subject by hat style. Big photographs and good illustrations take the reader through a brief history of tophats, boaters, bowlers, ballcaps (the only style that America can lay claim to creating), fezzes, etc. This book is more scholarly than I assumed upon my first impression. I come back to it regularly for information.



2. There aren't many books about hats, which gives this one an edge. Most of the text in the book deals with history of hats. The history starts to get detailed around 1800. So only about half of what you find in this book applies to hats you might find in a thrift store. In the margins are small period advertisements for hats and depictions of hats from cartoons and simple drawings. Scattered throughout are full page color plates with photos of hats. Half of the text pages are printed on green paper, so the illustrations there would be green and white. It bothers me a little.
   
   The pictures here are nice. They are useful for seeing how a particular style was worn and for trying to determine a bit about when a hat was made. There is also a section on hats today. Consider when this book was published. There is a little too much about Boy George here and how he will bring about a comeback for hats.
   
   All in all this is a nice picture book and history for hats. If you are into that kind of thing then this is fine to look through.



3. For me, this is the most comprehensive book on the subject that is available - and that includes several out-of-print-books as well. The pictures are great, often full-page, mostly in colour. The texts cover every angle of hat history, style, trade, designers, and everything else you can think of. The pictures cover all kinds of hat styles, usually putting traditional or classic shapes in contrast with modern versions or interpretations, there are also pictures of hats by a lot of great designers with a short synopsis on their work and simply wonderful hats. The book is a rare treat for the eyes and a great source of information. Be warned, however, that the subjects are treated usually rather briefly, and not in detail. Turn to other books concentrating on single aspects for that - for an overview, you can't do better than this. I want to point out, however, that the book does NOT deal with the do-it-yourself-creation of hats, and anyone looking for information on hatmaking or millinery instruction has to turn elsewhere. Still, if you're interested in hats and / or millinery, you don't want to miss this book.



4. This is a good book for an office environment where you have to sit and wait, and would rather look at pictures than be informed. The first sentence of the chapter 'The Hat and the Hatmaker' quotes Thackeray, "there is a great deal in the building and wearing of hats," but McDowell tells the reader little more about felting than St. Clement supposedly discovered felting by sticking flax in his shoes which "matted the fibres." He explains that beaver was more expensive than rabbit, and rabbit was more expensive than straw. He does not say whether beaver is still used to make hats. There is a lot of information in this book: In the late 19th century top hats were called chimney pots. Pre-World War I "Scale is still important at all social levels and is provided by trims." [in women's hats]. I have selected my examples at random as typical. This kind of information can while away the time in waiting room, but I didn't find it useful. The layout is attractive, and I liked some of the illustrations.

No comments about Pintucks & Lace, Using Heirloom Techniques on Today's Styles.

No comments about Pleats.

No comments about Tanya Marcuse Undergarments and Armor.

1 comments about Andean Textile Traditions: Papers from the 2001 Mayer Center Symposium.

1. The Frederick and Jan Mayer Center for Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial Art at the Denver Art Museum sponsors an annual symposia - and if you can't actually attend it, "Andean Textile Traditions" is the second best option. College-level students will here find essays on Andean textiles, culled from the 2001 symposium, paired with color reproduction examples form the exhibition, and including cultural and art analysis which shouldn't be missed by any student of Latin culture and art studies.

1 comments about Faberge Flowers.

1. Just about a year ago, I went to a special exhibition in Newark, New Jersey that had artifacts from the private domain of Russia's last Tsar and his family. As I strolled among the clothing and photographs and paintings, there was one object that stood in solitary splendour in a glass case, occupying a place of honor.
   
   The object was a bouquet of lilies of the valley, arranged in a beautifully woven basket, nestled in moss. But unlike real flowers, this was all crafted in gold, pearls and diamonds, and jade. It's so carefully made that you can see the veining in the leaves, the delicate strands of moss, and so vivid that if there was a breeze, you would swear that the arrangement would quiver.
   
   Presented to the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as a coronation gift, it sat on her desk until the Revolution. But it wasn't the only object that she owned that was crafted by Faberge. Every well-to-do and aristocratic home had frames, silver, and other designs created by Faberge and his firm in their homes. One of the most popular of these were the small floral arrangements, usually just one or two sprigs of a particular flower in a vase of rock crystal.
   
   In Faberge Flowers, Marilyn Pfeifer Swezey explores these tiny treasures. Most are only a few inches high at the most, and delightful to look at. With other researchers and others that have fallen under the spell of Faberge's work, she takes a look at the works of this craftsman. Each essay is accompanied by splendid photographs of the flowers -- and a few of the famous Imperial Eggs -- which made the book worth purchasing.
   
   One of the top researchers on Faberge, Alexander von Solodkoff, writes the first essay, cleverly disguised as the introduction, where he talks about the fondness of Russians for flowers, and the cultural significance of them, especially with their associations with spring and Easter. He also talks about the varied collectors of Faberge, both before the Russian Revolution and after.
   
   "A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Foever:" The Faberge Flowers, by the editor of the book, Marilyn Pfeifer Swezey, goes into the history of these little objects of art. Known as "flower studies," these were also the rarest of the various objects d'art that the firm crafted. Only a hundred or so of these fragile objects are known to have survived to now, and when they rarely come to the open market, they fetch astronomical prices. Swezey discusses the materials used -- most remarkable is the actual dandelion fluff used to create the dandelion flowers, each held in place with minute wires -- along with the Art Noveau style which drew inspiration from nature. For the Russian court, it was a breath of fresh air, and reaction to the at times overbearing magnificence of the most wealthy court in Europe. Also covere are the various exhibitions that were held of the Faberge flowers as well.
   
   An Astonishing Discovery by Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm
   discusses how the fall of the Soviet regime in Russia has led to the discovery of the original designs and notes that were made in the creation of the flowers. She shows the finished object side by side with the designer's notes, and the details on both are what takes my breath away when I look at them. The author also goes into the decision making process and the steps in crafting the finished product, from the selection of the stones to the making of the rock crystal vases that formed the base of many of the flowers.
   
   "His Greatest Patroness:" Queen Alexandra and Faberge's Flowers by Caroline de Guitaut talks about the largest collection of Faberge outside of Russia, and the woman who started it. The elder sister of Empress Marie, Queen Alexandra was very familiar with Faberge's work, collecting small hardstone animals as well as more than twenty-three of the floral studies. There are also notes about the others who have added to the Faberge objects in the Royal Collection today.
   
   Faberge's London Branch and the London Ledgers by Tatiana Faberge is the shortest of the essays, just covering how Faberge opened the London branch of the firm, and how the surviving business ledgers have proved to be valuable in tracking down where many of the objects are today.
   
   In Search of Faberge's Flowers in Russia by Valentin V. Skurlov is translated by Dudley Hagen, and talks about the collectors in Russia before the Revolution. Not only discussing the various collectors, he also mentions that having a knowledge of flowers was a sign of being educated, and that the flowers were quite an acceptable present when a piece of jewelry would be 'awkward.' Many of these objects vanished in the confusion of the Revolution, and their whereabouts are unknown. Another tidbit is that Skurlov talks about the various floral firms that supplied many of the hothouse flowers for the aristocracy -- and as models for Faberge's artisans. Using notes and ledgers, Skurlov gives a list of the various flowers purchased or given by the Romanovs, and among the photographs can be seen one creation nestled in the original case.
   
   Faberge's Flowers: Science in the Service of Art by Mark A. Schaffer talks about his own love of Faberge (his firm A La Vieille Russe sells jewelry and often Faberge objects in New York City) and the little touches and detail that Faberge put into his designs, showing fruits and flowers in every stage.
   
   Every photograph is annotated, and the essays have plenty of notes attached. There is an extensive index and while the book is not cheap -- the cover price is over 30$US -- it is worth it to add to any collector who is interested in Russian art, Faberge, or who simply delights in beautiful things. This is one of the best books about the Faberge workshops, and gives plenty of information that hasn't been revealed before. The photographs are what make this worth looking at -- they are very sharp, clear and evocative, each one a serene portrait of nature caught in time and craftsmanship.