No comments about From Domestic Manufacture to Industrial Revolution: The Case of the Rhineland Textile Districts.

1 comments about Ready-to-Use Victorian Women's Fashion Cuts: 277 Different Copyright-Free Designs Printed One Side (Dover Clip-Art Series).

1. This book was a wonderful addition to my library. It showed details of Victorian clothing which helped me to design and sew several Victorian replicas to wear. The book not only includes Dresses and Hairstyles, but Shoes, Hats and Coats. Clear details and a nice variety of images.

No comments about The Visual History of Costume.

2 comments about Costumes By Karinska.

1. Tony Bently an auther who writes in great detail ( she also wrote the indepth Winter Season, and Susanne Farrells Biography.)
   Tony once again is very successful with this magical book. When one reads Costumes by Karinska you never want to put it down. This book is also very rich in photos. a great combination. One does not have to be a dancer to read this book.
   It is a rare treat. Buy it, you won't be dissapointed



2. If you have ever seen a ballet by George Balanchine, then you are familiar with the name Karinska. In the foreward to this magnificently produced book, the great Balanchine is quoted as saying to the Ford Foundation that what he needed most for his work was "Karinska." Truth or overstatement, it is an obvious tribute to the woman who designed the costumes for more than 75 ballets by one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.

   The author, Toni Bentley was not only a dancer with Balanchine's New York City Ballet, she also wrote the best book on ballet I've ever read: WINTER SEASON, A DANCER'S JOURNAL.

   In COSTUMES BY KARINSKA Bentley traces Barbara Karinska's life and work in Russia and then, after becoming one of the numerous emigrees to the West, in Paris, Monte Carlo, London, Hollywood and, finally, Manhattan in 1949. Karinska worked with many other famous creative people in her long and varied career including Agnes De Mille, Jerome Robbins, Franco Zeffirelli and George Cukor to name just a few.

   This oversized book contains scores of wonderful photographs and sketches in color and in black and white including, to me, the most interesting part of the book: descriptions of how Karinska took "raw" sketches by artists such as Noguchi, Dali, Chagall, etc. and, literally, turned them into costumes.

   Bentley writes gracefully and wittily and, most importantly, she doesn't only write for dance professionals.

   Treat yourself to this relatively expensive but very much worthwhile history of costume in the last century and the personal and professional life of the woman who "dressed" so many major stars from Gypsy Rose Lee to Laurence Olivier. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

No comments about Dress, Gender and Cultural Change: Asian American and African American Rites of Passage (Dress, Body, Culture).

No comments about Visionaire No. 39: Play.

No comments about All About Wearing High Heels.

3 comments about Mardi Gras Treasures: Costume Designs of the Golden Age.

1. I DESIGN MARDI GRAS COSTUMES. THIS BOOK HAS BEEN EVERY USEFUL FOR IDEAS



2. If you wish to view the real New Orleans carnival celebration, take a look through this window opened by its legendary artist/historian, Henri Schindler. Schindler is a local icon, the touchstone of this unique cultural expression. Students of cultural and social history as well as art lovers and designers will share delight in Schindler's masterful recreation, through well-researched and entertaining text and beautiful color plates, of the "golden age" of the celebration--an oeuvre to which Schindler adds annually through his own designs for several of the old-line carnival organizations, thus keeping alive the artistic and cultural tradition of which he writes in this and his previous books. The reader comes to know, through the insights of a true "insider", the meaning and spirit of the "real" Carnival.



3. This book is exquisite.
   In New Orleans, Mardi Gras as practiced by the faithfull is the high holy event of the year. Mr. Schindler has documented the aesthetic traditions of the rites in a series of beautiful books- this is the lastest and focuses on costume designs from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The plates are all original drawings by the great designers of Carnivals' past (Mr. Schindler is the great designer of Carnivals present). New Orleans Mardi Gras is rooted in the aesthetic of 19th century Italian opera and this book has some truly surreal illustrations. Any Carnival faithfull, opera fan, theatre designer or just folks who love costume parties should love this book. It also stands as a serious work of art history- the talent and effort that go into mounting parades and tableaux balls in New Orleans get overlooked and all of Mr. Schindlers books on the subject document a rich history of artists and artisans who worked in the city and built its most revered tradition.

1 comments about Buttons.

1. This is one of those books that I return to again and again. Absolutely gorgeous photographs of buttons through time... you'll be amazed at the variety and beauty of these little works of art! Antique/vintage buttons are a far cry from the simple little things you see today... they were status symbols and more than just a way of fastening clothes. Everything from (real) jewel-encrusted buttons and miniature portraits to astounding mosaics and miltary buttons concealing compasses... with bakelite Art Deco pieces, porcelain from Japan and Goodyear rubber in between. Diana Epstein and Millicent Saffro are true connoseurs, and their love of buttons is evident in every page of this wonderful coffee table book. It's an absolute marvel... thoroughly recommended!!

2 comments about Fortuny.

1. What a beautiful book. The photos are gorgeous. I had no idea that Fortuny invented indirect lighting for the theatre, the dimmer switch, and a movable dome that could have images projected on it for the backdrop. He was truly a multitalented man. I bought the book mostly to learn more about the Delphos pleated dress. While there are many lovely photos, old and new, I wished there had been some schematics of the various versions of the dress. I wished there had been more information on how it was made, but then again, I guess that was supposed to be his big secret that died with him. As a weaver and textile artist, I still find the book inspiring, and it was worth the high price.



2. If you admire the work of Fortuny or if you just love beautiful textiles, this is the book for you. The photographs of his textiles are simply gorgeous and the text is well researched.