1 comments about Boston Furniture of the Eighteenth (18th) Century (Colonial Society of Massachusetts).

1. A nice compliation from various authors about Colonial Boston furniture. Contains a good chapter on bombe pieces; from bowls to chests on chests. First printed in 1974 by the Colonial Society of Mass.

4 comments about Miniature Rooms: The Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago.

1. This is a great book to have. Wonderful pictures. Great detail. A must have for anyone interested in miniatures.



2. I had not heard anything about the Thorne rooms before, so when I received this book as a gift, I became completely enthralled with the images that were captured. As an avid lover of historic preservation and the decorative arts, I really appreciate how Mrs. Thorne captured the different historical eras in the fashion and furnishings of each room. It is truly amazing how detailed each room is. If you love historic preservation and/or miniatures, then this book is a must see and read!



3. This is certainly the definitive book on the sixty-eight miniature rooms in the Chicago Art Institute. Each room is given two photographs along with a description of the room pictured. The book also contains information on Mrs. Thorne and how the rooms came into being. Her artistry in creating miniature rooms which seem more like full sized interiors was amazing and her sense of taste and style impeccable.
   I have visited The Thorne Rooms many times over the years and they never fail to enchant me. This book allows me to call them to mind easily and aids me in my own building of miniature rooms. The one thing that the book cannot show is the great attention to detail Mrs. Thorne gave to the rooms off the main rooms and the outside scenery created for each room. However, the book does give an excellent idea of the nature of the rooms and the reason why they are so famous and loved.



4. If you've ever visited the Art Institute and wished that you could spend more time enjoying the Thorne Rooms, this book is a way for you to visit them as often as you would like.

   "Miniature Rooms" begins with a brief history of Mrs. Thorne and how the rooms came to be. The rest of the book is a complete catalog of the Rooms, divided into two sections - the European rooms and the American rooms. Every room is beautifully photographed from at least two angles, using the existing lighting in the rooms so that each has the same realistic quality enjoyed in the Institute. Along with each photograph is a description of the room and its furnishings. I would recommend "Miniature Rooms" to anyone who enjoys the Art of Miniatures.

No comments about Flea Market Furniture: 16 Projects to Turn Trash to Treasure.

No comments about Paintings in Wood - French Marquetry Furniture: French Marquetry Furniture.

No comments about Living With Wicker.

No comments about Repairing and Restoring Antique Furniture.

No comments about Pioneers of Modern Furniture.

No comments about The Secular Furniture of E. W. Godwin: with Catalogue Raisonne.

5 comments about Chinese Country Antiques: Vernacular Furniture and Accessories, C. 1780-1920.

1. With regard to furniture, the McCormick's state: "China gets under your skin." How true that is. Their book provides a wonderful coffee table reference for the collector or designer. The selection of pieces photographed is a fantastic representation of the vernacular furniture and accessories China has to offer. Their book also provides interesting information about the amazing background of these pieces since the Qing period.



2. This book creates appreciation for the type of Chinese furniture and accessories that are both within financial reach and that work with today's lifestyles. The author has revealed a well kept secret. It's beautiful. It's informative. It's a must read for anyone interested in history and/or the decorative arts. One of the best books of its kind.



3. The images are very nice and well photographed, however as a work of scholarship it is flawed. There are a large number of datelines that are so clearly wrong as to question the authors expertise. I won't bore you with a image by image critique but suffice to say that there are better books on the market such as Friends of the House or Kai Yin Lo's book on Vernacular furniture all of which are real works of quality. As for the price guides included in the book, how helpful is it to give a ...[broad] price range... for a piece of furniture without explaining why one will be the lower price the other the more expensive.



4. In Chinese Country Antiques: Vernacular Furniture And Accessories, c. 1780-1920, Andrea and Lynde McCormick successfully collaborate to offer a comprehensive, authoritative, reader friendly survey of antiquarian Chinese furniture. Profusely illustrated with hundreds of full color photographs, there are chapters devoted to provenance, finishes, fakes, cabinets, chairs and stools, tables, and accessories. Of special note are the chapters on fakes, and accessories. A highly recommended and beautifully presented introduction to Chinese antiques for the novice collector or student, Chinese Country Antiques is further enhanced with an informative appendix on "Woods" and a brief bibliography for further, more specialized or detailed study.



5. With all the fuss about Ming and early Ching Dynasty antiques, I am glad that someone has finally written a book about furniture from the late Ching Dynasty. At face value, it is a very attractive book indeed, with colourful pictures of antique Chinese furniture and accessories. However, those hoping to learn more about antiques from this book will be sorely disappointed. Not much was written about the history behind the antiques, such as the difference in styles during different times in China's history or even differences in styles between regional furniture. This book was written by people who own an antique business, so what you read is rather like what you would hear should you walk into an antique shop and speak to the shopkeepers. The literature covers only the first 29 pages of the book, and save for the last 2 pages where there is a short discussion on the various kinds of wood, the rest of the 176 page book contains page after page of photographs of furniture and accessories, with no further explainatory notes.

No comments about Selling Shaker: The Promotion of Shaker Design in the Twentieth Century (Liverpool University Press - Value-Art-Politics).