The Elements of Design: A Practical Encyclopedia of the Decorative Arts from the Renaissance to the Present

Book Description

In the bestselling tradition of The Elements of Style, The Elements of Design is a comprehensive visual survey of the design styles that have had the greatest impact on the decorative arts in the Western world. With more than 3,000 prints, photographs, and line drawings, the book covers five centuries of the Western decorative arts tradition, including Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Regency, Gothic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernism, and the Space Age.

The key elements of the Western decorative arts tradition are explored chronologically. Each chapter begins with a broad introduction to the era, summarizing its key style features. Within the chapter there follows close examination of individual objects, including ceramics, glass, silver and metalwork, furniture, and textiles. All the items illustrated form a visual vocabulary of each design movement. The book also includes biographies of innovative designers, information on conservation and maintenance, and a comprehensive glossary of design terms.

Compiled by a team of experts under the guidance of design specialists Noël Riley and Patricia Bayer, The Elements of Design is an indispensable reference work for collectors, design historians, interior decorators, set designers, and all those interested in our decorative arts heritage.

Customer Reviews:

Interior Designer's Bible.......2006-12-13

This is a MUST HAVE for interior designers. The pictures are quite detailed. It is written in chronological order and takes you through all the design periods (including, but not limited to: Baroque, Rococo, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco) It explains and shows examples of furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, textiles, lighting (to name a few)from each period from 1400-2000.
It is one of the MOST IMPORTANT reference books to have in your library. Especially to be able to explain certain things to clients. I recommend having it. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A DESIGNER, GET IT FOR YOUR COFFEE TABLE...YOU WILL ENJOY LOOKING AT IT!

Book Description

The first anthology of its kind, Illuminations presents a comprehensive selection of women’s writings on photography. It proposes a new and different history by demonstrating the ways in which women’s perspectives have advanced photographic criticism over the last 150 years.
Extraordinarily wide-ranging in its scope, this collection chronicles the role of women in photography as critics, historians, and practitioners. Readers will find Julia Margaret Cameron’s bold description of her photographic method, Rosalind Krauss’s exploration of what the camera means for Surrealism, Margaret Bourke-White and Carol Squiers with differing perspectives on Life magazine, as well as essays by Eudora Welty, Susan Sontag, Lucy Lippard, Berenice Abbott, Dorthea Lange, and many others. Illuminations begins with a short piece on the daguerreotype by Elizabeth Barrett Browning then moves through the avant-garde influence of Dada, Bauhaus, and surrealism, to fashion and portrait photography, continuing with documentary and reportage, the emergence of feminist analysis, and postmodern and postcolonial criticism. Encompassing many varied points of view, this volume offers pieces on individual photographers such as Diane Arbus, Ansel Adams, Barbara Kruger, Edward Weston, and Cindy Sherman along with theoretical work by contemporary writers including Jane Gallop, Coco Fusco, and Laura Mulvey.
An historic anthology, Illuminations shows that women have been writing about photography from its beginnings and have intervened in the key debates of the past century and a half. It will welcomed by those interested in photography, gender studies, and women and the arts.

Contributors. Berenice Abbott, Dawn Ades, Susan H. Aiken, Jan Avgikos, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Margaret Bourke-White, Deborah Bright, Susan Butler, Julia Margaret Cameron, Cynthia Chris, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Gen Doy, Olive Edis, Ute Eskildsen, Andrea Fisher, Gisèle Freund, Coco Fusco, Jane Gallop, Nan Goldin, Jewelle Gomez, Jan Zita Grover, Judith Mara Gutman, Maria Morris Hambourg, Liz Heron, Alice Hughes, Karen Knorr, Rosalind Krauss, Annette Kuhn, Dorothea Lange, Therese Lichtenstein, Lucy Lippard, Catherine Lord, Mary Warner Marien, Elizabeth McCausland, Roberta McGrath, Lee Miller, Tina Modotti, Lucia Moholy, Laura Mulvey, Carole Naggar, Nancy Newhall, Amy Rule, Lauren Sedofsky, Ingrid Sischy, Abigail Solomon-Godeau, Susan Sontag, Jo Spence, Carol Squiers, Varvara Stepanova, Anne Tucker, Eudora Welty, Dorothy Wilding, Val Wiliams, Anne-Marie Willis, Madame Yevonde

Book Description

A brilliantly written graphic novel about the real human experience of living behind the iron curtain from one of Italy's leading comic artists.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but too short as usual.......2002-06-12

This third installment (following Loss of Innocence and Adolescence) of Italian cartoonist Giardino's graphic novel series about a Jewish boy growing up in Communist Prague concentrates on the developing relationship between title character Jonas and fellow teen Tatiana Gostrov. Of course, since he's the son of a political prisoner and she's the daughter of a Soviet diplomat, they are forced to see each other in secret. Meanwhile, the bookseller for whom Jonas works is coming under increasing scrutiny by the secret police. Over the course of the short (56 page) book, Jonas moves from outsider in his group of intellectual teenage friends, to a leader of them. As with the other books, the story is drawn in the lovely realistic style I tend to associate with European cartoonists, and colored with an appropriately subdued palate of grays and browns. And, as with the other books, it's all too brief-one day this series will be assembled an excellent single volume.

jew in communist prague:rebellion.......1999-12-16

the art is forceful, somewhat stylized. Faces and personalities are delineated with simple precision. The adaptions the characters make to live under a dictatorship while remaining human and intelligent give the reader hope for our civilization. As soon as you finish you turn to the front and start reading it again!

Book Description

A fascinating account of the life and career of a Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive engineer as told by his son.

"An engaging book, one likely to become a railroad classic. The major strength of Set Up Running is detail, particularly when it involves locomotives, train movements, and patterns of operation. Especially enjoyable are the depictions of Orr as a loyal Pennsylvania Railroad employee and of his overall pride of workmanship." —H. Roger Grant, Clemson University

"One of my earliest recollections involves the railroad, a plaintive whistle, and my mother stating that my father would soon be home. And it wasn't long before that large man, clad in blue overalls, came through the door with his travel bag, which he promptly set on the kitchen floor so he could pick me up. There was a strange smell on his overclothes, but it was not offensive, and it was one that I later learned belonged to a steam engine. So from very early in my life I developed an avid interest in the steam engine." —John W. (Jack) Orr

Set Up Running tells the story of a Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive engineer, Oscar P. Orr, who operated steam-powered freight and passenger trains throughout Central Pennsylvania and South Central New York. From 1904 to 1949, Orr sat at the controls of many famous steam locomotives; moved trains loaded with coal, perishables, and other freight; and encountered virtually every situation a locomotive engineer of that era could expect to see.

John W. (Jack) Orr, Oscar's son, tells his father's story, which begins at the Central Steam Heating Plant in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Oscar operated nearly every kind of steam locomotive the Pennsylvania Railroad owned, working from the bottom of the roster to the top position (number one in seniority). Orr has an ear for detail, and a vivid memory. He tells about his father's first encounter with an automobile along the right-of-way, about what it was like to operate a train in a blizzard, and about the difficulties railroadmen encountered in stopping a trainload of tank cars loaded with oil in order to take on water and coal-among many other stories in the author's large memory bank.

This compelling railroad history will enthrall not only everyone in the railroad community but also the general reader interested in railroads and trains, past and present.

Customer Reviews:

You'll Smell the Coal Smoke.......2007-08-22

The detailed descriptions in "Set Up Running" will have you smelling coal smoke. Even though I have been a rail fan for all of my 65 years, was an NYC-PC employee, and I'm a native of Pennsylvania, I learned something new on nearly every page and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Although "Set Up Running" deals almost exclusively with operations on a PRR branch line, ferroequinologists (students of the iron horse) everywhere will love this book. It has the unique quality of making you wish it would go on forever.

The Real Thing.......2007-03-17

When I read a book or article about railroads it is easy to tell when the writer is over his head. Not here. This book is authentic.

The time covers a great period of growth of steam locomotive development. PRR classes from the old class R through the M1a are run and evaluated. Which one is the engineer's favorite? You might be surprised.

The book is a labor of love. It is human as well as technological. Here you find the enthusiasm of the young man, the confidence of the mature man, and the feelings of being squeezed out of the retiring man. As I finished the book I sat and thought about the family for a long time.

SUPERB READING........2007-02-19

The story as told by the son of the engineer, is an amazing work.
If trains and the history behind the men that operate the roads of yore, are of your interests, then don't pass this spellbinding story. The hardships, courage, friendhips, family, and good times, all become apparent. Items that would never have crossed my mind, especially the hardships they endured, along with wages and lack of benefits were a disgrace even for that period in time, are eye opening and have given me even more respect for those that came before me. Not the easy railroading of today and something all railroaders, and fans of railroading should read. May they all occupy a wonderful place in the beyond.

Not only a biography of the man, but the locomotives as well...........2006-12-20

I am basically a collector of railroad biographies, every occupation from the President down to locomotive watchman, and I have to say that this has to be one of the best I have ever read. In fact, I would call this book a miracle. The details! The mind bending information that the author relays about his father's years of working as a locomotive engineer on the Pennsylvania Railroad is astounding. Just the everyday stories, the trips he made, the people he worked with, and the locomotives, the intricate details about each type, the power, how they handled..........incredible!! There is stuff in this book that guys who wrote first hand accounts don't even include.
If you ever wanted to know what it was like to operate a steam locomotive then this is absolutely the book to read.
I'll stop here because I can't say enough good things about this book.

A Must For Steam Era Locomotive Fans.......2006-08-27

This is one of the very few books I plan to keep. I have read it twice and each time get more out of it. Oscar Orr was an outstanding loco engineman and his son is a fine author.
I recommend getting a map of Pennsylvania so you can become familiar with the area where Mr. Orr operated. The maps in the book are good but a state map brings it more into focus.

DC

Set Up Running: The Life of a Pennsylvania Railroad Engineman 1904-1949 (Keystone Book)

Average customer rating:

Set Up Running: The Life of a Pennsylvania Railroad Engineman 1904-1949 (Keystone Book)
John W.; Porterfield, James D. Orr
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR4DZM

Book Description

The essential record keeper for the savvy dresser. A practical journal to reflect upon and make sense of your own personal style, room to record what you wore, and the details that made the occasion an event. Includes sections to help organize your wardrobe, perforated sheets for shopping lists, address book for great stores, dry cleaners and shoe repair, permanent log of the clothing sizes of family and friends, built-in pockets to store newspaper and magazine clippings. Inspiring quotes about fashion and style, all dressed up with charming illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Waste of money.......2001-10-31

I don't think anyone needs a fashion journal. I bought this book, expecting more, but it was a waste of my (...) dollars. I really think that this is one of those books that just wants to take advantage of people's money.

Now if you're one of those people that's disorganized then you might need this, but I think that people can live without this book. Besides there are many books out there about organization, why would anyone want to buy this book, not only that but its also a waste of trees.

OK, but could be better........2001-07-03

Just bought this book, and it is OK but not what I thought it would be. It is really too small to use for any serious wardrobe work, the 'envelope' in the back is much too small for receipts/clippings of outfits/etc., and the structure is a bit too inflexible for real wardrobe planning/changing. I bought it to replace the 3-ring binder that I use for my wardrobe, but it just can't do that much. Guess I'll keep the binder, and use this for little things related to wardrobe & clothing.

A look into the Fashion Journal.......2000-05-21

Sometimes it's difficult to decide what gift a woman would like. Well I've just recieved the most perfect gift from a friend of mine. It's a book called, "The Fashion Journal: Wardrobe and Shopping Organizer." This book is perfect for all of those fashion conscious women out there. Not only does this book give examples of types of fashions through the years, but it leaves room for you to write your own thoughts and ideas about the past and latest fashions.Many find it hard to plan an outfit for special occasions. The Fashion Journal allows room for you to explore all options. The checklists make it easy to keep track of what you have and what you need.I admire the originality and creativity that make this book as wonderful as it is. I would definately suggest this book to all women out there that like to stay organized while creating the perfect wardrobe.

Book Description

The War of Independence is a detailed and spirited history, told from the British perspective, of military operations during the American Revolution. Written by a foremost authority on the British Army, this superbly narrated account of the war brings to life the ebb and flow of the fighting, the color of eighteenth-century warfare and the harsh realities of warfare in North America and the West Indies.

Customer Reviews:

John Bull History of the AWI:a little bull a lot of history.......2001-07-12

I had always wondered why some enterprising publisher didn't excise the irrelevant material from Volume III of Fortescue's monumental history of the British Army and produce an all American War of Independence volume. I have just ordered the Greenhill edition but have read the original from the multi-volume set. Presumably, John Shy's introduction will provide enough perspective to take the edge off of Fortescue's rankling (to 21st century ears) chest-thumping Victorian imperialist harangue. However, to anyone who winced at the "Patriot's" demonizing of Tarleton (somewhat overdone) and the "Bloodyback" regulars ( a lot overdone), this view from "the other side of the hill" is refreshing. Readers of Higginbottam, John Shy and a hostof other recent sociologically oriented AWI studies may find this as a throwback to the so-called "drum and trumpet" war history, where the strategies and tactics were discussed with little reference to the societies that produced them. Personally, I welcome the return to the nuts and bolts of military operations. Fortescue is no admirer of the American mobocracy, as he makes clear. For example, his description of the viciousness of the ungrateful crowds of colonists as they hurled insult and injury upon the heads of the poor redcoated troops trying to protect them from themselves will be all too familiar to those who read the late 1960s propaganda pieces supporting the US role in Vietnam. It is fascinating to read about the various Kent-state type crowd control episodes and the Boston Tea Party, etc. in that light. On the other hand, given Fortescue's prejudices, it makes his reluctant praise of such episodes as Washington at Trenton and the Saratoga and Yorktown campaigns all the more gratifying to the American reader. He does cast much of the blame on the inefficiency and greed of John Bull's erstwhile native allies, the Loyalists. Likewise the vacillating British foreign policy (that blundering St. Germaine!) is considered to have sold out the valiantly performing British troops. All in all, this is a welcome reprint of Fortescue's take on the American victory of 1781...especially since the full set from which this volume is extracted was only reprinted once, in the 1970s by AMS and the reprint volumes are going almost for as much as the originals from the dawn of the 20th century.

Those Damned Rebels!.......2001-06-20

This valuable volume, which is an extract from the much larger, authoritative, multi-volume history of the British Army by Sir John Fortescue, is a much-welcome addition to the published literature on the subject. Too often, the British Army in North America during the War of the Revolution is seen as the villain, when in reality they were here doing their duty as they saw it, attempting to put down a rebellion in Crown possessions. With a forward by noted historian John Shy, an authority on the period, this handy volume is fair, balanced, informative, and presents a picture of a much-maligned army that fought hard, endured and overcame many hardships campaigning is a hostile environment, and maintained both their outstanding combat reputation and their dignity.

There is a dearth of accurate information on the British army in the United States, both because the War of the Revolution is upstaged, unfairly in my opinion, by the much more popular Civil War, and because of that war in general, and the British Army in particular, being ignored by many current historians. This book neatly fills a very large portion of that void. The British Army becomes a living, breathing entity in this book, and the author is no mere chest-thumper. He casts a cold eye on the mistakes the British made, both at the governmental level and on campaign. He is hard on his countrymen, and gives the devil, ie the Americans and the Continental Army and its commanders, their just due. This book is a necessary addition to any serious library or study to be done on the Revolution, and cannot be done without.

Greenhill once again is at the forefront of military history publication. They have done us all a great service, and if this book is not in your collection, you are missing out both on an historic treat, and a true classic of historical writing.

The British Army in North America 1775-1783 (Men at Arms Series, 39)
Average customer rating:

Good overview, but lacking in detail

The British Army in North America 1775-1783 (Men at Arms Series, 39)
Robin May
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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British Redcoat 1740-93 (Warrior)

General Washington's Army (2): 1779-83 (Men-at-Arms)

General Washington's Army (1): 1775-78 (Men-at-Arms)

The French Army in the American War of Independence (Men-at-Arms)

Continental Infantryman of the American Revolution (Warrior)

ASIN: 185532735X
Release Date: 1998-01-13

Book Description

For sheer guts, the Redcoats' behaviour at Bunker Hill, Saratoga and other bloody encounters has rarely been surpassed. The Americans won, but only just, and then thanks to foreign intervention and a small number of dedicated and valiant patriots who were continually let down by their own people. Robin May's splendid work looks at the British Army that fought in the American Revolution from 1775 to1783. It details the soldiers who faced the difficulties of campaigning in America along with the gross inefficiency and corruption at home which, along with their generals' often blundering conduct, were as deadly enemies as the Americans.

Customer Reviews:

Good overview, but lacking in detail.......2006-08-25

In general I like this book in spite of the fact that it is not exactly what I was looking for. It gives a good, broad overview of the conditions and trials that a redcoat faced while fighting in the American Revolution, and it certainly humanizes them dispels many stereotypes.
The problem is that it is lacking in what people usually buy an Osprey MAA for, namely uniform detail. There are of course the color plates, and they are well done, but very little specifics on the uniforms and in particular how they evolved as the war progresses.
For the price, it is hard to complain and I dd feel I got value for money, but as an earlier title it is not up to Osprey's current standards and perhaps could do with revising.

The British Army In North America, 1775-1783 - Men-at-arms Series

Average customer rating:

The British Army In North America, 1775-1783 - Men-at-arms Series
Robin - Text; Windrow, Martin - Series Editor; Colour plates by Embleton, G. A. May
Manufacturer: Osprey Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JZB8UW

The British army in North America, 1775-1783. Revised edition.

Average customer rating:

The British army in North America, 1775-1783. Revised edition.
Robin and Gerry Embleton May
Manufacturer: [London], OSPREY, [a division of Reed Consumer Books,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P1ZY32

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The British Army in North America, 1775-1783
Robin May
Manufacturer: Osprey Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBXK2C

The headquarters papers of the British army in North America during the war of the American revolution,: A brief description of Sir Henry Clinton's papers ... Library--University of Michigan. Bulletin)

Average customer rating:

The headquarters papers of the British army in North America during the war of the American revolution,: A brief description of Sir Henry Clinton's papers ... Library--University of Michigan. Bulletin)
Randolph Greenfield Adams
Manufacturer: The William L. Clements library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

Portrays the impact of Jewish orphanages on American Jewish communal life and culture.

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