Historic Millwork: A Guide to Restoring and Re-creating Doors, Windows, and Moldings of the Late Nineteenth through Mid-Twentieth Centuries

Book Description

* Features hundreds of detailed illustrations from actual period millwork catalogs.
* Demonstrates how to properly specify millwork.
* Include a glossary of key terms.

Customer Reviews:

The ideal book for the intended audience.......2007-07-21

This books was exactly what I was looking for. I do work on Victorian houses and this book puts everything in perspective. I can now tell what woodwork belongs in what house and not guess anymore. I can explain to customers what they have or had in their house and give a brief history behind their mill work. After reading this book you will be able to act as an authority on restoration work. When giving bids or discussing potential jobs with a client I can speak confidently and sell my services much more effectively. If you work on old houses the knowledge you will gain in this book will set you apart from the average modern day carpenter. The price is small compared to the education you will get from this book. If you love Victorian woodwork as I do, this book is a must have. It would take 20 other carefully selected books and numerous hours of research to arrive at the same depth of understanding of historic mill work as this book gives you in one long afternoon of reading. This author saved me a lot of time and confusion by producing such a book; my personal thanks!

Highly informative reference.......2005-10-17

Reading other reviews, I'm not sure why we have the overall impression that highly specialized references such as this should be bargain basement priced - the costs of writing and producing a book such as this are not inconsiderable, so I feel compelled to defend the author and publisher in that respect.

That being said, I'm perhaps the ideal customer for this book in that my home - former military quarters - was built in 1910 and re-fitted by the military at least twice during its life. Trying to figure out what is original and what is retrofitted is very challenging and this book provides an excellent guide for my purposes.

If you want pure gratification from a text with lots of color pictures you should know this is not a coffee table book, likewise, it is not a catalog. Nevertheless, I think the serious restoration-minded reader will be very satisfied, as I am.

A Little Disappointing.......2005-06-28

Like several other reviewers, I found the book to be overpriced. The book provided neither extensive and in depth narrative history NOR extensive patterns. ...and I don't believe there was one color photograph to be found. Don't buy it until you've had it in your hands.

From the author.......2005-03-07

As you try and make a decision about this book I wanted to give an explanation as the author. I noticed the reviews above and wanted to clarify the purpose of the book. I don't want you to spend $70 dollars on a book that doesn't help.

First, if you are looking for an old millwork catalog, this may not be your book. I wrote this book for architects trying to specify the correct doors, windows and moldings for historic buildings. I wrote this book for homeowners trying to figure out the millwork in their home and the subtle differences that take place during each architectural period. I wrote this book for contractors trying to restore an historic building with the proper details.

1870-1940 is a unique 70 year period in which there are numerous architectural changes that effect the moldings and millwork details of a building.

This book was written to help clarify how historic millwork was produced, who the major players were, how architectual and stylistic differences revealed themselves in the moldings and millwork of the home. I have broken out chapters by topic like windows or doors and then traced the changes in these products from 1870 to 1940. Hopefully, by reading this book you will be able to easily distinguish; a Victorian 5 panel door from an Arts and Crafts 2 panel, understand when colonades were popular and how they change, identify a Queen Anne sash, and recognize Victorian millwork from others.

I hope this helps you get a clear picture of what you are buying.

Thanks

Brent Hull

PS. I had to rate the book in order to submit this review.

Over Priced & Better References.......2004-02-09

This book is quite overpriced relative to similar books. Better titles are available from Dover (Universal Millwork Catalog), Lee Valley (Home Interiors of the 1920s), Linden Publishing (Modern Practical Joinery), Fredionia (Modern Carpentry) that cover the information and provide more information at about 1/3 to 1/4 the price for each book. It looks like that many examples are out of these books commonly available. Furthermore, this book has relatively few examples for each catagory. Before you spend the money on this book, check it out from your library or have them get it through interlibrary loan along with the other books mentioned.

The Fireproof Building: Technology and Public Safety in the Nineteenth-Century American City (Studies in Industry and Society)

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The Fireproof Building: Technology and Public Safety in the Nineteenth-Century American City (Studies in Industry and Society)
Sara E. Wermiel
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Buildings & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Firefighting & Prevention | Civil Service | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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Seven Fires: The Urban Infernos That Reshaped America

ASIN: 0801863112

Book Description

From the first American attempts at fireproof construction in the 1790s to the steel and concrete high-rises of the early twentieth century, The Fireproof Building traces the development of structural fire protection in America and its important consequences for building construction as well as for the safety of cities. Urban conflagrations destroyed many downtowns in the nineteenth century. To protect their property, some owners made their buildings fire-resistive--or as they were called in the past, fireproof--by using new kinds of noncombustible materials and arranging the space inside to check the spread of fire. As these methods improved and owners replaced combustible buildings with fireproof ones, urban firestorms became a thing of the past.

Sara E. Wermiel explores the work of the pioneers of structural fire protection, such as the architect Peter B. Wight. She explains when and why the materials of fireproof construction, including structural iron and hollow tile, came into use. Yet the relatively high cost of these materials discouraged owners from adopting them. The system finally began to be used widely at the end of the nineteenth century, after large cities had enacted building laws mandating fireproof construction for tall buildings and theaters. Wermiel shows the impact of building laws on the development of technology: the laws stimulated demand for fireproofing materials, which spurred innovation and drove down costs.

Although introduced simply as noncombustible substitutes for wood, the materials of the fireproof building--notably, structural iron and steel, and concrete--became the standard for commercial buildings in the twentieth century. Not only did they reduce the risk of fire, but after architects adapted them to create the skeleton frame--the sine qua non of the modern skyscraper--they revolutionized building construction.

"Sweeping fires are so unusual in American cities today that the once dreaded word conflagration sounds quaint to modern ears. This relative peace is quite different from the situation in the past. In the nineteenth century, even excluding the period of the Civil War, the United States averaged about one conflagration per year--conflagrations defined in this case as a fire involving groups of buildings that destroyed property valued at the time at $1 million or more. No part of the nation was exempt: great fires incinerated parts of city centers from Portland, Maine, to Charleston, South Carolina, downtown Seattle as well as Chicago."--from the Introduction

Horse-Drawn Commercial Vehicles: 255 Illustrations of Nineteenth-Century Stagecoaches, Delivery Wagons, Fire Engines, etc. (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Average customer rating:

Fun and informative
Wonderful history/reference book

Horse-Drawn Commercial Vehicles: 255 Illustrations of Nineteenth-Century Stagecoaches, Delivery Wagons, Fire Engines, etc. (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486260208

Book Description

Over 250 authentic royalty-free depictions of lunch wagons, ice wagons, freight wagons, fire engines, stagecoaches, hearses, many other vintage vehicles, shown in detailed engravings and photographs, culled from rare trade periodicals in the Smithsonian Institution. Detailed captions. Introduction.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and informative .......2007-03-16

A fun and informative little book. Most insightful on pre motor transport technology. Most fascinating for those interested in history or in Horse drawn Transport.

Some of these little carriages, such as the double decker omnibus and the tree transport, blow the mind in regards to the genius of our forbears in how they applied the technology they had. Then there are the dump wagons.

A must for any library of anyone interested in pre-motor technology.

Wonderful history/reference book.......2003-12-04

A unique book covering vintage horse drawn vehicles of the 19th century. Besides the well written text, I found the illustrations, photos and diagrams amazing in their detail. There are over 250 illustrations. Truly a wonderful reference for anyone into antique transportation history.

Capital Speculations: Writing and Building Washington, D.C. (Becoming Modern: New Nineteenth-Century Studies)

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The Gnesis of a Capital

Capital Speculations: Writing and Building Washington, D.C. (Becoming Modern: New Nineteenth-Century Studies)
Sarah Luria
Manufacturer: University of New Hampshire Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 158465502X

Book Description

In this lively study, Sarah Luria pursues the vital political connection between architecture and literature in the formation in 1791 of America's grand new capital city. City planners believed that designing Washington, D.C. as a physical model of the Constitution and its balance of powers would help citizens bond with the newly created nation. Although wildly ambitious, this design was made feasible through financial speculation. Dazzled by the plans for an "American Rome," citizens would buy up its empty lots and make the nation's capital their home. Luria demonstrates how political and financial speculation combined to build Washington and, once established, how the capital became a stage for the visions of subsequent reformers.

Luria examines five political reformers and the Washington sites they used to promote their ideas: George Washington and the design of the "Federal City"; Abraham Lincoln and the enlargement of the Capitol dome during the Civil War; Walt Whitman and the capital's Civil War hospitals; Frederick Douglass and his impressive estate overlooking the Capitol; and Henry Adams and the double house that he built with poet-statesman John Hay on Lafayette Square. Although each author's work describes a different dynamic relationship between text and physical space, all five combine political speculation and marketplace psychology. They construct their visions and attract investment in them through their novelty, boldness, and extravagant scale.

Clarifying the dynamic relations among discourse, economics, politics, and the built environment, Luria's book demonstrates how keenly architectural history is interwoven into American literary and political life.

Customer Reviews:

The Gnesis of a Capital.......2006-01-13

This is a book that belongs on the coffee table of every thinking person living in or interested in the city of Washington. A masterfully researched history, it shows how the city's designers set out to capture the essence of America: a respect for tradition combined with the prospects of a limitless future. Streets laid out in a conventional grid represent the former, while diagonal avenues radiating outward, seemingly to the horizon, represent the latter.

Mistakenly, I had always thought that Washington's design was the brainchild of Peter Charles L'Enfant alone, but this fascinating history graphically illustrates how it evolved over the next century, influenced by the thoughts and writings of Henry Adams, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, among others. Nor has that evolution ended. A growing Metro that stitches the city into its surroundings, and an ever-expanding Mall that honors our cultural diversity and the many who died to defend our liberties, stand as a welcome counterpoint to the political squabblings that dominate the daily headlines. Washington's architecture captures the spirit of America, and Dr. Luria's perceptive history brilliantly chronicles its evolution.

The Remaking of Istanbul: Portrait of an Ottoman City in the Nineteenth Century

Average customer rating:

excellent book
An Excellent Source
Urban Renewal from an Ottoman Perspective

The Remaking of Istanbul: Portrait of an Ottoman City in the Nineteenth Century
Zeynep Çelik
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criticism | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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Turkey | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0520082397

Book Description

Zeynep Çelik examines the changing face of Istanbul during the period when European cultural and economic influence intensified, integrating architectural analysis with discussion of broader issues of urban design and historical change.

Customer Reviews:

excellent book.......2007-03-19

The interest of this book goes beyond architecture or urban planning; it places the emergence of a modern city in the context of the wider power relationships of the time (imperial and otherwise). The illustrations and maps are very helpful. A superb resource for not just for those interested in Istanbul, but for anyone trying to understand cultural change in modern Turkey and the Middle East.

An Excellent Source.......2005-10-27

Zeynep Celik does an excellent job in summarizing the Ottoman politics in the 19th century and relating the social and economic structure of the empire to Istanbul's architecture and urban planning. The book consists of seven chapters, which include her clear analysis of the regularization of the urban fabric, transportation and some grand schemes proposed by the european architects and planners. She makes references to other european cities, and makes good comparisons for what certain things did/ did not work for the replanning of Istanbul. The book is very easy to read, comprehensive and very illustrative. The maps, diagrams and photographs are very revealing. Great work!

Urban Renewal from an Ottoman Perspective.......2001-03-16

During the 19th Century the imperialist powers of Europe redeveloped their capitals on a grand scale. The Remaking of Istanbul details the attempts of the later Ottoman sultans to apply Western planning principles to their ancient capital in a similar fashion. Celik provides a historical survey describing the disintegration of the regularized Byzantine street network under the Ottomans, and also explains how the placement of mosques, bathes and other public spaces prior to 1800 presented problems in revitalization plans. Transportation issues are given their own chapter, where the inequity of tram service in the old city compared to the new suburbs and Ottoman attempts to regulate ferry service are discussed in detail. Perhaps the most intriguing element of the book is the section devoted to grand schemes which never came to fruition; the scope of the plans, which involve fantastic bridges, expansive squares and broad boulevards, will surprise readers who know modern Istanbul. An architectural historian by training, Celik includes a chapter on architectural pluralism detailing the myriad of styles that appeared in Istanbul during the period and the controversy they caused. The political and economic situation of the Ottoman Empire during the period is repeatedly touched on, and the disparities in wealth and influence between the city's Muslim and Christian populations and the crippling effects of Ottoman concessions to Western concerns are addressed at length. More than just an architectural history or a planning survey, The Remaking of Istanbul tells the story of how the Ottomans, in their rush to modernize their capital along Western lines, would find themselves strangled by the pursestrings of the European nations they had commissioned to carry out the work for them.

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Nantucket in the Nineteenth Century
Clay Lancaster
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

180 rare photographs, stereographs, maps, drawings and floor plans recreate unique American island society. Authentic scenes of shipwreck, lighthouses, streets, homes are arranged in geographic sequence to provide walking-tour guide to old Nantucket existing today. Introduction, captions.

Nineteenth-Century Nation Building and the Latin American Intellectual Tradition

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Nineteenth-Century Nation Building and the Latin American Intellectual Tradition

Manufacturer: Hackett Pub Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

19th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

History of Ideas | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This volume provides readings from the works of eighteen Latin American thinkers of the nineteenth century who were engaged in articulating and examining the problems that Spanish and Portuguese America faced in the one hundred years after securing independence.

The selections represent all major regions of Latin America. Although these regions differ significantly with regard to indigenous background, geography, climate, and available resources, their people confronted the common problems that surround the intractable challenges of statecraft and nation building: issues of race, international relations, economics, education, and self-understanding.

Book Description

Crosses, candles, choir vestments, sanctuary flowers, and stained glass are common church features found in nearly all mainline denominations of American Christianity today. Most Protestant churchgoers would be surprised to learn, however, that at one time these features were viewed as suspicious, foreign implements associated strictly with the Roman Catholic Church. Blending history with the study of material culture, Ryan K. Smith sheds light on the ironic convergence of anti-Catholicism and the Gothic Revival movement in nineteenth-century America.

Smith finds the source for both movements in the sudden rise of Roman Catholicism after 1820, when it began to grow from a tiny minority into the country's largest single religious body. Its growth triggered a corresponding rise in anti-Catholic activities, as activists representing every major Protestant denomination attacked "popery" through the pulpit, the press, and politics. At the same time, Catholic worship increasingly attracted young, genteel observers around the country. Its art and its tangible access to the sacred meshed well with the era's romanticism and market-based materialism.

Book Description

The antebellum era and the close of the 19th century frame a period of great agricultural expansion. During this time, farmhouse plans designed by rural men and women regularly appeared in the flourishing Northern farm journals. This book analyzes these vital indicators of the work patterns, social interactions, and cultural values of the farm families of the time. Examining several hundred owner-designed plans, McMurry shows the ingenious ways in which "progressive" rural Americans designed farmhouses in keeping with their visions of a dynamic, reformed rural culture. From designs for efficient work spaces to a concern for self-contained rooms for adolescent children, this fascinating story of the evolution of progressive farmers' homes sheds new light on rural America's efforts to adapt to major changes brought by industrialization, urbanization, the consolidation of capitalist agriculture, and the rise of the consumer society.

When Church Became Theatre: The Transformation of Evangelical Architecture and Worship in Nineteenth-Century America

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Entertaining God

When Church Became Theatre: The Transformation of Evangelical Architecture and Worship in Nineteenth-Century America
Jeanne Halgren Kilde
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195179722

Book Description

For nearly eighteen centuries, two fundamental spatial plans dominated Christian architecture: the basilica and the central plan. In the 1880s, however, profound socio-economic and technological changes in the United States contributed to the rejection of these traditions and the development of a radically new worship building, the auditorium church. When Church Became Theatre focuses on this radical shift in evangelical Protestant architecture and links it to changes in worship style and religious mission. The auditorium style, featuring a prominent stage from which rows of pews radiated up a sloping floor, was derived directly from the theatre, an unusual source for religious architecture but one with a similar goal-to gather large groups within range of a speaker's voice. Theatrical elements were prominent; many featured proscenium arches, marquee lighting, theatre seats, and even opera boxes. Examining these churches and the discussions surrounding their development, Jeanne Halgren Kilde focuses on how these buildings helped congregations negotiate supernatural, social, and personal power. These worship spaces underscored performative and entertainment aspects of the service and in so doing transformed relationships between clergy and audiences. In auditorium churches, the congregants' personal and social power derived as much from consumerism as from piety, and clerical power lay in dramatic expertise rather than connections to social institutions. By erecting these buildings, argues Kilde, middle class religious audiences demonstrated the move toward a consumer-oriented model of religious participation that gave them unprecedented influence over the worship experience and church mission.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining God.......2004-03-23

The exterior and interior designs of church structures testify not only to economic standing and technological advances; they also witness to broader cultural changes and to the religious and social motivations of the builders. The disclosure of these motivations-and the meanings and values associated with the buildings themselves-is the subject of Kilde's study of nineteenth-century evangelical architecture. Of particular interest to her are the changing politics of space: statements of power, authority, and relationship (between God, clergy, and laity-and with "the world") made in stone, wood, and glass; the correlation of "sacred" and "secular" designs; and the reciprocal influences between the style or function of worship and the disposition of the space. Although Kilde's study progresses from the Federalist style at the beginning of the nineteenth century, to the Gothic revival at roughly mid century, and to the neomedieval auditorium at century's end, throughout she keeps an eye on the theater-style church and the (internal and external) dynamics that brought its increasing popularity. Particularly interesting was her treatment of buildings associated with revivalist Charles Grandison Finney as a case study on the emergence of the theater design from experiments in the early decades of the century. Helpful as well was her discussion of the ongoing evolution of the theater style as it adjusted to meet the needs of revivalism and of the family-oriented congregation.

Because of her multidisciplinary approach, Kilde's well-researched contribution will be valuable to scholars of architectural history, cultural studies, church history, and liturgical studies. But such a broad approach across fields sometimes results in an overgeneralization of specialist terminology. A liturgical scholar will find troubling the use of "cathedral" to mean a large building, false distinctions between "liturgical" and "non-liturgical," and reference throughout to the congregation as the "audience" even among evangelicals.

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