Book Description
A must for the World War II fighter buff, this book is a fascinating look into the minds of U.S. and British engineers, company and NACA test pilots, and Army and Navy/Marine Corps combat pilots, and presents their late 1944 views of then-current and possible future fighter aircraft. This report is an official verbatim transcript of the proceedings of a Joint Fighter Conference held at the U.S. Navy's Patuxent River test center for eight days in October 1944, and includes frank discussion on the operational and technical capabilities of the P-39, P-47, P-51, P-38, Corsair, Hellcat, P-61, YP-59, Mosquito, Spitfire, and other Allied aircraft, as well as the Japanese Zero. Participants include: Charles Lindbergh, Lloyd Child, Allen Chilton, Lt. Peter Twiss, Maj. Thomas Lanphier, Jack Woolams, Boone Guyton and scores of others. This conference is believed to be the last of several conducted in wartime in an effort to promote cross-talk between manufacturers, military servicearms, and Allies, in order to obtain the best possible fighter aircraft., over 100 b/w photographs, charts, 6" x 9"
Customer Reviews:
A difficult but rewarding read........2000-05-25
This book is a transcript of the Joint Fighter Conference along with related materials--photos of the aircraft involved and their data and "comment" cards. It is a difficult read. Basic reference material on aeronuatical and engineering terms may be necessary for the average reader and helpful for the informed reader. An overall impression is that this book is still timely. One point that comes to mind is that the qualities of a good day light dog fighter, are unchanged and may be timeless (good visibiility, maneuverability, and acceleration [think F-16]). Also there was criticism of aerodynamic add-on shortcuts to solve a problem-- something that is happening currenntly with the Super Hornet. Topics of discussion are varied ranging from maneuverability to cockpit visibility to armour and armament with stops at stroboscopic effects of propellers, to external fuel tanks. What would come to be called ergonomics was discussed in regard to making the cockpit more comfortable and usable for the pilot. A fair number of those in attendance and a large number of those flying the conference aircraft were manufacturer test pilots and reps. I got the impression there may have been some company one-upsmanship going on. Incidentally the "comment cards" are based on "one hop" impressions, so if your favorite aircraft is disrespected a little, don't worry too much. I was surprised by a number of things such as the mention of some fairly obscure aircraft (eg. the G.M. P-75, Curtis XF-14) and the absence of any discussion of enemy aircraft then being encountered. I was shocked by a comment near the end of the conference that the air war is being won by "quantity rather than by quality" (the P-38 and P-51 are specifically mentioned) and at least one contractor agrees. I have never read of heard anything before suggesting quality was lacking in late War U.S. aircraft as a whole. If you're a WWII fighter buff and don't mind having to put some research and effort into your reading you will be rewarded by this book.
Essential for "hard-core" WWII Aviation junkies.......1998-09-28
Despite a title to fill the mouth ( _Report of Joint Fighter Conference, NAS Patuxent River, MD 16-23 October 1944_) this book is a gem to those who have a serious interest in understanding the deeper layers of air combat during WWII. Briefly, the Joint Conference was a gathering of 400 Allied combat pilots, engineers and test pilots. They had a "fly off" of every major US aircraft at the time. The British delegation brought a Seafire II and a Mosquito. The evaluators even had a late model Zero to use for comparison. Edited by noted aviation author Francis Dean, the book is in two parts. The 250 page report itself is a transcript of the discussion among experts that took place each afternoon after the morning's fly-off. Each session centered on one topic or another, although the tangents were numerous. I should warn that the conversation is far over the head of the material presented in garden variety books about aircraft. But I found it fascinating being a "fly on the wall" as the men who made and flew the great fighters of WWII dissect them piece by piece. The last 100 pages is made up of technical evaluations of the respective aircraft. This is not a work for the casual reader. However, if you know the rudiments of aviation and have the WWII "Warbird" bug, there's really nothing like this. (The Conference Report provided Mr. Dean with some of the material used in his splendid _America's One Hundred Thousand: US Production Fighters of World War Two_ [Schiffer, 1997])
Book Description
From its trademark row houses to Benjamin Henry Latrobe's landmark Cathedral (now Basilica) of the Assumption, Baltimore architecture can rightly claim to be as eclectic, exciting, and inspiring as that of any American city. Many of its important buildings figure prominently in the oeuvres of leading American architects: Latrobe, Robert Mills, Maximilien Godefroy, Richard Upjohn, Stanford White, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe among them. Yet Baltimore's distinctive urban environment also owes much to the achievements of local talents, including Robert Cary Long Sr. and Jr., John Rudolph Niernsee and James Crawford Neilson, E. Francis Baldwin and Josias Pennington, Laurence Hall Fowler, Alexander Cochran -- not to mention generations of skilled craftsmen and builders.
Baltimore's architecture rewards close study, and in The Architecture of Baltimore contributors and editors Mary Ellen Hayward and Frank R. Shivers, Jr., have brought together an impressive group of scholars, writers, and critics to provide a fresh account of the city's architectural history. The narrative begins by looking at eighteenth-century Georgian buildings that reflect the grandeur of the style, goes on to the prosperous port city's Federal-period achievements, including many country houses with their delicate details, then proceeds to Baltimore's monumental contributions to early nineteenth-century American neoclassical design. Romantic stylings follow, with excursions into the Greek and Gothic Revivals, and the popular Italianate-mode for town and country houses, the soaring spires of churches, and the classical dignity of public spaces like the Peabody Library. Later in the nineteenth century a picturesque eclecticism produced such monuments as the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Mount Royal Station, as well as intriguing changes to the city's versatile row houses. Contributors discuss the evolution of industrial buildings and the growth of the city's architectural profession. The Architecture of Baltimore also addresses the arrival of modernism in Charm City, examines the origins and challenges of historic preservation, and assesses the Baltimore renaissance of the period 1955-2000, which saw the construction of Charles Center, Harborplace, and the sports complex at Camden Yards.
Here at last we have a comprehensive guide to Baltimore's architectural heritage -- lost and still-standing alike. Illustrated with nearly 600 photographs, architectural plans, maps, and details, this impressive work of scholarship also offers an engaging narrative of the history of Baltimore itself -- its men and women of all stations, its taste and traditional preferences, its good choices and lamentable ones, and its built environment as a social and cultural chronicle.
Customer Reviews:
A gem of a book about the Gem of the Chesapeake.......2007-01-10
If you're intersted in the development of East Coast architecture, this is an invaluable tool, particularly if you're familiar with the City of the Chesapeake Bay.
Product Description
The movie house is an integral part of the physical and cultural American landscape. From the modest nickelodeons of the early twentieth century to the audacious palaces of the 1920s to the mighty megaplexes of today, changes in theater design over the last 100 years coincide with Americas understanding of entertainment and how it is delivered. A comprehensive look at the movie houses of one large American city can reveal much about motion picture exhibition in the country as a whole. This book covering the city of Baltimore offers such revelations, as well as fascinating details on a local level. Part I is a narrative history of the motion picture exhibition business and the moviegoing experience in Baltimore from 1895 to the present. Part II lists theaters alphabetically and describes them in sumptuous detail. Appendices offer a list of the theaters by street address; a roster of the architects; some comments on theater architecture in general; and a discussion of theater personnel. A bibliography completes the work.
Customer Reviews:
great fun.......2007-01-11
this book proved more fun than i had expected,bringing back many memories of fun times in and around Baltimore. I did not realize the number of neighborhood theaters there were.
Wonderful Flashback To The Good Old Days.......2006-09-16
I found this book virtually by accident and, when it arrived, instantly neglected everything else for several hours as I dipped and flipped through its delightful pages. This book is a thorough history of all the movie theatres that ever were in Baltimore and, since I grew up there and spent (or misspent) most of my youth in seeing nearly every film that came to town, this was a wonderful wallow in nostalgia as well as an education of the "Gee, I didn't know that" variety. As the book's unfortunately dry title implies, it traces the history of motion picture exhibition in Charm City from 1895 to 2004. The first part of the book is an era-by-era general history. But the second, and more fascinating, part gives a description and history of each individual theatre from the lowly Howard to the mighty Stanley. Arranged alphabetically, it was easy to look up my old favorites and, along the way, find others that I once knew but had totally forgotten about.
It has been more than twenty years since I left Baltimore so I was surprised and a tad shocked to discover how many theatres - both neighborhood and downtown first-runs - no longer exist. There are a number of nice black and photos (of course, in a book like this, there are never enough photos) and information on the architecture and size and seating capacity, as well as the highlights of each theatre's existence. Some entries are, understandably, more detailed than others. If I were to nitpick, it would be to say that the writing style is sometimes a bit too academic. There are occasional anecdotes that give the book a more personal touch and more of these would have been welcome. I certainly re-discovered a wealth of fond memories that were brought back while paging through the book. I expect it will be a book that I will be frequently picking up for a casual browse that will turn into a more extended re-read.
Of course, because I am from Baltimore and knew many of the theatres from personal experience, I find the book fascinating. How much interest there will be for non-Baltimoreans is hard to say. The history of movies theatres in Baltimore is probably similar to that in most large American cities. But, for myself, I am grateful to Robert Headley for all his research, hard work, and obvious love for the subject. It almost makes me want to book a flight back to Baltimore just so I can spend another enchanted evening in the magical darkness of the Senator.
Average customer rating:
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Where Land and Water Intertwine: An Architectural History of Talbot County, Maryland
Christopher Weeks
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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ASIN: 0801831652 |
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William and Henry Walters, the Reticent Collectors
William R. Johnston
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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ASIN: 0801860407 |
Book Description
In the mid-nineteenth century, Baltimore businessman William Thompson Walters began to patronize the artists of Maryland. Today, the museum that bears his name -- Baltimore's Walters Art Gallery -- excels in fields as diverse as Egyptian bronzes, Byzantine silver, illuminated manuscripts, medieval carved ivories, early Renaissance paintings, Sèvres porcelains, Islamic metalwork, and Chinese ceramics. Surprisingly, the story of how William Walters and his son Henry created one of the finest privately assembled museums in the United States has not been told.
With this new book, William Johnston, the Walters's curator of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art, restores William and Henry Walters to their rightful place among America's great art collectors. Drawing upon the knowledge of the early museum staff and gathering valuable information from the few other available sources, Johnston has painstakingly recreated the life and world of the Walterses.
Though Henry Walters moved easily in Baltimore and New York social circles, Johnston explains, he kept much to himself and generally purchased art away from the public's eye. Despite the Walterses' reticence, they had a significant influence on the development of American tastes and museums -- William in his role as the first chairman of the Committee on Works of Art for the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., and Henry as the second vice-president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Their personal collection differs from those of other, more familiar collectors, such as J. P. Morgan and Henry Clay Frick, in that Henry Walters intended from the very first that the collection form a museum to serve the public. When the museum first opened its doors in 1934, Johnston relates, many visitors were surprised by the collection's size and by its comprehensive representation of the history of art from the third millennium b.c. to the early twentieth century.
Richly illustrated with black-and-white photographs and sixteen pages of full color, this book will fascinate anyone interested in Baltimore history, the history of museums and art collecting in America, and the art and culture of nineteenth-century America.
Average customer rating:
- 100 Easy Hikes
- wide selection, lacks specifity
- A must for every Washington Hiker
- Don't leave home without it.
- No bad, but there's better
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National Geographic Guide to 100 Easy Hikes: Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware (National Geographic 100 Easy Hikes)
Barbara A. Noe
Manufacturer: National Geographic
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Washington, DC: Including Alexandria, Frederick, and Leesburg (2nd Edition) (60 Hikes - Menasha Ridge)
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Outdoor Escapes Washington, D.C.: A Four-Season Guide (Outdoor Escape Series)
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Hiking Virginia, 2nd: A Guide to Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures
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50 Hikes in Maryland: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks from the Allegheny Plateau to the Atlantic Ocean
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Country Walks Near Washington (Country Walks Book)
ASIN: 0792275888
Release Date: 2000-03-01 |
Book Description
This detailed guidebook takes you on the best easy hikes in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware -- all within a three-hour drive of the nation's capital. Included are an array of natural hikes, plus a couple of urban walks that bring the past to life.
Each hike:
* Is 5 miles or less, ideal for busy professionals, active families, and seniors.
* Guides your every step, indicating what color blazes to follow, which turns to take, and what landmarks to look for.
* Promises both exercise and something more -- a field full of bluebells, a secret waterfall, blizzards of snow geese, a forgotten colonial town.
* Points out perfect picnic spots, hidden historic sites, fauna and flora, the best seasons to visit, and places to sit in solitude and admire beautiful scenery.
* Is rated easy, medium, or difficult, so you know what you're in for.
* Indicates where you can bring your dog, and which trails permit bikes.
Customer Reviews:
100 Easy Hikes.......2007-01-10
I love this book! Many other hiking books for the D.C. area list hikes that are much further out, but this book lists easy to get to, fun hikes that don't require an entire day for the hike and travel time. I have purchased this book for friends in the area as well, and we are looking at future hikes together.
wide selection, lacks specifity.......2001-05-19
Just tried to use this book for hike in North Point State Park and found it difficult to follow. Luckily, we had another guide with a map. This guide often does not have maps and the directions lack points on the compass, i.e. north, south, east, west.
A must for every Washington Hiker.......2000-06-22
I have been looking for a book just like this for some time now. Having hiked a fair amount in and around Washington I was running short on ideas for new hikes. I had tried the Appalchian Trial Guides and some other books that are out there but felt that while they were great on trail details they didn't provide much of the practical information that you want when heading out to a new destination. Especially enjoyed the author's editorial comments and trail descriptions which combined to make the book a pleasure to read. The author must be a dog lover as well which earns her points in my book. She marks each trail to let dog owners know if their pooches are welcome.
Don't leave home without it........2000-05-05
Having been on many trails in the region (and now many more thanks to this guide), I highly recommend100 Easy Hikes. It's as good as it gets for hitting all the hot spots in the Washington DC area- from nearby jaunts on the trails of Rock Creek Park to the lesser known gems in the Shenandoah. Additionally, the author's insider tips and her clear directions to the trailheads make this guide exceptional.
I was particularly impressed the "best of" recommendations. They were right on target. Neither bluebells nor waterfall classics escaped her attention. The maps, as you'd expect from the National Geographic Society, are clear and easy to follow. Anyone looking for a basic resource on the area should have this guide.
No bad, but there's better.......2000-04-05
There's several books with basically the same theme and roughly the same hikes - e.g. those by Alan Fisher and those by the Appalachian Trail Club. This one does have more hikes described than any other single volume I've seen, but it doesn't have enough maps or sufficiently good trail descriptions to make it a hiking "bible". Only recommended for those folks who've already exhaused the other available guides and are looking for more.
Average customer rating:
- Revisiting an old friend
- Excellent HLM, Just A Bit Mean Here & There!
- The Meat of Mencken
- A fix for all those addicted to contemplation.
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Minority Report (Maryland Paperback Bookshelf)
H. L. Mencken
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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Similar Items:
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Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writing
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The Vintage Mencken
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H.L. Mencken on Religion
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Prejudices: A Selection (Buncombe Collection)
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H.L. Mencken's Smart Set Criticism
ASIN: 0801885337 |
Amazon.com
The great skeptic and prose stylist H.L. Mencken had a lifelong habit of keeping notebooks that he'd plumb for ideas. He eventually collected many brief essays from his notebooks and published them as Minority Report, claiming in the book's introduction that the pieces had been selected at random. That may be true, but as Mencken's writing discipline seemed to require him to always produce elegant prose, it's fair to say that his random notebook entries are superior to the polished essays of many other writers. Mencken was simply a national treasure, and Minority Report, as it contains a great many of his observations on a wide variety of subjects, is a good place to begin to get a taste of his eccentrically intelligent style.
Book Description
With a style that combined biting sarcasm with the "language of the free lunch counter," Henry Louis Mencken shook politics and politicians for nearly half a century. Now, fifty years after Mencken's death, the Johns Hopkins University Press announces The Buncombe Collection, newly packaged editions of nine Mencken classics: Happy Days, Heathen Days, Newspaper Days, Prejudices, Treatise on the Gods, On Politics, Thirty-Five Years of Newspaper Work, Minority Report, and A Second Mencken Chrestomathy.
In 1956, Mencken read through his notebooks and extracted those pieces he thought truest, most pertinent, most precise, or most likely to blow the dust out of a reader's brain.
Customer Reviews:
Revisiting an old friend.......2005-09-21
This outstanding collection of pithy, sage, irreverent and frequently hilarious snippets by the master wordsmith Henry Louis Mencken were prefaced by a statement of his disappointment that he wouldn't enjoy another lifetime in which he could develop his notes into articles or books. I too share his regret. As one who was captivated by the clarity and accuracy of his writings at a tender age, it gives me great pleasure to reread a replacement copy of Minority Report. If you only read two books by the Supreme American Iconoclast, make this one of them (by the way, the other should be 'A Mencken Chrestomathy'). You'll not be sorry!
Excellent HLM, Just A Bit Mean Here & There!.......2005-08-21
This selection of HLM aphorisms appeared in his later years at the age of 68, just before his health seriously deteriorated. Basically a book of about 432 short witticisms, much like A. Bierce's DEVIL'S DICTIONARY, but with a bit too much bile a times. Obviously, he enjoys jabbing at the powerful ("Roosevelt II", among others), the New Deal, Lawyers, Politicians, Professors, just about everyone, or, all the hippocrites, idiots,morons,(standard words in the HLM lexicon) out there. Politically he seems to subscribe to the hard Victorian "Sink or Swim" philosophy, and constantly cracks those who cannot pull their own weight. Democracy? A sham for losers and loafers. Elections? Only those who have supported themselves for 5 years need apply. Mississippians and Tenneseeans? Mainly dim wits and holy rollers of inferior stock. Some of these comments get repetitive, and more than a little tasteless. But,still, at his best, he is incomparable, especially in critiqueing organized (mainly Christian) religion. In his view a total sham, completely irrational and unscientific. In fact, the world would be vastly improved if everyone took a few moments to consider his irreverent, but totally honest, religion comments.Wars? Completely without morals and really a suckers game run by incompetents with no knowledge of the horrors being unleached. So today HLM would be a far right libertarian, but would shoot his poisonous darts to all the war mongerers and phoney flag wavers. So where is today's HLM? There are a few who try, but none who can come close!
The Meat of Mencken.......2001-05-20
This is a wonderful collection of pithy Mencken writings which you may often see quoted. If you have no intention of reading his full essays, read this. This was one of the best bathroom books I have ever had. It is funny, amusing, nihilistic, and condescendingly brutal (or is it brutally condescending?). Mencken writes with the authority of a god, but one with a strong sense of humor and an honest reverence for honesty. This is one of the most original, interesting, and inspirational American writers period. So pick up a copy and see your illusions melt away.
A fix for all those addicted to contemplation........1999-07-15
Chock-full of interesting and valuable insights, Minority Report encapsulates much of the Mencken oeuvre. The author never leaves room for doubt about his meaning. Not a few of the notebook entries reveal that Mencken had an inclination towards the visionary, as when he treats of scientific subjects. Mencken means everything he says; and although his writing has a very sharp flavor, his implicit message to the reader is that he is being as honest as possible within the confines of his own talents of reasoning and understanding. Mencken offends only insofar as the reader is guilty of taking himself too seriously. As the average entry is relatively brief, Minority Report accommodates all those who love to read deep but fun literature yet who find themselves always in a hurry with little time to devote to prolonged readings. Enthusiasts of H.L. Mencken will be pleased to find his hallmark of iconoclasm stamped on every page of Minority Report. For those new to Mencken, this is a good place to start. Those who have smarted aplenty from his other writings, either from too much laughter or from having watched their cherished preconceived notions herded to the slaughterhouse, should be pleasantly surprised by the depth, range and poignancy of H.L. Mencken's notebooks.
Book Description
This fully illustrated guide to the world's most-visited aviation and space museum is both an indispensable companion for visitors and a detailed history in itself of humanity's quest for flight. The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) houses the world's greatest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft plus an amazing assortment of other historic objects. Many fascinating items from the twenty-three galleries and two off-site facilities are presented here in 197 full-color photographs, and are accompanied by their equally intriguing stories.
Average customer rating:
- More Please!
- A fascinating insight into Washington's rustic wilderness
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Rock Creek Park
Gail Spilsbury
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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ASIN: 0801874122 |
Book Description
Beautifully illustrated with fifty paintings and archival and contemporary photographs, Rock Creek Park celebrates Washington, D.C.'s, resplendent wilderness retreat through the riveting story of its formation and preservation. More than one hundred years after its authorization by Congress, in a city that has become a world capital, Rock Creek Park continues to offer Washingtonians and millions of visitors a peaceful sanctuary in the heart of an urban environment.
Rock Creek Park explores the original vision for the park as conceived in the 1902 McMillan Plan for Washington's beautification, which was followed by the 1918 Rock Creek Park Report, by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., son of the eminent nineteenth-century landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The younger Olmsted's report warned managers and future generations of park users that "the dominant consideration, never to be subordinated to any other purpose in dealing with Rock Creek Park, is the permanent preservation of its wonderful beauty, and the making of that beauty accessible to the people without spoiling the scenery in the process." This landscape philosophy deeply influenced Rock Creek Park's remarkable degree of historic integrity over the past century.
Rock Creek Park pays tribute to the Olmsted family for their contribution to urban and park planning throughout the United States. From Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., to Central and Prospect parks in New York City, to the Emerald Necklace of linked parks in Boston, the Olmsteds helped to establish a national attitude toward public spaces which has endured.
Visitors to Rock Creek Park will find in this volume practical information on the park's recreational resources such as biking, horseback riding, tennis, and nature programs. The pictures and historic account of the park also will inspire park lovers and travelers to appreciate the natural wonders preserved in this extraordinary national treasure.
Customer Reviews:
More Please!.......2007-05-24
I have to admit, although beautifully produced, this slim book about one of America's greatest urban parks left me a little disappointed. It consists of four main sections followed by four appendices, interwoven with photographs, paintings, sketches, and a few maps. The first section presents a brief, broad overview of the park's history. The second section focuses on the highly influential 1902 McMillen Plan, and discusses some of the backroom politicking surrounding it. The third section is a brief overview landscape architecture pioneer Frederick Law Olmsted and his family firm. The fourth main section consists almost entirely of excerpts from the Olmsted's 1918 report on the park. The appendices include a brief chronology of park administration (buried in here is a lovely little anecdote about Teddy Roosevelt skinny-dipping!), a brief overview of the park flora, a little on bridges across and within the park, and some basic visitor information.
The material isn't bad, it's just somewhat dry, and reads somewhat like an official history or publication. It would have been nice to get a little of the social history of the park, more on how people actually used it, possibly culled from newspaper archives and the like. It also would have been nice to hear a little more on some of the problems faced by the park, such as homeless squatters, pollution, and safety and crime (the most famous example being the discovery of Chandra Levy's corpse). Another area not touched upon is the fauna, for example, there's a huge deer problem in the park, as well as numerous red foxes, and recently, confirmed coyote sightings. There's definitely room for a more comprehensive book on the park, for example, the section on bridges was great -- but there are plenty more interesting examples that could have been included. Similarly, while the photos and illustrations were all very nice (most were drawn from collections at the Library of Congress and DC Public Library), there wasn't a whole lot of variety to them -- they tend to show similar sun-dappled views of the creek surrounded by foliage. It would have also been nice to get an orienting map at the very front of the book, instead of toward the end.
In sum, it's not a bad book, just a little thin for such an important part of Washington's cultural and geographic history.
A fascinating insight into Washington's rustic wilderness.......2003-07-26
A meticulously researched, beautifully written treasure, filled-with fascinating photographs, plans, drawings and paintings as well as apt quotations. Even includes a map of plant associations and lists of the different species as well as places to picnic, golf, ride and play ball to be found in Washington's planned city wilderness. A fitting tribute to the positive impact of the Olmsted family of landscape architects on the nation's capital.
Average customer rating:
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A Day on the Bay: Postcard Views of the Chesapeake
Bert Smith , and
Anthea Smith
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0801868572 |
Book Description
A delightful companion to the popular postcards books Greetings from Baltimore and Down the Ocean, A Day on the Bay captures the color and charm of Chesapeake beach resorts, the legendary steamships that served them, and the beauty and recreation that give the "Land of Pleasant Living" its identity. Here are the Emma Giles and the Bay Belle, generations apart, steaming to Tolchester and Betterton beaches; the elegant City of Norfolk departing Baltimore harbor for the overnight trip to Newport News; sailboats plying the waters of the lower Bay, midshipmen parading in Annapolis, and amusement piers at Chesapeake Beach and Ocean View teeming with revelers.
Accompanied by Bert and Anthea Smith's engaging account of Chesapeake life and lore, the postcards document places and experiences that have all but faded into history yet remain fond and vivid memories for generations of residents and visitors. As in the previous books, the Smiths have chosen postcards for aesthetic as well as historic interest. Some are individually hand colored, and many display photographic tricks or unique design elements -- making them far more evocative than mere snapshots. From the Susquehanna Flats to Capes Charles and Henry, A Day on the Bay preserves a wealth of Chesapeake history in beautiful and colorful detail.
Praise for Down the Ocean:
"A nostalgic vintage Technicolor postcard trip to the fabled ocean resorts of Maryland and Delaware and summers past... Smith has included in his wonderful retrospective a number of postcard whimsies, such as a nighttime view of the Ocean City boardwalk from the Coast Guard station."--Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun
Praise for Greetings from Baltimore:"Reproductions of hand-tinted cards and a witty companion text wrap Baltimore history and postcard-art history into a series of engaging vignettes." -- Baltimore Magazine
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