Customer Reviews:
One-of-a-Kind View of Detroit.......2007-05-06
Of the many cities embellished architecturally during the period between the Two World Wars of the twentieth century, Detroit surely had an athletic spurt of growth, with many examples of the architecture now known as Art Deco decorating its downtown landscape. Now, the Arcadia series has put together a volume of views of these many fine buildings into one book, and at a reasonable price. In fact, this is the only volume specifically concerning Detroit Deco that I'm aware of. As such, it's a valuable additon to the collection of anyone interested in American architecture, specifically the Deco period, appreciation of which has risen considerably, even during the past couple of decades.
Here are many views of Detroit buildings, some of which no longer exist, making the Arcadia contribution even more valuable, for showing us a world of urban life no longer visible. Deco came and went between two violent world upheavals, then was washed under the sea of Modernism in post-war perceptions, when decoration of any kind was abandoned altogether.
Journey back, then, to a world when the urban landscape was considerably more decorative, and sophistication was a trait to be prized.
Book Description
A lavishly illustrated survey of American Art Deco architecture.
Art deco architecture flourished in large cities and small towns throughout America in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the best examples—office buildings, movie theaters, hotels, and churches—are still in use. Deco architects, artists, and designers drew on European styles but were most committed to a style that grew organically, as they saw it, from their native soil. Two themes bound Deco buildings and their decorative schemes together: a regional pride that tied buildings to their specific locales and functions, and a growing national symbolism that asserted the buildings' identity as uniquely, independently American.
American Art Decofeatures descriptions—and over 500 color photographs—of seventy-five lavish and innovatively designed buildings across the country that have been preserved both outside and in, giving the full scope of this beloved, exciting style.
Customer Reviews:
JAZZ AGE BEAUTY.......2006-10-10
This is quite simply a fantastic book, the images ara crisp and well presented and the text is easy to navigate. Every major Art Deco building in American is chronicled and presented in its best light. It is such a relief that so many of these great buildings have survived, unlike many other architectural styles, Art Deco has always had a huge throng of admirors, people who loved the style and fought very hard to help preserve it. Everytime I set foot in one of these great buildings, like the Louisiana State Capitol or Radio City Music Hall or the Chrysler Building I am reminded of the shear artistry that went into these buildings and am disappointed at the austere, crass styles that have followed. I highly recommend this wonderful book, frankly it is the best I have seen on American Art Deco.
A completely beautiful book.......2006-02-21
For many, a trip to downtown is a visit to something and for something. It is seldom seen as a time of reflection, to see the "what and why" of the great boundaries of concrete, glass and steel. Even our great structures specifically designed to create a feeling of wonder or awe appear to be less a creation for humans than a mere sidelight of structural shrugs, a busy nod to a slight deviation in the casting of the concrete, and, "This won't cost too much more to add this, this *thing* to the design, will it?"
It didn't always work this way.
This is a completely beautiful book. Criticisms are few and far between and are of the "Why didn't she make this a bigger book" variety. This is a big book.
Art Deco was, and is, one of the highest achievements of architecture ever - ever! One look at the Niagara - Mohawk building should convince just about anyone. This book is a required review of the remaining Art Deco buildings with the most integrity.
I only wish that there was more in the way of, say, South Miami Art Deco and more southern works extant but that is the point: You come away from this book looking for the momentous in your own city or area. when you find a (usually restored) specimen, you simply must stop and gawk for great periods of time.
What a great book!
Superb book on American Art Deco Architecture.......2006-01-06
This is the finest book presently available on American Art Deco Architecture, in my opinion. Beautifully photographed and printed in Italy (288 oversize pages in full color), it's a must have if you have an interest in Art Deco and/or Architecture.
All the finest American examples are here, the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Building in Syracuse, the Chrysler Building in New York, the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, and the Eastern Columbia, Wiltern Theatre/Pellissier and Bullocks Wilshire Buildings in Los Angeles, just to name a few. Most of the buildings are photographed from the outside as well as inside, with numerous detail photographs of doors and moldings.
Carla Breeze is an architectural photographer by trade and she does a superb job with this book, I especially like the fact that perspective control has been used in the photographs (all the vertical lines are parallel) which makes for a much more pleasing look. The sleek and modernistic style of Art Deco, popular during the 1920's and 1930's, has yet to be matched, in my opinion, and Ms. Breeze captures the essence of it skillfully.
Glorious deco detail........2003-09-19
Architectural photographer Carla Breeze has focussed her camera on the best seventy-five Art Deco buildings across the Nation and produced a glorious book of color photos that perfectly captures the style. I really liked this book because she concentrates on the architectural detail of each building (with 450 photos) and in many cases, when this detail is on the outside, it is just not viewable from the ground.
The introduction has an interesting eighteen-page photo section dealing with materials, metal, concrete, terra cotta, mosaic, glass, wood and stone. I found this very useful when looking at the images. Each building starts on the spread (though some have more pages) with a street address and some background text and captions for the photos. The elegant layout does not interfere with the wonderful buildings (a tip of the hat to book designer Robert Wiser). Could anyone do anything to improve the photo of the stunning Niagara Mohawk Power headquarters in Syracuse on page seventy-three.
To complement this lovely book have a look at Rediscovering Art Deco USA: A Nationwide Tour of Architectural Delights by Barbara Capitman, Michael Kinerk and Dennis Wilhelm, a methodical nationwide survey, though it does concentrate on commercial buildings rather than houses. If you are Deco spotting on the road leave a space in the glove compartment for David Gebhard's excellent The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America (Preservation Press) if it's not in this book then most likely it's not worth looking at.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
Customer Reviews:
A Little Vague, But Very Enthusiastic Art Deco Design Guide.......2002-09-28
Perhaps the best thing about this book (outside of its many beautiful photos) is Kim's clear enthusiasm for Art Deco in all its forms. I thoroughly enjoyed her introduction, which, while admitting Art Deco's lack of "purity" in style, also explores its incredibly long influence (almost five decades), the disparate styles from which it takes its inspiration, and the vastly different ways in which the style manifests itself in both architecture and interiors.
This said, however, I *do* think that the book might have better benefitted from a different title. Although the book is clearly about Art Deco, I believe its focus is mostly on interiors and different ways to capture the Art Deco "feel." Many of the pictures are of interiors which are clearly not original Art Deco rooms, but merely inspired by the style and usually containing a few authentic pieces. Perhaps *Art Deco-Inspired Interiors* would have made a more suitable title.
Another problem I had was Kim's lack of thorough captions for the photographs in the book. Especially near the beginning, I came across several images (usually of building exteriors) that I wanted to know more about (for example, what they were and where they were located). Kim seldom gives the reader any information on the many fantastic buildings and pieces featured in the book's photos, save for the more notable (and therefore more obvious) ones. Instead, she focuses on the style of the objects, which often leads the captions to become somewhat repetative.
Nevertheless, Kim's appreciation and enthusiasm for the style more than makes up for the book's lack of a clear purpose. I think this is a lovely book that perfectly suits anyone wishing to draw from the influence of Art Deco for designing their own interiors. It's definitely of use as an attractive, well-illustrated, reliable guide to Art Deco style.
A Good introduction to Art Deco.......2002-04-04
This book is a short and concise introduction to the Art Deco style, looking at both architectural style and interior design. It is not a comprehensive guide, but is beautifully illustrated throughout and thoughtfully presented. The author gives some useful advice on achieving the Art Deco look without necessarily investing in period pieces. The only drawback is that the reader is left wishing there were more than the relatively brief 96 pages.
Wonderful illustration.......1999-05-03
I would not suggest this book for informational content. I would definately suggest it if you are looking for some great examples of Art Deco and how you can use Deco pieces in an interior. This book has fabulous illustrations.
Book Description
The definitive full-color art guide to a New York City landmark visited by 75 million people each year.
From the beginning John D. Rockefeller incorporated art into his plans for Rockefeller Center in New York City, commissioning pieces meant to inspire the viewer with idealism, work ethics, and religion. Over one hundred major works embellish the twenty-two acre complex, making the center the world's largest indoor/outdoor urban museum. The artists include such noted figures as Gaston Lachaise, Lee Lowrie, Paul Manship, Carl Milles, Isamu Noguchi, Diego Rivera, and William Zorach. This book is the first comprehensive review of their work.
Each chapter investigates a single building, illustrated with both historic and dramatic new photographs. Also included are explanations of the themes, myths, and allegories. The book provides a color-coded map of the buildings in the center and a biographical index of the contributing artists. The Art of Rockefeller Center is a treat for the art lover and anyone who has ever marveled at this great American icon. 230 color illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Lavish, Beautifully Done Book.......2006-01-25
Built in the middle of the depression, Rockefeller Center became a part of and a symbol of America. The buildings of Rockefeller Center were not designed as the steel and glass monoliths of today. Art from some of the best artists of the day was incorporated into virtually all aspects of the building. The most famous is the statue of Prometheus delivering fire to the mortals of the earth amidst the waters of the Plaza. But there is much much more. There are the bas-relief stone carvings on the facade, there are murals, statues, even specially designed patterns for the carpets.
This book is the first comprehensive study of the art in the center. It is a large format, beautifully printed edition of the art as it is now, and in many cases historical photographs of the artists as it was being produced in the 1930's.
Ms. Roussel is the Archivist of Rockefeller center. To produce the book she had unprecedented access to the records and files of the center.
Book Description
Art Deco was the most important decorative style of the late 1920s and 1930s, and its expression in America was seen in virtually every area of the fine and decorative arts: architecture, sculpture, furniture, textiles, ceramics, silver, graphic arts, and jewelry. This splendid book explores the indigenous tradition of Art Deco in America and, in over 500 illustrations, reveals the beauty and extent of the style as it was manifested here. Most of the important buildings, in all parts of the country, were embellished with strong Art Deco themes. William van Alen, Ely Jacques Kahn, and Joseph Urban, among others, created some of the most memorable architecture of the century: the Chrysler Building and Radio City Music Hall in New York; the Union Trust Building in Detroit; the Richfield Oil Building and the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. Furniture, whether in homes, offices, restaurants, or nightclubs, was revolutionized by Art Deco's modernist stylizations (including the uniquely American skyscraper motif), and American designers from Paul Theodore Frankl to Donald Deskey to Russel Wright to Walker von Nessen created sofas, screens, and dressing tables in the Art Deco spirit. On radios, book covers, fabrics, automobiles--the influence of Art Deco abounded. This beautifully produced volume brings American Art Deco to life with illustrations of objects ranging from cocktail shakers to the Trylon and Perisphere of the 1939 World's Fair in New York. Alastair Duncan, an internationally acknowledged authority on Art Deco and Art Nouveau, and author of many books on the subject, has written the definitive volume on the American interpretations of one of the most successful design styles of the century.
Customer Reviews:
The Definitive Volume on American Art Deco.......2000-03-28
A gem of a book.. the best in it's class. While browsing the old-fashioned way (in actual reality) for a single book that encompasses Art Deco in all it's American forms, I found this top-class book to have all that I could want. I'm currently researching Art Deco for a theatre musical, so my review here is mostly about the illustrations. You'll find all the classic images that you need, plus a lot more besides. There's history to set you up.. with chapters on Architecture, Furniture, Fittings, Sculpture, Jewellery, etc.. plus feature chapters given over to materials ( metal, glass, ceramics etc)
The images are large and well chosen, full of colour, where available, plus archival black & white, and are over-flowing in detail. Classic buildings are featured with many close-ups of period details, both interior and exterior. The text seems to be very well written and researched, with detailed captions.
In all.. more than you could fit in half a dozen books.. and priced within reach.
Average customer rating:
- Love My-amah Deco!
- Remembering Old Miami Beach
- Radiant Virtual Visit
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Tropical Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach
Laura Cerwinske
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
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Similar Items:
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South Beach Deco: Step By Step
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Miami Then and Now (Then & Now)
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South Beach Architectural Photographs: Art Deco to Contemporary
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MiMo: Miami Modern Revealed
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South Beach Style
ASIN: 0847803457
Release Date: 1991-02-15 |
Book Description
Born out of fantasy and speculation, designed for fun and profit, Miami Beach has been, from its inception, a city of mythical composition. Its famed Art Deco District was designated a Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and today the area is basking in a revival of interest and attention. Nevertheless, while fashion photographers and entrepreneurs, artists, developers, restaurateurs and club owners flock to the neighborhood, it is still struggling, after years of deterioration and neglect, to recreate itself out of its own forgotten glamour. Despite a new palette of confectionery colors and the renovation of numerous buildings, the Art Deco District remains in need of urban cultivation, of a reinterpretation that transcends its original resort identity. Author Laura Cerwinske introduces Tropical Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach by discussing both the area's past and its future. Throughout her comprehensive exploration of the most concentrated neighborhood of Art Deco buildings in the world, she details the style's evolution and examines its design.
Tropical Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach treats its readers to a delightful view of a unique adaption of a historic architectural style. For, while Miami Beach's Art Deco architecture derives its stylistic roots from the streamlined and electric visions of the cosmopolitan North, Tropical Deco design is much softer and more temperately seductive. These are buildings whose narrative and evocative nature is at once sophisticated, naive and filled with humor.
Customer Reviews:
Love My-amah Deco!.......2006-03-20
I found this book years ago at the Delray Beach library. It had been checked out so many times that it was in pretty ragtag shape. I decided to order my own copy just so I could gaze at deco whenever I wanted to. This book is a fantastic primer for anyone interested in Miami. Read this book and then take it with you on the Miami art deco tour; you will be that much more prepared to appreciate the tour and prepared to ask questions to your knowledgeable tour guide.
Remembering Old Miami Beach.......2005-01-08
This book has been around for 20+ years and is mostly photographs taken in late 1970's and early 1980's. Much has changed in the ensuing 25 years. Many of the buildings have since been repainted, as in the Carlyle featured on the cover. Some, as with the graceful St Moritz, have been restored (today it looks much different, and better, then in this book's photograph). Best of all this book documents some things that are no longer there as in the wonderful photos of the Tiffany murals, the old Cinema Theatre interior. and the demolished Sands Hotel.
The book is broken up into chapters based on architectural details (Facades, Doorways, Materials, etc). The text is well written and gives one a good grounding in the Miami Beach Deco architectural style. Best of all it is filled with wonderful photographs. A great historical record of a time when the Art Deco District had just been formed.
Radiant Virtual Visit.......2003-07-26
Open the pages of this book to feel the heat on your face and sand between your toes. You're looking at some of the most whimsical and delightful architecture in the world. Imagine approaching this country for the first time from the water and being greeted by these buildings. They are a testament to this country's creativity, humor and ability to dream into the future. And the best part is that they are so well preserved so that you can experience them in person inside and out.
Book Description
Trademarks of the '40s and '50s is a portfolio of over 450 striking trademarks and logos. Some familiar, all innovative, these designs reflect the tastes and obsessions of growing sophistication in the science of marketing. New industries -- television, jet aircraft, and nuclear technology -- appear in the trademarks as well. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from nostalgia buffs and collectors of Americana, to a growing audience of commercial artists and graphic designers who will find creative new ideas in these timeless designs.
Customer Reviews:
retro for me.......2000-08-31
if not just to look at the development of the corporate identity of various well known companies (and some that haven't changed!) then you surely need this book just for your retro-fixation... i know i did anyway.
Fascinating and beautiful book of trademark art.......2000-08-16
In this age of computerized clip-art, the works housed in this collection may not be as impressive - or perhaps surprising - as they were at its 1988 publication. Still, the beauty of these trademarks and the cleverness of their design are both a pleasure to view and and a source of inspiration. By pulling these logos out of their sublimated context and displaying them front and center, they turn into works of art.
Baker and Blik have gathered together a wide range of logos, including some very familiar (The Pep Boys, Zig-Zag, Elsie the Cow), and many more hopelessly obscure - but no less fascinating. And by organizing around themes, the reader can get some ideas as to how themeatic elements came and went with the years.
A nice coffee-table or bathroom book that is also at home on a graphic designer's bookshelf.
Book Description
Covering everyday objects from chromium cocktail shakers to Bakelite radios, this colorful book traces the Art Deco marriage of art and industry.
Production-line objects from the 1920s and '30s are increasingly sought after as icons from a crucial era in American industrial design. The ornate style promoted by the 1925 Paris exposition dramatically affected design down to the most utilitarian level, ranging from dime store rouge pots to kitchen utensils, from advertising graphics to book and fabric design, from wallpaper to furniture. This richly illustrated volume, with its comprehensive survey of the style that revolutionized mass marketing, will appeal not only to collectors, designers, and decorators but also to the general reader who seeks guidance to the increasingly important Art Deco marketplace.
Other Details: 410 illustrations, 200 in full color
Customer Reviews:
Downmarket Deco on Main Street.......2005-01-10
Most books about Art Deco rightly cover the fine art aspects of the movement but the authors of this lovely book explore the way commerce used deco styling in mass produced products available on any Main Street. It would be a good few years before an art style was used again to sell things, namely pop art in the mid-Sixties.
Look at the many photographs of everyday items in the book and it is clear that manufacturers copied whatever deco style elements they wanted to enhance the sales potential of their products, at the same time a group of industrial designers where developing America's unique design style, streamline and contributing more elements to be copied, a good example are the three speed lines that popped up on many products.
I think the illustrations in the book are well chosen and they really do cover everyday items in use during the Depression years and nicely the text is broken up with various interesting sidebars like the one on Dolores Del Rio's moderne house or festive season graphics or Deco Mexicana. To compliment this excellent survey have a look at 'Streamline' (ISBN 0811806626) by Steven Heller and Louise Fili, basically a visual book with several hundred examples of everyday graphics. Both books cover so well two exuberant art styles that everyone could share and so were truly democratic.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
Book Description
At 5:55 p.m. on March 10, 1933, Southern California was rocked by a massive earthquake. Wood-frame bungalows lost their chimneys, and engineered concrete buildings suffered minimal damage. But unreinforced masonry buildings near the epicenter failed catastrophically, and Long Beach was particularly hard hit. Nearly three-quarters of the school buildings, as well as many other structures, were rendered unusable until repaired or rebuilt. The Art Deco style, in addition to being fashionably modern in 1933, met the criteria of earthquake safety, and many new structures showed its influence. Both the Zigzag Moderne style of the 1920s, which boasted many structures that survived the earthquake, and the Streamline Moderne style that came into vogue in the 1930s relied on sleek lines with decoration incorporated into the design. This volume celebrates, in both word and image, the Long Beach that rose from the rubble to become a premier Art Deco city.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent........2006-12-24
Besides having great photos and a wealth of information not easily available elsewhere, this book and the authors' L.A. Deco book are very well written. No color but that's OK in a small, inexpensive book like this.
Customer Reviews:
Speedy graphics.......2007-08-21
'Streamline' was originally part of Chronicle Books Deco series and I'm surprised its not been reprinted since publication in 1995. What makes the book unique is the excellent coverage of American print graphics from the Twenties to the early Forties.
The eight chapters gave a flavor of Deco, Moderne or Streamline print (and packaging) that anyone could have seen in their homes or Main Street across the Nation. The inclusion criteria tends to be rather relaxed with a few items though: page thirty-one shows a 1926 Arrow shirts package with plenty of curlicues around the design, hardly streamline. I would have liked to have seen more advertisements especially those put out by the Austin Company in Cleveland, they designed and build plenty of streamline factories and offices and their monthly ads in Fortune all through the Thirties captured the essence of the style.
The book's design is first class (Chronicle editor Bill LeBlond always put out a quality product) and with the other Deco books in the series it makes a comprehensive reference library to this vibrant art form. You can get a compilation of other books with Euro Deco: Graphic Design Between the Wars containing an amazing two thousand print illustrations.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
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