Book Description
"A good, solid work which deserves to become a standard text." --Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians
"The fresh approach and fluent style give the book a welcome new slant on the subject." --Library Journal
Customer Reviews:
Classic text.......2006-08-05
I was amazed at how well this classic treatise on architecture has held up over more than 25 years. It's a thoroughly engaging history of architecture with something to please anyone interested in building and design.
Good Survey of American Architecture.......2000-06-13
Allthought not the best book ever written on American Architecture (Learning from Las Vegas, etc), it does provide a good overview of the evolution of architecture in America from the functionality of house forms in the early colonial times to asthetic forms of the 20th century. The book focuses on the regional influences which dictated the building forms of the early periods from materials to climate, which are often overlooked in broader surveys. Much has been written about the Segrams building in other books, but this book will give you a better understanding of why houses in the South are brick with external chimneys and New England houses are clapboard with internal chimneys.
Book Description
From the momentous invention of the needle some 40,000 years ago to the development of blue denim; from Neolithic weavers to the biggest names in the fashion industry today—this classic guide covers the landmarks of costume history, the forms and materials used through the ages, as well as the underlying motives of fashion and the ways in which clothes have been used to protect, to express identity, and to attract or to influence others. The concluding chapter by Amy de la Haye, covering the second half of the twentieth century, has now been updated by Andrew Tucker. He discusses the reinvention in the 1990s of the luxury label Gucci, the rise of houses such as Prada and Tommy Hilfiger, and the appointments of relatively avant-garde British, American, and European designers to head classic French houses. All the late-twentieth-century and turn-of-the-century style innovations are included, such as the appropriation of utility clothing by designers like Helmut Lang—who spearheaded the predominantly unisex urban sportswear look—and the impact of workplace dressing down on masculine fashion. The phenomenon of the must-have accessory—the pashmina shawl and the Fendi baguette, for example—is also considered. 345 illustrations, 80 in color.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty basic, very trustworthy--a good start.......2007-05-18
Using only primary resources (paintings, statues, etc. from the periods being shown), this book is both concise and trustworthy. Unlike other books that try to cover an expansive period of time in Western costume, this one never uses original or after the fact illustrations, which can be misleading and/or inaccurate. The only downside is that there are only a few samples from each period, so the reader doesn't get as broad a sense of the time as one might hope. Still, if the idea is to get a broad understanding, the text with the pictures combine to make a decent starting point for Western fashion from Ancient times to the 1990's.
A basic intro to fashion and costumes.......2003-11-10
This book is aptly titled. It gives just a little bit about everything from ancient Egyptian styles to fashion in the 1990s. Those of you looking for photos and descriptions with great attention to detail should look elsewhere, but those of you looking for just an overview of fashion, this would be a good introduction.
The author discusses the rise and fall of fashion trends through the ages, and how society, industry, and particular people influenced them. The text in this book seems as informative, as it is concise. However, other reviewers seem to think that the author's information about pre-20th century costumes is inconsistent with other sources, but the post-20th century information is consistent with what I have learned from other sources.
Therefore, I recommend this book with some hesitation. If you want a good overview of fashion history, especially a pictoral history, I would recommend this book. On the other hand, if you are looking to learn more about a particular era, especially ancient costumes, I would recommend choosing a book specifically written about that era.
Great introductory read........2001-03-14
An easy read. Covers from 2900 B.C. to the 1990's with a particular emphasis on the 1800's. James Laver's writing style is wonderful, describing not only the clothing but the historical and social context for each style of dress. The fashions of each period are illustrated by a variety of historical evidence, including statutes, famous works of art, fashion drawings, diaries, cartoons and photographs. The book is not an in-depth study of each period but rather a very brief overview. The last chapter covering from 1940 to the 1990's was writen by Amy de la Haye and is markedly different in writing style. She does not discuss the social and historical context to the extent that Laver does but rather gives an overview of the major designers of each decade and their respective styles. As there is a lot to discuss in the last 50 years of fashion, I wish that this book had dedicated more than 31 pages to modern fashion.
An excellent place to start.......2001-01-23
This classic by James Laver is a very good introduction to the subject. This is not an exhaustive history of clothing that one should consult for lengthy descriptions, or pinpoint accuracy tied to the latest scholarship. But what this book is (and is wonderfully) is an overview of a very vast subject distilled into one portable volume. The illustrations are excellent and worth the price of the book in themselves. Great amounts of detail are lacking, but the student of costume history can look elsewhere for in depth information in the works of Boucher, Davenport, Ribeiro, and others. This book can provide the basic knowledge one needs to approach the more advanced publications.
There are discrepencies of terminology in comparison to other texts. This is especially true in his descriptions of Byzantine court costume; Laver uses some Greek terms as opposed to the Latin terms used by most other historians. Laver also has an ethnocentric bias and gives much information from an English point of view. As with Contini's "Fashion: A Social History" and Batterberry's "Fashion: The Mirror of History" (both sadly out of print), Laver's prose and scholarship are a little dated, and he predates political correctness. But the history of clothing is heavily tied to religion and superstitions, public morals and sexuality, gender and social hierarchy. To tell a politcally correct history of clothing is to apply a bias as skewed as the biases it would seek to rectify.
This is a highly readable and succinct account of its subject and is strongly recommended. Given that the wonderful Contini and Batterberry books are not available, Laver's very accesible text is an excellent introduction for the beginning costume historian.
Fab Pictures...........2000-08-08
This is a nice *SMALL* (which is important when you are carrying it back and forth to class) book that is FULL of pictures. Don't by this book if you are looking for detailed explanations of the costumes...go to Boucher if you are looking for that... But if you want a good colour pictoral quick reference, this is the one to buy.
I love it and use it all the time. It is cracked open to the picture of Rubens and Isabella Brant!
Customer Reviews:
A must have for anyone serious about modernist sculpture.......2006-04-26
Though not for the uninitiated, this book offers much in the way of theoretical interpretations and background information of various facets of the modernist movement. There are many fine photos and interesting quotes from the major sculptors from 1890-1960 or so. This reads like an old British professor giving a lecture he's done a million times, and who might like to hear himself talk. That's who Sir Read was, I imagine. There's much to be gleaned from these pages.
modern thinking without fuss.......2002-06-16
Modern Sculpture takes us through the thoughts and ideas that finnished a stagnated era and gave birth to true creativity. It is written in a clear, very understandable way... without loosing its depth of insight. Beautifully presented and with a magnificent choice of sculptures.... fantastic reading!!!!
Customer Reviews:
Concise History of Furniture.......2005-10-21
This is a well written and engaging book about the history of furniture from the Egyptian civilization to the present. It is full of examples and great photographs and emphasizes the meaning of furniture within the context of the society and the psychology of the individual.
Social History.......2001-08-16
Lucie-Smith addresses more than just stylistic developments in this book. He makes it easy to understand furniture history as it relates to social and political developments over time. For example, the advent of the printing press had a strong impact on furniture design in the 16th century. Of course! This all makes perfect sense now. Lucie-Smith's book is a great primer for those interested in furniture history.
Handy small guide book to start with furniture collection.......2000-05-14
Edward Lucie-Smith wrote so many books that I would be surprised he remembers this one. Every body needs to start a passion with a guide. This might be your choice. You will choose the directions you want to explore and will buy more recent and more specialised books afterwards.
Book Description
Highly acclaimed, scholarly volume examines technological advances and artistic development, with nearly 300 examples of photographic art. 285 black-and-white photos.
Average customer rating:
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Watercolors: A Concise History (World of Art)
Graham Reynolds
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Modern
| Schools, Periods & Styles
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor Painting
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| How-to
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists
ASIN: 0500201099 |
Average customer rating:
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Photography: A Concise History (World of Art)
J. Jeffrey
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History
| Subjects
| Books
| Africa
| Americas
| Ancient
| Arctic & Antarctica
| Asia
| Australia & Oceania
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Europe
| Gay & Lesbian
| Historical Study
| Large Print
| Middle East
| Military
| Military Science
| Russia
| United States
| World
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
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Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
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Similar Items:
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The Photograph as Contemporary Art (World of Art)
ASIN: 0500201870 |
Customer Reviews:
A Visual Tour of A Modern Art Form.......2002-03-21
This compelling art book contains beautiful images, illuminating details, and thumbnail sketches of modern art movements. The section titled "Posters and Reality" includes vivid posters and explores the ideas of expressionism, realism, and surrealism in an accessible, yet scholarly manner.
"Posters and Society", however, remains my favorite section. Tracing the evolution of the poster through travel, theater, and liquor ads, Barnicoat explains the significance of outdoor advertising in modern cities. Posters also seem to lend themselves to an ironic, comic style.
Yet the classic posters from World War I and II show that governments can also develop ideas in the popular medium. Wartime posters played a critical role in recruitment of soldiers, selling War Bonds, and instructing civilian populations to conserve precious supplies.
Barnicoat also seems fascinated with the use of posters by communist (Soviet Union, Mao's China, Castro's Cuba) and fascist dictatorships (Nazi)to create "consensus" and the illusion of mass support. He juxaposes these propagnda efforts with the students' posters of May '68 saying "these were attempts to produce a genuine pattern of popular art." (While few propaganda posters have become popular collectibles, wartime posters and protest posters from the 1960s command good prices these days among vintage poster collectors.)
Written in 1973 in a belated celebration of the poster's 100th birthday, this classic art book does show its age - both in the evident leftist sympathies and ignoring recent trends. Posters: A Concise History, however, remains the best introduction for art lovers, graphic designers, and poster collectors.
The eyes have it..........1999-06-29
A delightful little book that has something to please everyone: an extensive collection of poster graphics from just before the turn of the twentieth century to the present -- Toulouse-Lautrec to Warhol, and then some -- and solid historical and cultural background information as well. Well written, well researched, well illustrated, well worth the money.
Average customer rating:
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Concise History of Japanese Art
Peter C. Swann
Manufacturer: Kodansha America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Asian
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Japan
| Asia
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0870113771 |
Customer Reviews:
a spokesperson for america!!.......2000-11-06
Cathy is the modern spokesperson for america... this book is too funny. Although you enjoy her being single, you can't help but wonder with each page whether or not she'll be with Irving, or laughing at her being persuaded into another new outfit she doesn't need by the saleswoman. Watch her go to her parents house and listen to them wonder if she'll ever be married, and then treating electra like their grandchild. It's Cathy at her best, being her witty and charming self. Full of tons of humor, this book is a must have. In the end you'll find that this story is somewhat similar to your own.
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- Access London 10e (Access Guides)
- Access London 6e (6th Edition)
- Adventures of a Mountain Man: The Narrative of Zenas Leonard
- Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)
- Asia Shock: Horror And Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, And Thailand
- Backroads of Texas, 4th Edition: The sites, scenes, history, people, and places your map doesn't tell you about
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