by Meghan Edwards
In honor of Independence Day, here are a few design reads that make us wax patriotic.
America’s Greatest
This title almost speaks for itself. Frank Lloyd Wright: Complete Works, Vol. 1, 1885-1916 is the first volume in a trio of monographs that feature “all” of Wright’s designs (which apparently number around 1,100 if you count both realized and unrealized works). A former Taliesin apprentice, author Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer is the director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives, a vice-president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and general reigning know-it-all on Wright’s life and work. Edited by Taschen’s monograph expert Peter Gossel, he brings us 528 pages filled with the iconic architect’s early Chicago years and celebrated Prairie Houses, known for their profound influence on European architects. Fleshed out with personal photos and the latest research, new dating for many of the plans and houses adds appeal for Wright enthusiasts. $200, Taschen, Frank Lloyd Wright: Complete Works, Vol. 1, 1885-1916.
Kindred Spirits
Reviewing this book for VandM-ers is exactly like preaching to the choir: you’ll find that you’re instantly on the same page as New York writer Craig Kellogg. The theory behind his Dealer’s Choice: At Home With Purveyors Of Antique And Vintage Furnishings is that vintage and antique furniture dealers are the ultimate trendsetters, constantly one step ahead of manufacturers and designers when it comes to what’s cutting edge in interiors. Kellogg takes us inside 32 singular and unique private spaces of the world’s leading dealers, located everywhere from Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco to London, Paris, Berlin, and Istanbul. While the book’s reach is global, we think you’ll find Kellogg’s message hits very close to home. $75, Architecture Interiors Press, Dealer’s Choice: At Home With Purveyors Of Antique And Vintage Furnishings.
The Good Old Days
The irony here is that Michael Paul Smith’s nostalgia for old-timey America found its voice in said nostalgia’s antithesis: the Internet. His fantastical town, the subject of Elgin Park: An Ideal American Town, has already seen over 20 million hits on Flickr since he first began compiling his photographs of a dreamy (yet faux) mid-century locale inspired by his own small hometown in Pennsylvania. Smith’s carefully executed shots capture model vintage cars lined up on charming miniature streets, all shot outdoors and without digital manipulation. Even so, the scenes are stirringly realistic, enough to channel memories of old-timers themselves and the imaginations of anyone raised on dreams and legends of idyllic life in small-town America. Gail Ellison, Smith’s colleague and scholar, writes about his themes and techniques. Warning: the book may provoke bittersweet brooding – was it ever really this good? $35, Prestel, Elgin Park: An Ideal American Town.
