Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1008060 in Books
• Published on: 1998-04-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Amazon.com
The Arts and Crafts movement began when 19th century architects, artisans, and designers blended artful form with modern functionality in an effort to preserve beauty and spirituality in the face of mass manufacturing brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Originating in Great Britain, the Arts and Crafts movement lived vibrantly in America from the 1880s to the 1920s.

Arts and Crafts Design in America is a thorough sampling of those houses, interiors, neighborhoods, furniture, fine crafts, and structures created during this period. The book covers more than 300 destinations in guiding the traveler toward the Prairie School architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Craftsman furniture of Gustav Stickley, the glass designs of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the illustrations of Will Bradley, and other notable examples of Arts and Crafts design. Focusing on larger cities and the more populous states, the guide combines photographs with information about history and architectural styles. It assumes the reader is familiar with the styles of the era and doesn't go into great historical detail, but functions as a tour book with descriptions of destinations and visitor information. It's in need of an index of the better known Arts and Crafts architects and designers, but considering that it's the first book of its kind, it's an excellent guide to the best representations of the Arts and Crafts period in America. --Karen Karleski

From Library Journal
Smith, who operates the Arts and Crafts Press, and photographer Vertikoff have brought together a much-needed survey of architecture by the California firm of Greene & Greene. Charles Sumner Greene and his brother Henry Mather Greene were smitten early by the Arts and Crafts movement that swept from England to America in the late 1890s. Charles was also said to be "under the spell of Japan." These two influences combined to produce astonishing joinery, courtyards, sweeping verandas, and Eastern pagodas and lanterns. The brothers' masterpieces were built from about 1903 to 1911, and 25 of them appear in this work, including the famed Gamble House in Pasadena and Charles Greene's own home and studio, which have been lovingly restored. A lavish companion to Randall L. Mackinson's Greene & Greene: Furniture and Related Designs (1979. o.p.), this work is highly recommended for general collections and is a pivotal purchase where there is architecture and Arts and Crafts interest.AJoseph C. Hewgley, Nashville P.L.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene, two transplanted Cincinnati architects, carved out a stylistic Arts and Crafts niche in the Pasadena, California, area. This aesthetic movement was more than just a whim to them, and the brothers actively promoted it with their incorporation of bold horizontal roof pitches, luxurious yet simple materials (such as Honduras mahogany and Burmese teak), and a harmonious approach to Asian influences, art nouveau patterns, and the best of the American East. Twenty-five of their designs still stand (all but one in California), some in their original state but most either renovated or resurrected. Smith and photographer Vertikoff chronicle an amazing abundance of evidence that two West Coast building designers could rival the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright. As Henry explained, "The idea was to eliminate everything unnecessary, to make the whole as direct and simple as possible, but always with the beautiful in mind as the first goal." Elegant and eloquent. Barbara Jacobs

Customer Reviews

Wrong Information
I'm not sure about the info in all of the book, but I know that several points in the area about Historic Hilton Village are wrong. First, the area does not extend to Tost St, it extends to Post St. Also, the main architect was not Joannes and the area did not begin in 1919- in fact, it started in 1918. How do I know? Look at any Historic account that is factual and you will see that date. Not only that, the picture of my house, in Hilton Village, was taken of the completed home in 1918. I would say that it is possible that some other info in this book are not correct considering the author got so much wrong in just this one area.

Good overview
This is a good introduction to the Arts and Crafts movement in America. It is a fairly complete guide to Arts and Crafts creations (defined as useful and simple designs) made from wood, stone, glass, and copper across the country.

The book is well-arranged by state and contains outstanding photos. Most entries include a description of the piece or building, details of its history, and visiting information.

The Arts and Crafts movement started in the late 1880s and ended in the late 1920s, although its designs remain popular today. The movement wanted to unite social reform, art, architecture, and the decorative arts. Proponents believed that architecture should be simple and functional, based on historical forms and constructed of local materials.

Notable examples of Arts and Crafts design were Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and interiors (called the Prairie School); Stickley's Craftsman furniture; and Louis Tiffany's glass designs.

I would have liked it if this book had had more photos of interiors and objects, but it never promised that, so the disappointment was of my own making.