Product Description

Building on the success of his earlier books, Randell L. Makinson joins with Thomas Heinz and Brad Pitt in producing this rich monograph on the Robert Roe Blacker house, the largest and most elaborate of the refined Greene & Greene style. New color photographs provide the first full documentation of the house following its extensive five-year restoration, for which Makinson was the architect. This book has just been released, is already ranked #6 on the LA Times best seller list.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #524026 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 144 pages

Review
"Greene & Greene:The Blacker House" recounts the meticulous five-year restoration program that has brought the residence back to it's original -- The New York Times Book Review, January 1, 2000

"Greene & Greene:The Blacker House" recounts the meticulous five-year restoration program that has brought the residence back to it's original glory. Written by Randell L. Makinson, director emeritus of the Gamble house and the leading Greene & Greene scholar, and photographer and Frank Lloyd Wright specialist Thomas A. Heinz, the book includes a black-and-white photo essay by Brad Pitt(yes, him).The actor's gimmicky pictures, shot with an infrared filter that gives trees and vegetation a ghostly spookiness, are proof of the architects' ability to inspire unlikely enthusiasts in many walks of life. (Martin Filler The New York Times Book Review )

"Greene & Greene:The Blacker House" recounts the meticulous five-year restoration program that has brought the residence back to it's original glory. Written by Randell L. Makinson, director emeritus of the Gamble house and the leading Greene & Greene scholar, and photographer and Frank Lloyd Wright specialist Thomas A. Heinz, the book includes a black-and-white photo essay by Brad Pitt(yes, him).The actor's gimmicky pictures, shot with an infrared filter that gives trees and vegetation a ghostly spookiness, are proof of the architects' ability to inspire unlikely enthusiasts in many walks of life. (Martin Filler The New York Times Book Review )

From the Inside Flap
Building upon the success of his earlier book, Greene & Green: The Passion & The Legacy, author Randell L. Makinson, Hon. AIA, joins with Frank Lloyd Wright scholar and photographer Thomas A. Heinz, AIA in producing this rich monograph on the Robert Roe Blacker House, the largest most elaborate of the refined Greene & Greene style.

New color photography provides the first full documentation of the house following its extensive five-year restoration, for which Mr. Makinson served as a restoration architect.

This informative study is highly enriched by new research into the earlier Blacker and Canfield houses and the families' backgrounds as purveyors of building products, examining the major roles these played in the final designs of architects Greene & Greene. Additionally, newly discovered archival photographs from Manistee, Michigan, and Brantford, Ontario, Canada bring greater understanding of the origin of this architectural masterwork.

The authors candidly discuss the interiors, the decorative arts, the furniture, the disintegration of the original fabric of the house and its contents, and the restoration of the Blacker House begun in 1994.

An interpretive photographic essay by Brad Pitt provideshis personal visions of the Blacker estate and reflects his broad passion for architecture.

Three artists--three views of the Blacker house, one of the most significant treasures of the International Arts and Crafts movement and of architects Greene & Greene.

About the Author
Randell L. Makinson, Honorary AIA, is the foremost authority on Greene and Greene, having studied and written about their work for more than forty-five years. He is Director Emeritus of The Gamble House in Pasadena. This is his sixth book on the work of the Greenes. Makinson lives in Pasadena.

Thomas A. Heinz, AIA, of Evanston, Illinois, has been involved with the restoration of more than forty Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and is the author of twenty books on Wright. He is coauthor with Makinson and principal photographer for two books on Greene and Greene.

Brad Pitt, best known for his work in major American films, demonstrates here his passion for architecture, the Arts & Crafts movement, and the work of architects Greene & Greene. His enthusiasm for restoration of the Blacker House is seen in images reflecting his vision of the moods of the Blacker House as seen through his lens and his studied print compositions.

Customer Reviews

Magnificent!
A great deal has been written about the work of architects Charles and Henry Greene, but never before has such a detailed monograph been published about one of the homes that they designed. Randell Makinson's narrative provides a thorough historical background of the Blacker Family from their Ontario origin to their final home and its construction by the Greene brothers in the Oak Knoll subdivision of Pasadena. The story continues with the 1947 subdivision of the 5.1 acre estate into seven separate parcels and the eventual removal and sale of the original furniture, light fixtures and art-glass windows (all designed by the Greenes). The book concludes with a detailed description of the restoration process that began when the current owners purchased the home in 1993, and was basically completed in 1998.

Historical narratives, while full of useful and interesting information, are typically a little monotonous. That is not the case with this book. Mr. Makinson's obvious passion for the work of Greene and Greene, and for this house in particular, is evident. His description of the removal of 53 light fixtures from the house in 1985 left a lump in my throat. I could not put the book down until I read the happy ending about the house's restoration.

I had the privilege of visiting the Blacker House on October 6th, and viewing firsthand the results of the restoration effort. While nothing can quite compare to walking through this masterpiece and touching the magnificent woodwork, I can assure you that the marvelous photography of Thomas Heinz and Brad Pitt comes very close. The collection of photographs in this book is absolutely wonderful. The interplay of light and shadows, the warmth and depth that the colors bring to the images, and the visual compositions themselves cause me to rank these among the best architectural photographs ever published.

This is a must-have book for anyone interested in Arts and Crafts architecture. The contribution of Charles and Henry Greene to the American architectural vernacular can never be overstated, and this house is certainly one of their most important contributions to the art. Thank you Randell, Thomas and Brad for supplying a valuable addition to my library. I hope this is the first in a series of books about the "ultimate bungalows."

Great photos of a true masterwork
I must admit to being rather enamored with the work of Greene and Greene. I've visited a number of their homes in Pasadena, but have not yet had the opportunity to view the Blacker House (from the inside anyway). Over the last ten years, I have read about every book written on the brothers, and when I read the pre-release description of this book I was very excited. In particular, I was interested in learning in detail how this wonderful quality work was reproduced and restored by today's craftsmen. While this book does a great job covering the history and detail of the house, this is not new territory if you're familiar with the previous body of work. I really had my hopes up that the hammer and nails detail of this monumental restoration would be covered in such a fashion as to provide working information applicable to new design. The work of Greene and Greene carried residential detail design in wood and metal to it's zenith. With the structure exposed, this was really a magnificent chance to highlight the subtlties that set their work apart. This does not happen here. My comments may be a little unfair but this book ends up being another "architectural" reference. I was looking for something that broke new ground. This being said, I still love the book, and am glad to have it in my library.

good stuff but lotsa filler
it's hard to miss with a subject like greene & greene architecture, and the blacker house and its story are especially interesting. this book gives info and photos on the construction, furniture, and restoration, as well as the usual great photos, interior and exterior, of the house itself.
two gripes - 1. the size - it's one of those odd-size books [about a foot square] that doesn't "fit" with your other books on the shelf. 2. there's lots of filler - more history of mr. blacker and his family, stiltingly told, than i cared to know, and 14 pages of brad pitt photos that are interesting in their way, [artsy, silvery b&w's] but i'd have preferred more info on the house. [though it is nice to know that an actor has a keen interest in this kind of architecture.]
for greene & greene completists, buy! for others, pick from the other greene & greene books.