A Casual Book Review: Palliser's Model Homes 1878

>

Palliser's Model Homes 1878, Published 1972 by Glenwood Publishers.  Hardback, no dust jacket, 1st edition




This is a casual book review of Palliser's Model Homes 1878.  (and by casual I mean little effort and less qualifications)

The bright pink and bold cover was hard to miss at the library book sale.  This book called out to me--- "Don't be a tight wad; give the lady a dollar and take me home!"

This is a faithful reproduction of the book that the architectural firm Palliser and Palliser published in 1878.  At the time, small town citizens rarely consulted an architect when building a new home.  The firm saw an untapped market and offered the service of designing beautiful and functional homes.

 

 

There are about 80 pages of beautifully drawn houses, blueprints, and a detailed description of the design.

The endpapers have illustrations as well--- this book was owned by an architectural company (note the stamp).  I wonder if they used it for inspiration?

The last few pages are advertisements for faucet heads, door hinges, wainscoting, and all the things needed to furnish and accent your new home.

This is a great little book.  It's fun to flip through, and I'm not really an architecture fan.  I like looking at the blueprints and wandering through the houses...'do I take the back staircase to the kitchen or go through the parlor?'

San Jose Quilt and Textile Museum

San Jose Quilt and Textile Museum

I figured two weeks was plenty of time to experience everything the bay area had to offer-- where did I go wrong?

...We didn't make it to Chinatown or the museum of modern art-- and though we had some fabulous meals, I didn't get to eat a lobster that had been scampering along the ocean floor that same day..

Maybe I could have fit in more sites with a structured agenda, but we tried to keep things spontaneous.  This probably explains how late one afternoon, after a quick google search of local museums, we found ourselves heading to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles...

Hello!
Hands on parking garage

 

Yarn bomb,
outside museum

Quilt block tiles on
sidewalk outside museum

There were probably 20, and I wish I took
photos of all of them!

I was hoping to see lots of vintage quilts, but to be honest, there were only about six vintage quilts on display.  The museum's collection (though large) must be kept in storage- probably to protect the delicate textiles from deterioration.

In front of a nice
sunburst quilt

  
So, slightly disappointed with the small display of vintage quilts we made our way to the current exhibition, that of the painter and tapestry artist Mark Adams.  It was amazing!!

I had admittedly never heard of this amazing artist, but seeing his tapestries in person was an unexpectedly enjoyable treat.  I was not permitted to take photos of any of the tapestries, but I pulled a few from the net (below).

His tapestries jump off the cloth at you, and from a distance look like paintings.  Some pieces felt mystical or maybe esoteric; others had fabulous graphic pop.  Mark Adams' work deserves more recognition, and getting to see this extensive exhibit in person was great!

Mark Adams
Can you believe this is a tapestry?

Mark Adam
Tapestry

After our museum visit, we stopped in the gift shop, to check out the handmade objects, books, textiles... and we picked up these fabulous Mola embroideries!  We plan on framing and hanging them.  We've owned a Mola owl embroidery for years, it was one of the first pieces of home decor we bought.  The colorful and stylized look of these pieces will fit nicely with our eclectic decor.

Scoring these embroideries was the perfect end to our afternoon!

A casual book review; God's Own Junkyard

God's Own Junkyard, Peter Blake; 1964,
paperback, first pressing 

Tagline: The planned deterioration of America's Landscape

God's Own Junkyard is a black and white picture book.  The first 30 pages or so are an essay on the deterioration of America's landscape, and the destruction (for profit) of the great natural beauty of this country.

 

The rest of the book is black and white photos illustrating this deterioration; from rural back roads to busy city streets.

This work is a bit of a dichotomy.  On one hand, it's very nostalgic to flip through and see America in the early 1960s.  The landscape that was familiar is now nostalgic to a modern eye. 

On the other hand, the warnings of the author seem even more poignant, because our landscape has been further degraded by billboards, soulless buildings, and discarded objects from our materialistic world.

Still, I find a sad beauty in the evidence of our excesses, especially when photographed so starkly, as in the photos compiled in Blake's book.  Put this book on your coffee table for casual perusal.. and some of the photos would make a hell of a t-shirt!

A casual book review: The Matinee Idols

The Matinee Idols by David Carroll; 1972  Hardcover, first pressing
Tagline: Here is the real, behind-the-scenes story of the magnificent stars of stage and early screen who held America's women in thrall...


I like this book, it's full of great studio stills of good looking guys- what's not to like about this....

Lou Tellegen
achingly handsome;
heartbreakingly tragic

I wouldn't call this a picture book though.  It has plenty of text, and about 25 mini biographies of the most swoon worthy guys of the early 20th century. 

As a lover of classic cinema (what I wouldn't give to have dinner with Robert Osborne) the subject matter is right up my alley. 

The glowing, hazy atmosphere of early film mesmerizes me.

Ramon Novarro and Alice Terry
The Arab, 1924

There is a modern bias against silent films.  People don't think it is possible to present a feature length plot using only gestures and a few written words. 






There is a preconception that you will be trapped into something very boring.

John Barrymore
The Beloved Rogue, 1927

But interesting things happen when you watch a silent film.. you get into the flow, you become unaware that you are reading, and suddenly you are having a unique film experience!

 

And there are some amazing silent films... some rival the best films of today.  One of my favorite is Sunrise (1927).  So, so good!  But my all time favorite silent film and maybe favorite film ever is Buster Keaton's The General (1926).  I think everyone should see it at least once, and I could watch it on a loop.

If you've never seen a silent film, I encourage you to give it a try! 

Wallace Reid
Joan the Woman, 1916

"Silence is of the gods; only monkeys chatter." 
                               ---- The Great Buster Keaton

My paintings: Portrait of Lady with Willow Branches

Lady with Willow Branches

I will be, over the next few weeks, displaying some of my paintings here at hellohorizon.

You can read about my love of painting here. 

This painting is pretty big, probably 2' by 6'.  I like to paint on big canvases!

Casual Book Review: Painting between the Wars

Painting between the Wars 1918-1940, Daniel Robbins, Published 1966.  From the series 'Color slide program of the World's Art.'

This book is very fun.  It is modest in size; only about fifty pages, but the real cool part is the 24 color slides that are stored in plastic sleeves in a fold out cover.

My husband spotted this one years ago at a library book sale.  We don't own a slide projector, but this makes me want to get one!  Someone got some good use out of this one, there are stains and highlight markings throughout!  The book is a little rough, but the slides are in perfect condition!

You can get your own copy over at Biblio books, my favorite online book retailer!

The one and only Matisse

I'm not very familiar with Stuart Davis' work,
but I love this street scene!

Chaim Soutine was a good friend and often sitter for
my favorite painter, Modigliani

Nice! 

Vintage Embroidered Linens

My Husband was very sweet and took my Mom and myself to a sidewalk craft sale today.  There were a lot of nice vendors, and I would have more fun if it wasn't nearing 100 degrees without a cloud or a breeze to be found.  The sun is merciless in the desert; you can get the start of a bad sunburn in a matter of 5 minutes.  (I know this from experience!)

Though I was speed shopping, I did pick up a few fat quarters, and scored some beautiful vintage embroidered linens.  Tomorrow I will do a bit of washing, ironing, and stashing!

Sampler butterfly- love the colors!

This is a table runner, with a butterfly on each end

This is a little piece, edged with cotton lace

I think the leaves are kind of neat

Cross stitched rose

This grape embroidered piece is large!  The linen has natty bits running through
it in different colors

The grapes are outlined in the most perfect blanket
stitches I have ever seen!

These two little elves are adorable!

The blue variegated thread gives a nice effect

This bouquet sampler uses quite a few stitches. 
I really like the extra long lazy daisy stitches
worked in pink and red thread!

It is table runner size

Cute!

This might be my favorite one, I just love this.  It is a table runner, with the
design on both ends.  Cotton lace border