Originally published in 1883 to 1884; Artistic Houses comprised more than 200 photographs of the interiors of the homes of the well-to-do; with commentary on the woodwork; wall coverings; color schemes; and other aspects of interior décor. Today; historians consider Artistic Houses the best source of information and illustrations for private houses in major Eastern cities in the early 1880s. Although its authorship is not certain; the text is generally attributed to noted author and art critic George William Sheldon.This volume retains all of the photographs from the original two-volume work; the text; however; has been replaced with a version specially written for this edition. In addition to an introductory essay on the periods social and esthetic trends; extensive captions for each plate include most of the valuable information from Sheldons descriptions plus biographical comments on the homeowners and their families; comments on paintings and sculptures; present condition of the houses; and locations.Over 200 photographs of 97 grand buildings include rare photographs of the New York homes of Hamilton Fish and Ulysses S. Grant; multiple views of the Henry Villard house; now part of the Helmsley Palace Hotel in Manhattan; rooms from William H. Vanderbilts Fifth Avenue residence; interiors from J. Pierpont Morgans Madison Avenue home; the Marshall Field house in Chicago; and many others. Here are richly paneled rooms that rivaled the baronial halls of European castles; miniature art galleries; magnificent tapestries; plush draperies; and brilliant chandeliers. With its thorough scholarship and wealth of detail; this impressive survey offers not only inside views of the homes of the rich and powerful families during the Gilded Age but also fascinating insights into the social history and architectural development of the United States.
#821490 in eBooks 2013-07-04 2013-07-04File Name: B00DGBMGC0
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. More a portfolio than a thesisBy racapowskiDespite the authors..._ambitious_ enumeration of his themes in back; theres really only one theme to Terry Farrells book: that the layout of cities is the product of a long; gradual evolution sprouting from the activities and daily itineraries of their residents; to which grand urban planning projects generally serve as an interruption rather than an improvement. Architects; however; make their bones and names with big; showstopping edifices and grand master plans; which puts modern architecture and organic urban planning directly at odds. An interesting idea; but not one thats explored to any significant degree - certainly not enough to merit the length of this book."The City as a Tangled Bank" is attractively designed; with beautiful photographs and an appealing layout; but the images dont do much to illustrate Farrells point - theyre mostly a showcase for Farrells own work. The books ostensible premise is in execution a Trojan horse for Farrell to talk up his past projects and promote his architectural firm. (Theres also a fair bit of tiresome grudge-settling - skip over any passage containing the words "Le Corbusier.") Farrell touches on a couple other ideas in passing - how abandoned buildings can be transformed to serve new purposes; the position that city streets need to be reclaimed for pedestrians; with motor traffic outlawed (which kind of seems to go against his thesis; if cars are how people are getting around) - but Farrells examination of them never gets beyond the mere premise. Fans of Farrell will enjoy his reflections on his career; but others would do well to keep in mind that this is not an examination of the topic stated.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. helping cities become themselvesBy Leah ChangThe City as a Tangled Bank has taken a permanent place in my growing cities-related library! Terry Farrell; principal of Farrells architect-planners (London; Hong Kong; and Shanghai) brings perspective and wisdom of the kind only a long life of experience and observation can provide! The subtitle implies somewhat of a contest between planning imposed from "outside and above;" and growth that occurs from "inside and below" urban space and place; but that expresses it too simply. Along with intro and conclusion; throughout the nine chapters; we learn about the truly endless organic process of letting the city (any city--ancient; young; or in-between) itself show and guide you into what needs to happen for its health and growth--similar to Kevin Lynchs legible city: a city you can read.Tangled Bank in the title; Evolution in the subtitle both refer to Darwins Origin of Species. Sir Terry celebrates connecting; communicating; time; layering; adaptation; emergence; and conversion in any urban growth and development process. The author is no fan of Big Architecture; not enthusiastic about Mies; Corbu; et al. After all; thats the type of inorganic; imposed-from without style he decries and dislikes; because it does not spring up from within the urban organism; and is a product of human initiative rather than of the city itself as place-maker--at one point he describes "place as client." If the results are visually attractive; why is that so terrible? Because it does not result in a humanly livable habitat or surroundings.The bibliography truly is brief; listing five books in the Emergence and Evolution category; a dozen in Urban Design and Architecture; although each chapter includes detailed endnotes. With some in black and white; others full-colour; the many many drawings; photographs; sketches; and maps (with a heavy emphasis on London) enhance the books clarity and usefulness; helping make it a visual delight. However; I wish the basic text had been printed in a larger type size; and that goes double or triple for the microscopic end notes. Also; physical weight and dimensions make it a nice size to heft. This is not a school textbook or a how-to handbook; so please dont assess it in those terms!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent contribution to the AD Primers seriesBy R. MuttAfter two miserable attempts at trying to make sense of AD series books; I decided to give a third book a try before abandoning the whole lot of them. This turned out to be a wise decision - The City As A Tangled Bank is an excellent book on urban development and the implications of both design and organic development.Urban planning is seen here as a skill that is often trumped by the emergent nature of cities; but rather than wholly dismissing it; Farrell proposes ideas for how planning can coexist with self-organization. He doesnt purport to have the correct solution; as if "correct" urban design is ideal or even exists at all. He does offer a range of examples for how planning can work when it takes into context the idea of growth and change. A thriving residential complex may; in only a few years; become a dilapidated target for demolition in a newly industrialized area. This doesnt indicate failure on the part of the complexs designer; but it does indicate that a brilliant plan today may tomorrow be an eyesore or at worst an impediment to the areas progress. The larger the scope of the plan; the more "broken" it will be in the face of emergent growth. We see cities with pockets of planning; replanning; reorganization; and upheaval by forces not seen in advance. Does a solution to this need to exist; or can planners simply accept that a plan must be seen as a snapshot in the history of its urban environment; to possibly be replaced later; and perhaps returned to its original plan after several evolutionary cycles?In all I liked the theme of this book; its structure and clarity of purpose; and beautiful illustrations and photographs. It is also refreshing to see an architectural writer who isnt lost in a theoretical universe; one who is able to apply new ideas to concrete reality without losing the reader in a sea of babble. This is definitely the best AD book I have read thus far; and gives me plenty of new avenues to explore. Definitely recommended.