American Barns: A Pictorial History [Hardcover]

Jill Caravan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995

Recording traditional American barns in their classic regional styles, a photographic tour highlights such types as Vermont red barns, round Shaker barns, Kentucky horse barns, and the rustic barns of the Plains.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you're tired of the suburban sameness that characterizes so much of the American landscape today, you'll find a walk through American Barns: A Pictorial History well worth the trip. This handsome coffee-table book not only presents barns as the ideal meeting of form and function, but also explores their distinct regional styles--from corncribs to hay barns to dairy barns to horse barns. Ninety-three color photographs accompanied by straightforward but informative text present a vision of rural America that can be, well, frustratingly hard to find--especially for those of us used to traveling by interstate, shopping at the mall, or living in cities or developments far removed from rural America. Here are the New England connecting barns, the Connecticut fieldstone barns, the round Shaker barns, the classic Vermont-red barns, the Southern tobacco barns, the Appalachian log barns, and the slope-roofed prairie barns. Seeing them all in one volume is enough to make you crave a slice of apple pie. --Kimberly Brown

Book Description

Those who love barns regard them as works of art -- perfect harmonies of form and function. But these structures also stand as reminders of American history and emblems of a country that values hard work, individualism, and community spirit.

This volume explores the history, architectural evolution, regional styles, and artistry of these rural landmarks.

A vivid text and 93 full-color photographs capture the simple beauty of an abundant variety of barns across the country, including:
-- New England connecting barns
-- Round Shaker barns
-- Pennsylvania Dutch structures
-- Appalachian log barns
-- Southern tobacco barns

Dramatic details highlight original timbers, roof shapes, and rafters whose interlocking networks have the presence of a cathedral. Here is a captivating portfolio that portrays the soul of the American farm. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Courage Books (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561384712
• ISBN-13: 978-1561384716
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 9.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book the whole family will enjoy!, February 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: American Barns: A Pictorial History (Hardcover)

I loved this book. My husband has a huge fasination with barns and he got my two little 5 and 6 year old boys into them too. For his birthday last month i got him this book. He was wild for it. When ever he is not looking at it (almost never) the boys stare at it for hours. It is never just sitting on a shelf at our house. They even have me into barns now!

Amazon Fan, Margret K.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book..., January 17, 2012

By 

MO gal "MO gal" (MO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Barns: A Pictorial History (Hardcover)

Wonderful pictures...very well organized, a little more on the 'stories' would've been great, but understand not everyone is a 'story' person like I am (-: book arrived on time and in condition described.

4.0 out of 5 stars American Barns: A Pictorial History, December 22, 2011

By 

Learning - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Barns: A Pictorial History (Hardcover)

I got this for my mother who was raised on a farm in Iowa. There was a beautiful Red barn that she and her siblings worked and played in. It had and has always been a very sentimental building to her and to our whole family. I saw this book on Amazon and got it for her. It has beautiful photographs of barns. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because there aren't enough pictures and many of them are not red and traditional. It is a very nice coffee table book.