The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest [Hardcover]

Lawrence Kreisman (Author), Glenn Mason (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2007

This magnificent compendium is the first comprehensive exploration of the Arts and Crafts legacy in the Pacific Northwest. It traces the movement from its nineteenth-century English beginnings to its flowering in Washington and Oregon through the 1920s and beyond, weaving into a tale of idealism and devotion everything from iconic masterpieces to recent discoveries.

You will meet the architects, artists, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs in Seattle, Spokane, Portland, and smaller communities throughout the region in their own words in journal entries, letters, articles, and promotional materials of the period. Included are public and private architecture, furniture, pottery and tile, metalwork, lighting, leaded and stained glass, jewelry, textiles, basketry and the influence of Native American arts, painting and printmaking, photography, graphic arts, and book design.

The ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement—a celebration of craftsmanship and the creative process; an appreciation of sound construction, pleasing proportion, grace, and simplicity; and a comfortable rusticity that sees beauty in nature and honors indigenous materials—found fertile ground in Washington and Oregon. The inspired handiwork of anonymous amateurs and significant regional artists alike yielded a remarkable variety of progressive architect-designed residences, bungalows for everyone, and all manner of artistic and practical furnishings and accessories.

Beautifully illustrated with nearly 400 photographs and period graphics, including rare images published here for the first time, this groundbreaking volume is an authoritative reference, a provocative story, and an irresistible treasure trove for Arts and Crafts collectors and enthusiasts everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A comprehensive historic survey...a beautifully designed and illustrated keepsake."  (Seattle Times )

"They have told this tale as a regional one, but it can also be read as simply an American one, with more rain and taller trees." (American Bungalow )

"A hefty 398-page reference with hundreds of photographs and period graphics that would appeal to Arts and Crafts aficionados as well as people who love regional history and old homes." (Everett Herald )

“This book is not only a delight to view, read, and handle—it also shines a revealing light on the history and the ethos of sustainability of the Pacific Northwest.”

(Pacific Northwest Quarterly )

“This readable and handsome work describes and analyzes an important aspect of the art and culture of the Pacific Northwest during the early twentieth century and serves as a valuable reference for further research.  Scholars, collectors, and interested lay readers will all enjoy and benefit from reading this book.”

(Oregon Historical Quarterly )

“Capturing the Pacific Northwest in its definitive artistic moment, this book is a visual delight.”

(Western Historical Quarterly )

Review

"As an indispensible new resource, this book belongs in every design library. Effectively connecting many of the dots that have gone missing from previous works about the American Arts and Crafts movement, it also firmly establishes the important role played by the Northwest region in its well-deserved and proper context. It is destined to enrich the work of present and future scholars, while serving to inform a growing number of collectors and afficionados fascinated with this period."
—Paul Duchscherer, Historian and author of Beyond the Bungalow and Along the Bungalow Lines and the series The Bungalow, Inside the Bungalow, and Outside the Bungalow.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press; First Edition edition (October 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881928496
• ISBN-13: 978-0881928495
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No longer on the periphery, November 5, 2007

By 

S. Hilbert (southern CA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

Seattle, Portland, Spokane, and other areas of the Pacific Northwest step out of the shadows of history in this incredibly well-researched, thorough book. The authors' writing is simultaneously accessible and commanding, and the photographs of historic buildings, antiques, and unearthed "treasures" are wonderful to peruse. It is a top-notch publication that informs those interested in this geographical locale, as well as those interested in the overall Arts and Crafts movement.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!, October 3, 2007

By 

Paula J. Guthrie "Paula" (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

I went to the Seattle Bungalow Fair the last weekend in September 2007. I met both authors and talked to them about their book. They spent lots of time researching the book and are very knowledgeable about the Arts and Crafts movement. I have been able to peruse it but have not had a chance to read it from cover to cover. It is a great book to just look at the pictures and captions. I am looking forward to learning more about the movement here in the Northwest. They have captured the true essence of the Northwest Arts and Crafts Movement. I would highly recommend that if you are in to Arts and Crafts, Bungalows, Mission, etc. that this is a must have book.
Paula

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book about a lost past, May 14, 2009

By 

E. N. Anderson (Riverside, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

This is not only a beautiful book; it is a major work of research. The authors have done an enormous amount of work, sleuthing out vanished firms, forgotten artists, and rare photographs of long-gone objects. The Arts and Crafts Movement created amazing houses and objects all over the world, and the Northwest was a center of activity. Styles changed; houses got torn down, furniture wore out, pottery and lamps got tossed. The result is a major tragedy. The authors of this book had trouble finding even photographs of much of the wonderful material created. However, today, we still have much excellent art and craft activity in the Northwest, thanks to the lasting legacy of concern for individual and handmade beauty. Unfortunately, mass-produced junk--worse and worse every year--is unavoidable. One hopes this book will arouse more interest in personal creativity at all levels.