Cleveland's Vanishing Sacred Architecture (Images of America) (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)) [Paperback]

Barry K. Herman (Author), Walter Grossman (Author), Introduction by Dennis Kucinich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2010 | Series: Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)

As in other cities, Cleveland has developed through the evolution of its European ethnic neighborhoods and their various religions. Many of these neighborhoods built their own churches, which became the focus of community development and unity. For decades, these churches thrived, but the new millennium has brought with it huge changes in the economy. Large "membership" institutions, like the Catholic Church, have had to make the toughest of decisions--closing churches that were thought to be a permanent part of the local landscape. The authors of this book feel it is important to preserve the memory of these significant religious, cultural, and social institutions so that the current and future generations do not forget them. The pictures of these incredible places take on a whole new meaning when coupled with the fact that they will soon be gone. These pages celebrate the architecture, art, and artifacts of these sacred structures in high-quality photographs and explanations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Following in his father's footsteps of publishing historical nonfiction, Barry K. Herman and internationally exhibited landscape photographer Walter Grossman bring you the best of the hundreds of photographs lovingly taken. For Grossman, this is not a departure but "landscapes put in place by man."

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (June 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738584428
• ISBN-13: 978-0738584423
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #763,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but just too expensive., October 19, 2011

By 

Jon L. Albee "Faulkner Wannabe" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cleveland's Vanishing Sacred Architecture (Images of America) (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)) (Paperback)

I love these books from Arcadia Publishing (Images of America) and the History Press, but those publishers should raise an immediate flag; overpriced.

This publisher is REALLY after the local tourist market, and you're most likely to see these books in local bookstores or tourist shops. They have fanned out to cover every nook and cranny of American history, PARTICULARLY the periods of early photography - from 1850 to 1900. These are mass produced publications.

That doesn't mean that they're bad, because many are really quite good. The quality of these publications is high... for tourists and local historians. This book is nice in that it offers one author's interpretation of threatened churches is Cleveland, but it will not appeal to those looking for detailed architectural history or beautiful photography. It may be of interest to preservationists in Cleveland, particularly since Cleveland contains one of the most threatened, and most important, ensembles of 19th century ecclesiastical architecture in the world. And while the author insists that these landmarks will soon be GONE, perhaps we should consider them as preservation opportunities rather than writing them off outright. Authors have some responsibility for shaping public opinion, after all.

The architecture is lovely, but the analysis is weak, and the photography is even weaker. These books should be priced at about $10 each.

I recommend ALL the books by this publisher (Arcadia Publishing or The History Press) to serious cultural tourists, but they will be of little interest to architectural historians and serious architectural photographers.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 27, 2010

By 

tinahen - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Cleveland's Vanishing Sacred Architecture (Images of America) (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)) (Paperback)

I received this book in good timing and is in good condition.This is for my mother's birthday on Halloween.It is Wednesday Oct 27 and came in plenty of time.