Customer Reviews

Daughters of Painted Ladies: America's Resplendent Victorians

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"Daughters of Painted Ladies" is a beautiful tribute to restored Victorian houses from throughout the United States. Full-color photographs by Douglas Keister are complemented by the commentaries of Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen.

The book focuses on what the authors call the "Colorist Movement" in historic house restoration. In other words, every one of the homes pictured has been painted "in three or more contrasting colors" that "bring out the decorative ruffles and flourishes" of each structure. So if your idea of a Victorian home is a dull, gloomy old mansion in a state of disrepair, be prepared to have that stereotype blown away. These "painted ladies" are some of the most vibrant and beautiful homes I have ever seen.

The book captures many different Victorian era styles: Italianate, Second Empire, Steamboat Gothic, Queen Anne, Octagon, Stick, and Victorian eclectic. And don't miss the special appearance by "Lucy," the elephant-shaped house built by James Lafferty. The colorist approach to these homes truly accentuates the varied vocabulary of Victorian architecture, with its towers, covered verandas, neoclassical pillars, oriel windows, decorated verge boards, and other fanciful details.

The book concludes with some helpful tips and resources for those interested in creating their own painted lady. If you are a lover of Victorian era architecture, buy this spectacular book and prepare to indulge in a decadent symphony of visual splendor.

Here Pomada, with co-author Michael Larsen and photographer Douglas Keister, branches out from her San Francisco roots in search of Painted Ladies in other regions of the country--and finds them. Once again she shows houses of all sizes, degrees of elaboration, and amounts of gaudiness--the quietly lavender Blackberry Inn of Camden, ME, the darkly splendiferous English Queen Anne at 130 Mt. Vernon St., Boston, beach cottages on Martha's Vineyard, a vividly red church in West End, NJ, a crisp turqouise-and-cream confection from Cape May, a wondrously porched house in Savannah, GA, even a brick eclectic in Milwaukee. One wonderful little gem on p. 89 is an Aspen, CO, cottage whose front-porch gable comprises a blending rainbow of 25 colors--"14 blues of the sky and oranges from the sunset." The Morey Mansion of Redlands, the Carson Mansion of Eureka, and several Main Street buildings are here too. Pomada even contrived to get permission to show some interiors from a Portland house. These lovely houses will set you dreaming even if you don't own one of the same vintage yourself.

This book arrived in quick time and was in excellent condition. It is a wonderful book and I couldn't be more pleased! Thank you!

I have enjoyed this book and am happy with the purchase. This one is not as good at the original Painted Ladies (which I highly recommend)- but it has photos that the original does not.

After I read and enjoyed this beautiful book I painted my home in Victorian style and soon many houses in Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego Argentina, also change the "white walls, black roof" they ever were.Thanks! Virgini