Great American Houses and Gardens Pop-Up [Hardcover]

Chuck Fischer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2002

Filled with an array of surprises, the book features historically accurate artwork exclusively drawn by artist Chuck Fischer, who combines real photography with his own painting to create a masterpiece in each double-page spread. The spread includes pops of both house and garden, and informative booklets about each estate's house, gardens, and history.

Among the fabulous pop-ups are elaborate full-scale replicas of Biltmore and Monticello, as well as a moveable carousel showing each season in the famed Winterthur gardens. A concertina allows a see-through of the Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Muralist Fischer turns his artistic talents to the small scale in this pop-up tour of eight of the most opulent estates in the U.S., from the Dupont family's Winterthur manor in Delaware to the Beaux Arts splendor of Henry Edward Huntington's eponymous abode in San Marino, California. In complexly designed pages featuring diminutive informational booklets and 3D constructions of spiral staircases or lush garden vistas, Fischer introduces readers to the grand-and sometimes gaudy-expressions of vast wealth and exacting aesthetic values. Industrialist James Veering's "Venetian fantasy" Vizcaya and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, proof that "man's apotheosis could be perfectly represented in architectural form," are also presented within, alongside The Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg, Va., Mount Vernon, Biltmore in Asheville, N.C., Winterthur, and The Hermitage in Tennessee. A brief introduction offers an overview of the project and gives Web addresses for further research. It's hard to figure out exactly whom this volume will please, as it covers what's presumably an area of adult interest in a format more suited to kids, but it's an interesting project nevertheless, and the craftsmanship involved is definitely impressive.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Chuck Fischer is one of the most talented and sought-after product designers in the United States. For the past fourteen years, Fischer has been painting private commission creations for some of the finest residences in the world. His work is in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 7 pages
• Publisher: Universe; Pop edition (October 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789307987
• ISBN-13: 978-0789307989
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 1.5 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #555,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chuck Fischer's latest pop-up creation with paper engineer Bruce Foster, Charles Dickens A CHRISTMAS CAROL was published by Little, Brown and Co. on November 10, 2010. A CHRISTMAS CAROL Pop-Up Book has already been chosen by the New York Times as one of the holidays Best Coffee Table Books and is to be featured in USA Todays
Holiday roundup.

CHUCK FISCHER is a leading author and designer who has taken his unique painting style and effortlessly transferred his signature look to various home furnishings products and books, making his remarkable artistry available to a wide audience.

Fischer's book, Christmas in New York: A Pop-Up Book (Little, Brown & Co.) has become a perennial holiday favorite and is in its fourth printing. Fischer's next book, Christmas Around the World: A Pop-Up Book (Little, Brown & Co.) was published in October 2007, accompanied by an extensive collection of Christmas ornaments produced by Kurt Adler, along with fine paper products by CR Gibson. Christmas Around The World was chosen as one of USA Today's Top Ten holiday books for 2007 and both books appeared on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list. In The Beginning: The Art of Genesis was published by Little, Brown & Company in October 2008. ANGELS: A Pop-Up Book was published by Little, Brown & Co. in October 2009.

Fischer's first three books, The White House: A Pop-Up Book (2004), Great American Houses and Gardens: A Pop-Up Book (2002), and Wallcoverings: Applying the Language of Color and Pattern (2003) were published by Universe/Rizzoli.

Fischer's three signature collections of china and crystal for LENOX, are available at fine department stores in the US and Canada, and his collections of fabric and wallpaper designs are available at F. Schumacher and Co. and Brunschwig & Fils

Fischer's work is in the permanent collection of the COOPER-HEWITT, NATIONAL DEISGN MUSEUM, and he was chosen as a Visiting Artist at the AMERICAN ADADEMY IN ROME. 2009 marks the third year Fischer has been honored with the commission to create the annual holiday card for The White House Historical Association.

Fischer received his B.F.A from The University of Kansas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic glimpse into a variety of houses and gardens, October 22, 2002

By 

A Bookaholic "a1chick" (Clinton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great American Houses and Gardens Pop-Up (Hardcover)

This was one of the more creative books I have delved into in ages. There is a wide variety of properties chosen with beautiful illustrations by Byfield that put you there for a moment. The book also has on each page a couple of little attached booklets for futher interesting facts to be had. This is a fantastic gift for yourself or someone else who enjoys traveling, art and miscellaneous facts, amongst other things.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A STUNNING BOOK!!, October 22, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great American Houses and Gardens Pop-Up (Hardcover)

This is a gorgeous and inventive book...The mixture of paintings and photographs is flawless and the choice of homes is exquisite. I've already bought 3 more copies as Christmas gifts!

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great American Houses and Gardens, January 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Great American Houses and Gardens Pop-Up (Hardcover)

This could have been a fantastic pop-up and when I first examined it, I thought it was. Unfortunately, the pop-ups don't 'pop'; you literally have to open them. My first reaction was that the book was stiff because of the newness but it has not gotten better. My second disappointment is the lack of gardens; this is essentially the houses. If anyone wants a pop-up for the gardens, get the one about Monet's Garden; it is great.