What styles of architecture are found in your neighborhood--Georgian, Prairie, International, Spanish, Colonial Revival?
214 photographs
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Book Description
214 photographs
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Blumenson has called out stylistic details and architectural terms in the book's 214 chronological photographs. This guide will help you identify (and write about) not only homes, but also banks, churches and other buildings that may have puncuated your ancestors' town. (Sharon DeBartolo Carmack Family Tree Magazine, October 2003 )
An extremely 'user friendly' identification tool, Identifying American Architecture is highly recommended for both students of American architecture and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in identifying architectural classifications of buildings they encounter on trips and excursions throughout the country or in their own neighborhoods. (Wisconsin Bookwatch ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
An extremely 'user friendly' identification tool, Identifying American Architecture is highly recommended for both students of American architecture and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in identifying architectural classifications of buildings they encounter on trips and excursions throughout the country or in their own neighborhoods. (Wisconsin Bookwatch ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have been collecting field guides to American domestic archiecture for many years and beyond a doubt this is the very worst guide that I have come across. This guide has many strikes against it.
First, it is too short to give the reader any real understanding of the different styles of American domestic architecture. Many styles are ignored and the styles that are covered are done so superficially. As an example, the section on the International Style of architecture only has two washed out black and white photographs. The few details that are explained are done so in the most superficial manner.
Second, the quality of the printing is very poor. The quality of the paper and binding makes the book look like it was produced int he 1970's. Worst of all, the photographs used to show the different styles are washed out. A revolution in publishing has happened in the past twenty years and this publisher has missed out in the opportunity to produce a modern looking guide.
Finally, there are some wonderful field guides in current production. Don't waste your money on this guide. Check out the guides produced by Lester Walker and Virginia McAlester. Those are the types of guides that can inspire the reader to learn more about history and American houses. Avoid this guide!
First, it is too short to give the reader any real understanding of the different styles of American domestic architecture. Many styles are ignored and the styles that are covered are done so superficially. As an example, the section on the International Style of architecture only has two washed out black and white photographs. The few details that are explained are done so in the most superficial manner.
Second, the quality of the printing is very poor. The quality of the paper and binding makes the book look like it was produced int he 1970's. Worst of all, the photographs used to show the different styles are washed out. A revolution in publishing has happened in the past twenty years and this publisher has missed out in the opportunity to produce a modern looking guide.
Finally, there are some wonderful field guides in current production. Don't waste your money on this guide. Check out the guides produced by Lester Walker and Virginia McAlester. Those are the types of guides that can inspire the reader to learn more about history and American houses. Avoid this guide!
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Enhanced with 214 photographs, John Blumenson's Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide To Styles And Terms 1600-1945 enables the reader to associate real buildings with architectural styles, elements, and orders. Every photograph is keyed to an explanatory text pointing out characteristic features of each building's style. An extremely "user friendly" identification tool, Identifying American Architecture is highly recommended for both students of American architecture and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in identifying architectural classifications of buildings they encounter on trips and excursions throughout the country or in his own neighborhood.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well, it's not the worst field guide I ever saw but as a previous reviewer said, it has some serious flaws. Most notably, I struggled to focus on the wee tiny numbers that identify the architectural characteristics.
Man, those are some small numbers. And sometimes they get so clustered together, you're not sure which number goes with which architectural feature.
The long, thin layout of the graphics works against this book, too. The pictures of houses just don't fit well in this format.
And (sadly), I agree that some of the photos are a little washed out. With all that said, I do believe you can learn something from every book and this book does contain a wealth of information.
Rose
author, The Houses That Sears Built
and co-author, California's Kit Homes
Man, those are some small numbers. And sometimes they get so clustered together, you're not sure which number goes with which architectural feature.
The long, thin layout of the graphics works against this book, too. The pictures of houses just don't fit well in this format.
And (sadly), I agree that some of the photos are a little washed out. With all that said, I do believe you can learn something from every book and this book does contain a wealth of information.
Rose
author, The Houses That Sears Built
and co-author, California's Kit Homes
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Less than expected
I am an appraiser in the NW and I am looking for more information identifying residential styles. This little book would be more helpful for commercial appraisers, East of the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by dorothy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Useful book
This book is set up in a way that is simple to flip through and pinpoint details on buildings.
Published on February 25, 2008 by Mara Saxer
5.0 out of 5 stars
J. J. G. Blumenson - Identifying American Architecture
Excellent pictorial coverage of styles combined with clear definitions of criteria
Published on November 12, 2006 by Samuel C. Hanson
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Informative, Easy to Access Guide That's Helped Me Many Times
While other "field guides" to American architecture provide more details or bigger/better photos than this one, a key part of what makes 'Identifying American Architecture' so good... Read more
Published on May 15, 2006 by Greg Robertson
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 19
books:
See all 19 books this book cites
- Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms, 1600-1945 by John J.-G. Blumenson in Front Matter
- Sticks and Stones: And Other Student Essays by Lawrence Barkley in Back Matter
- Architecture of the Well-Tempered Environment by Reyner Banham in Back Matter
- Five California Architects by Esther McCoy in Back Matter
- Greek Revival Architecture in America by Talbot Hamlin in Back Matter
See all 19 books this book cites
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