Pools [Hardcover]

Kelly Klein (Author), Esther Williams (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2007

Inspired by a desire to design a new pool for her own Long Island backyard, Kelly Klein sought out and put together the most arresting and iconic photographs of swimming pools in all their various forms to create this unique and stunning book. The photographs are as inspiring as they are moving, revealing an incredible wealth of styles and designs in climates and cultures across the globe, and evoking the sensations of rest and nostalgia, the clarity of water and light, the coexistence of coolness and warmth, and the insinuations of sex and romance that can bring such character to a swimming pool. Included are pools in all shapes, sizes, colors, and settings, from Tangiers and Miami to the ancient magnificence of Hadrian's Villa; from Coney Island to the Côte d'Azur; from the robber baron 1880s through the prosperous 1990s, and captured by great photographers such as Lartigue, Stieglitz, Munkacsi, Weston, Mapplethorpe, and Weber. Republished in its entirety from the original first edition of 1992, including 187 photographs and a note from Esther Williams, Pools is a classic of modern design photography and an inspiration to aesthetes and creative homeowners alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Pools (Rizzoli $75), with text by Kelly Klein, is an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous book of photographs of pools and watering holes around the world. Many of the photographs were taken by renowned photographers, including Robert Mapplethorne, Alfred Stieglitz, Maartin Munkacsi, Edward Weston, Bruce Weber, Jaques Henri-Lartigue, to name but a few... This book is oversized, beautifully printed, and exquisitely designed. If you have a coffee table, this is one book that belongs on it. -- The Santa Fe's Monthly Magazine of and for the Arts, Sept. 07

"Dive into the pages of Pools for a quick splash through some of the world's finest swimming sites." -- Coastal Living

"If you can't afford a swimming pool, a copy of Kelly Klein's classic book 'Pools' on your coffee table will inject a splash of color into even a nondescript Hamptons summer rental." -- Newsday

"Kelly Klein's 'Pools' captures the art and majesty of the swimming pool in all it social and radiant beauty...As a summer treat or as a historical perspective, 'Pools' is a welcome refresher and certainly one of the best coffee table art books of the year." -- Blog on Books

"provocative" "drop-dead photography spread" "the 187 images run the gamut from the old and majestic to the impossibly sexy" -- Riviera Magazine

About the Author

Kelly Klein is among America's foremost fashion, style, and design photographers. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and went on to work at Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Her iconic images have appeared in numerous magazines and she is also the author of Underworld, Cross, and Emotion. She lives in New York City. Esther Williams is a legendary American actress whose beauty, style, and love for swimming characterized aquatic Hollywood classics such as Neptune's Daughter, Million Dollar Mermaid, and Dangerous When Wet.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli; Reprint edition (May 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847829189
• ISBN-13: 978-0847829187
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 1.2 x 13.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #807,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An awsome photographic book of pools around the world, May 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Norco, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pools (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. There were very beautiful pictures of pools from all over the world. Every pool was an art piece in its self. I really enjoyed the pictures of the cascading pools that seemed to almost go to nowhere in particular. If you can get a copy of this book I highly recommend it for the photo or pool enthusiasts.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Murky waters, January 17, 2008

By 

Linny M (Honolulu) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pools (Hardcover)

I, too, missed the first edition of this book and combed used book stores for years in vain. When I heard Pools was being reissued, I was delighted and preordered. When it arrived, I sat outside in bright light for my first look, expecting to be dazzled, but was sorely underwhelmed. Over the years, I have noticed lousy printing in many of Rizzoli's books and this might just be the worst. Page after page, what should be vibrant images are overly dense or dingy and end up looking sinister instead. The shadow areas are often completely black. The whole book looks like it took a gloom pill. I feel for Kelly Klein. She's done a great job of assembling a fascinating collection of images which are mostly drowning in too much black ink.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor quality, August 11, 2009

By 

Donzeleigh (Coatesville, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pools (Hardcover)

I can't say I wasn't warned. Other reviewers noted the "muddy" quality of the printing. I decided to order the book anyway and hope for the best. Not only was the quality of the printing abysmal, as I was leafing through the book, two pages fell out. The book is far too expensive for this sort of thing to be happening. In addition, I intended to give it as a gift, but I would be embarrassed to give this book as a gift. This is the first time I have ever returned a book to Amazon. The publishers should be ashamed of themselves for even putting this book on the market. It's a shame, because many of the photos would have been really beautiful had they been reproduced properly, and had the book held together.