Vintage and modern-day photographs and advertisements add depth to Silver Palaces: America's Streamlined Trailers, a must-have book for this fall. It is historically significant for those who suffer from wanderlust, some fulfilled by owning and traveling with a "silver palace," or perhaps owning an older model that's been rebuilt and refurbished. With a simple, historical beginning, the streamlined trailer got its start. There were challenges in making mobile spaces for living-could anyone make a self-contained streamlined trailer complete with full hookups? After World War II, housecars and motorhomes were seen everywhere-a result of aluminum becoming available for trailers. Once these silver palaces were on the road, RVs and travel associations became popular . . . and well, the end of the highway was never in sight. Doug Keister has photographed fourteen award-winning, critically acclaimed books. His credits with Gibbs Smith, Publisher, include Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography and Classic Cottages: Simple, Romantic Homes as well as Fernando's Gift (El Regalo de Fernando), a Sierra Club Book for Children. Doug lives in Chico, California.
$24.95 U.S. Travel back in time and experience America's silver masters of the road with vintage trailer expert Douglas Keister as he explains the simple, historical beginning of the streamlined trailer, its evolution, and the state of vintage trailer collection and restoration today. The genesis of the streamlined aluminum trailer lies with William Hawley Bowlus, inventor of the Bowlus Road Chief trailer in 1934. From there, it was a matter of sell-outs, buy-outs, folding in, and adapting features from one company to another. But while Bowlus may have invented the streamlined aluminum trailer, it was Wally Byam's Airstream that has become almost generic for a streamline trailer, just as Scotch for adhesive tape, Kleenex for facial tissues, and Windex for window cleaner. If Airstream is the queen of travel trailers, then the Silver Streak is a sister, Spartan and Boles Aero were its cousins, and the Hunt and Thompson housecars were the mansions of the road. Photographs of all these and more-plus the vintage automobiles that pull them around the country today-will delight and entertain you. Find out how the many challenges in making mobile spaces for living were addressed, how World War II affected trailer production and evolution, and how the RV and travel associations that sprang up around the country influenced the growth of this incredibly American obsession! Includes a foreword on "Streamlining" by Arrol Gellner, syndicated columnist of Architext. Douglas Keister has photographed twenty-two critically acclaimed books. He also writes and illustrates magazine articles and contributes photographs and essays to dozens of magazines, newspapers, books, calendars, posters and greeting cards worldwide. His most recent books include Classic Cottages, coauthored with Brian Coleman, and Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography. Others of his books include Ready to Roll, Red Tile Style, the Bungalow, and Victorian Glory. He lives in Chico, California, with his wife, Sandy Schweitzer.
Photographer-writer Douglas Keister, has authored and co-authored thirty-six critically acclaimed books. He also writes and illustrates magazine articles and contributes photographs and essays to dozens of magazines, newspapers, books, calendars, posters and greeting cards worldwide. His twenty-five books on architecture include five books on Victorian homes (Daughter's of Painted Ladies, Painted Ladies Revisited, America's Painted Ladies, Victorian Glory and 500 Victorians); twelve books on bungalow homes (The Bungalow, Inside the Bungalow, Outside the Bungalow, 500 Bungalows and eight small format books on bungalow details), a book on 1920's whimsical homes (Storybook Style) a book about cemetery art and architecture (Going Out in Style), a book on Spanish architecture, (Red Tile Style), four books on cottage (Classic Cottages, Inside Classic Cottages, Cottages and 500 Cottages a book on cemetery architecture (Going Out in Style) and a book on Courtyards. Keister photographed and wrote an award winning children's book (Fernando's Gift), has two monographs of his personal work (Black Rock and Driftwood Whimsy), and four books on classic recreational vehicles, Ready to Roll, Silver Palaces, Mobile Mansions and Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. His wealth of books on architecture has earned him the title, "America's most noted photographer of historic architecture". His book on cemetery symbolism, Stories in the Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography, has garnered a number of glowing reviews. Sunset magazine said, "Keister has done for cemetery exploration what Audubon did for birding." He recently photographed and wrote two bilingual children's books in China, To Grandmother's House: A Visit to Old-Town Beijing (January 2008), and Tao Tao's Green Gift (future release). Three other books came out in 2008: Forever Dixie (a book on southern cemeteries), Teardrops and Tiny Trailers and a book featuring his collection of glass negatives. Lincoln in Black and White 1910-1925. His thirty-seventh book, "Forever LA" which will feature cemeteries in the Los Angeles Area, will come out in the fall of 2009 Doug frequently gives presentations in conjunction with his books and speaks at related events. In the past few years he has lectured in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Spokane, Kansas City, Boston, Milwaukee, Vermont, Winnemucca and Carson City, Nevada, Lincoln, Nebraska, The Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and the Cooper-Union in New York. He lives with his wife, Sandra Mclean, in Chico, California.
This book is essential for any fan of vintage campers. It has so much more than the story of Airstreams with coverage of many varities, both unique and common. Great photos on every page, with enough text to describe without a lot of needless details. Keister is on target with the vintage trailer hobby. If you are not a trailer collector, you might be after this book.
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This is truly an oustanding book with lovely photography and compact writing. The result is an interesting read with plenty of history coveyed in a complete and interesting way.
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Having owned different RV's over the years, it's fun to see what was out there and what is still chearished and functioning. It's always a tug at the heart strings to see some of the old ones go away.
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