Tilting, Newfoundland [Hardcover]

Robert Mellin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

There is an almost elemental appeal in the rural fishing villages of Nova Scotia, Maine, and Newfoundland. Their intimate connection to nature, to the land, water, and (often harsh) weather; their reliance on ingenuity, on-hand materials, and craftsmanship; and their values of thrift and endurance serve as inspiration and as touchstones for those of us caught up in the hubbub of modern life.

Tilting, Newfoundland is a celebration of all these virtues and an eclectic documentation of the buildings, landscape, and lifestyle of this remote community on a small island far off the Canadian coast. Through photographs, firsthand historical anecdotes, and delicate pencil drawings, author Robert Mellin presents a personal account of Tilting's houses, outbuildings, furniture, tools, fences, and docks, and, in the process, the way of life of Tilting. Mellin describes how houses are built for mobility and then "launched," or moved; how houses are detailed and constructed; how cabbage houses are built out of overturned boats; and the difference between picket, paling, and riddle fences-with diagrams in case you want to build your own.

Part journal, part sketchbook, part oral history, Tilting, Newfoundland is a treasure chest of a book that offers new discoveries with each reading, and a reminder of the simpler aspects of life and building.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beautifully designed and produced,...Tilting is one of the very best studies we have in the study of vernacular architecture." -- Professor Henry Glassie, Indiana University

"Tilting's self-reliance and hospitality are lauded along with its hardscrabble buildings and lifestyle." -- Library Journal, February 1, 2003

"a vivid picture of an island way of life that has all but disappeared in North America." -- Islands Magazine, March 3, 2003

This handsomely-presented book, full of color photographs, is not just a treatise on how people build their dwellings...Mellin also has a wonderful ear for the local speech...he records their stories, their views on life, love and family, and otherwise gives an honest picture of these fine people... -- Greenwich Time, March 1, 2006

About the Author

Robert Mellin teaches at the School of Architecture, McGill University. His love of the north and Newfoundland in particular led him to purchase a house in Tilting and become involved with heritage conservation there.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568983832
• ISBN-13: 978-1568983837
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,611,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a WONDERFUL book!, September 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Tilting, Newfoundland (Hardcover)

A wonderful portrait of a small fishing village through examination of its buildings and - especially! - words of inhabitants. Also interesting to see how a small town deals with encroaching effects of globalization and the dramatic effects of large-scale commercial overfishing on their main livelihood - so pertinent to small villages the world over. They have explored some interesting political/economic alternatives to becoming a tourist destination, through consciousness-raising of the locals through film and cooperatives. Well-written, engrossing, intelligent and enjoyable.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing record of a wonderful town in Newfoundland, December 5, 2010

By 

A Hamm "foodie" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tilting: House Launching, Slide Hauling, Potato Trenching, and Other Tales from a Newfoundland Fishing Village (Paperback)

I love ths book. I have been to Tilting and every time I pick up the book I am reminded of wonderful people, a beautiful place and an earlier, simpler way of life. Unfortunately this is fading and the older people in the book are passing. Four older men from the town have died since September 2010 and with them their stories and memories. Thankfully much of that is captured in this wonderful book. They still move houses, have gardens in Oliver's cove, raise amazing potatoes etc but this will probably be the last generation to do so. The young, like so many places in Newfoundland, have to leave their homes "to make a wage."

5.0 out of 5 stars TILTING, February 2, 2011

By 

peterhenry - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tilting, Newfoundland (Hardcover)

Every architect and student of architecture should have this book, if only for the exquisite drawings. That the text is profound and the study methodology impeccable only adds to the delight.

Peter Henry