Shingle Styles. Innovation and tradition in American architecture, 1874 to 1982 (Hardcover)

~ Bret Morgan (Photographer), (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While Newport, Rhode Island, may not have been the birthplace of shingle style, it certainly became--somewhere around the 1860s--a stronghold for an approach that would become popular in American architecture. Established as a major shipping port in the mid-18th century, Newport went on to become a fashionable destination for the wealthy and the ambitious who took a liking to enormous houses (which they referred to as "cottages") which were built along the eastern shore of Aquidneck Island. Shingle Styles begins its case-by-case study of various American structures by focusing on a lasting monument in Rhode Island, the William Watts Sherman house, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson. Built in the 1870s, the Sherman house set the standard for many of the unifying themes of shingle style: long horizontal lines created by extended roof overhangs, rows of aligned windows, and a cantilevered upper gable. The decisive change in the Sherman house, however, and the strongest element of this new architectural style, was the use of wooden shingles for an exterior wall covering rather than red clay tiles or stone. As author Leland M. Roth points out, this simple change "opened up possibilities for variations in texture and surface, with the shingles cut and nailed in different patterns ... especially in the upper gables." Roth goes on to detail a total of 30 structures, including homes, clubs and lodges, churches, farms and barns, and a hotel. The story of shingle style is also told through more than 200 illustrations and photographs, mostly in color. Along the way we learn about Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois; James and Merritt Reid's Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California; William Ralph Emerson's Felsted in Deer Isle, Main; and Greene & Greene's Gamble House in Pasadena, California. As an architectural characteristic, shingle style has its limitations. How much can be said, after all, about buildings which are unified only in their appearance of being covered entirely in wooden shingles? Roth helps to push appreciation to the next level, however, showing how the influences of craftsman, bungalow, prairie school, and postmodern touches have helped to enliven the style. --John Russell

From Booklist

There are very few purely "American" genres of architecture, but the Shingle Style is certainly one of the most original of them. The style was fed by medieval and Japanese influences and was closely linked to the Aesthetic and the Arts and Crafts movements. Prominent architects, including H. H. Richardson, William Ralph Emerson, and Frank Lloyd Wright, were all influenced by the style and eventually directly contributed to its milieu. Architects and architectural movements, including postmodernism, have continued to be influenced by this style. This lavish volume begins with a well-documented history and then focuses on some of the more noteworthy examples of the style, in its original and modern manifestations. Some of the more notable buildings featured are Wright's Home and Studio, Julia Cameron's Sausalito Woman's Club, and Richardson's Watts Sherman House. For each of the 30 structures featured, there's delightful commentary and luscious photographs, highlighting the principal features of the structure and how it relates to the style. A delightful look at one of America's most creative and influential architectural styles. Michael Spinella

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; First Edition edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810944774
• ISBN-13: 978-0810944770
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #641,054 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully evocative photography, February 29, 2000

By A Customer

It is the photography that will stay with you long after you close the covers of this book. The text is informative but the pictures tell the true story--moody and rich and full of surprises. There is a haunting sense that arises from practically every page. A book that exalts architecture with top-notch photography. Terrific!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "...a treasure trove...", April 30, 2000

By A Customer

"Shingle Styles" is a treasure trove of architectural images and ideas. We are planning a new house inspired by the Shingle Style and this book has been most helpful in talking to our architect and contractor. The more recent houses are particularly helpful in thinking about adapting a historic style to our contemporary needs.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great companion volume to Scully's "The Shingle Style", April 19, 2000

By A Customer

"Shingle Styles" makes a great companion volume to Vincent Scully's "The Shingle Style". The lack of plans here didn't bother me because Scully's book has so many. Architects like Stanford White conceived of these buildings in 3D and presented them in 3D sketches and vignettes, and "Shingle Styles" takes a similar pictorial approach. Almost like the old sketches, the color photographs show the 3D reality of the buildings, and the play of natural light across their textured surfaces. "Shingle Styles" goes beyond Scully's book to include great examples across the U.S., and also some examples of modern houses inspired by the Shingle Style. I especially enjoyed learning of the 1982 recreation of "Kragsyde", one of the long-lost ultimate Shingle Style houses.