New York Deco (Hardcover)

by Richard Berenholtz (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
New York's most obvious examples of the streamlined architectural style-the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center-figure prominently in this book, but it's the less notorious buildings and the attention given to architectural details that shine brightest in this paean to old Gotham. Evoking the emotional appeal of interiors, Berenholtz captures the scintillating gold mosaics within the reception hall of the Irving Trust Building. An added enticement is the inclusion of lesser known landmarks that will be familiar to careful observers of late twentieth cinematography: The Lenox Lounge once played host to jazz greats Billie Holiday and John Coltrane and was featured in Spike Lee's Malcolm X; Scorsese buffs will recognize the gritty glamour of the Airline Diner from Goodfellas. Because of the book's diminutive size, some studies, most notably of Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building, aren't as powerful as they could be, but interiors and exterior bric-a-brac, often overlooked in New York architecture books, take center stage here.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
New York's most obvious examples of the streamlined architectural style-the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center-figure prominently in this book, but it's the less notorious buildings and the attention given to architectural details that shine brightest in this paean to old Gotham. Evoking the emotional appeal of interiors, Berenholtz captures the scintillating gold mosaics within the reception hall of the Irving Trust Building. An added enticement is the inclusion of lesser known landmarks that will be familiar to careful observers of late twentieth cinematography: The Lenox Lounge once played host to jazz greats Billie Holiday and John Coltrane and was featured in Spike Lee's Malcolm X; Scorsese buffs will recognize the gritty glamour of the Airline Diner from Goodfellas. ...[The] interiors and exterior bric-a-brac, often overlooked in New York architecture books, take center stage here. —Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Welcome Books (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932183841
• ISBN-13: 978-1932183849
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,050,799 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ART DECO IN THE NYC, November 17, 2008

By	Shannon Deason "SchylarRex" (Houston) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: New York Deco (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)

Let me state straight up, I love Art Deco architecture, the elegance the high style, it reeks of class. The photography in this book is spectacular, granted it helps that the subject matter is breathtaking. This is the Deluxe addition and is priced as such. It comes autographed and it has a limited edition run. As for as im concerned it is totally worth the price, this is the kind of book that will increase in value because book collectors appreciate fine books and amazing photography. To no surprise my favorite images in this book are of the iconic Chrysler Building and the equally impressive Rockefeller Center. Art Deco symbolizes at time in america of dreams crushed and dreams created. Rockefeller Center was Jr's way of helping put Americans to work during the Depression and the Chrysler Building represents Art Deco before the depression, the limitless possiblities and the reaching for the heavens. If you have any interest at all in Art Deco, then I cant imagine you not wanting this to have pride of place in your book collection. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The living Deco city, May 13, 2007

By	Robin Benson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The lovely Rockefeller Center rightly kicks of this photographic Deco tour of New York. The exteriors of the six buildings have delights everywhere, for all to see, too.

The book though is very generalised and probably aimed at the tourist market because it has no contents, index or bibliography. What it does have are plenty of close-ups of the detail work that seems to adorn so many Manhattan buildings, frequently way above street level so that these gems are mostly missed. There is a super shot of one of the Chrysler eagles on pages 148-9, or the ornamental metalwork of a lightning bolt and a bird on the General Electric Tower, page fifty-one.

The one hundred and thirty eight photos are all in color and each has an informative caption. Between the photos text pages contain thoughts on Big Apple by a variety of writers and historical personalities, which again suggest the title is really a keepsake aimed at the visitor.

A similar photo book by Carla Breeze New York Deco, though lacking in so many close-ups takes a more guide book approach with copy and photos covering commercial, residential, entertainment, public and religious buildings plus an index and bibliography. If your curiosity goes further David Garrard Lowe's fascinating Art Deco New York, sums it all up within a serious historical perspective.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as it gets, October 22, 2008

By	Iñaki Vinaixa - See all my reviews

This review is from: New York Deco (Deluxe Edition) (Hardcover)

Richard Berenholtz does it again! He's managed to put together another great testament of New York City in photographs. This time however we get to enjoy many details rarely seen and often overlooked of the city's vast art deco history. The images are exquisite, rich in color and texture and beautifully composed. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates New York City and the eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism found in its architecture and interior design. I can't wait for his next book to add to my collection.