Lifestyle and Hobbies

A real gem for the student of jewelry design, three preeminent, international jewelry designers offer step-by-step instruction. Walk with them through the creative drawing process for twenty-five different styles of jewelry sets, with four variations for each style.

A comprehensive and abundantly illustrated collection of the most outstanding modern furniture around the world. Now with a guide to current values, this is an indispensible book for collectors, architects, designers, and furniture historians. Over 1000 of the most innovative designs are shown, many of which have become classics of the late-twentieth century.

Cigar Box Labels: Portraits of Life, Mirrors of History pays tribute to cigars and the pictorial glory of Victorian-era cigar box labels, a unique form of commercial advertising that flourished in the business place a century ago and helped drive cigars to widespread prominence in American society.

The most ingenious and ephemeral of textiles, lace ispresented as the poetry of fashion. Here is a fascinating glimpse into this extraordinary art form and its role in our culture presented with over 225 pictures, including dramatic original photographs as well as historical illustrations, to portray various types of lace and lace garments from different periods.

As an increasingly popular line of collectible jewelry, creations distributed by Sarah Coventry, Inc. have made their mark. From the 1950s through the 1980s, women purchased the jewelry exclusively at home jewelry parties. The success of the jewelry made Sarah Coventry, Inc. one of the largest distributors of costume jewelry.

An armchair guide to corkscrews with over 700 color photographs and 3600 illustrated and documented examples, The Ultimate Corkscrew Book showcases the diversity and creativity that has occurred in the production of corkscrews over the last several hundred years. Remarkably, all examples featured in this extensive volume come from one source: the author's personal collection.

Hundreds of beautiful color pictures and recently-discovered, important information give this new study of 19th and 20th century Japanese porcelain a most refreshing approach. Visual comparisons of the major styles can be made even by the beginning student because there are so many fine color pictures of the examples.

Only recently recognized for its many contributions to ceramics found throughout the world, the Scottish pottery industry has existed for more than two hundred years. Rather than compete with England's famed potteries to the south, Scotland focused on the export market, sending its colorful and decorative wares to America, Canada, and many parts of Southeast Asia.

Since the 1930s, more than 1.5 million glass paperweights have been made in Britain. Here is the first comprehensive reference to identify them. Whether you have been given one paperweight as a gift and know nothing about the subject, or are a serious collector who owns hundreds of items, this book is certain to prove indispensable.

During the second half of the twentieth century, Scandinavian potters and glassmakers drew on elements present in China and Japan during the period of the Sung Dynasty to produce pieces of beauty and elegance that combined subtle glazes and classical shapes.

German Meissen porcelain figures made during the Kaendler Period are considered the best era in the Meissen factory’s history. They are organized here by their subjects, depicting Street Traders, Court Life, Military and Hunting scenes, Italian Comedy, Children, Mythology, Artisans, and various nationalities. Many figures are matched to the original engravings that inspired them.

In the world of costume jewelry, the name Lea Stein Paris® is recognized as the most notable and innovative designer of plastic jewelry of the 20th century. Her use of sculptured laminated celluloid in many novel combinations of textures, colors, and designs resulted in her whimsical and colorful world of original animals, people, and geometric delights.

Contains 124 extraordinary color profiles, portraying examples of nearly all types of single-seated fighter aircraft used by the Luftwaffe in World War II. All of the detailed profiles represent aircraft flown by German aces, some of the most famous and successful as well as those of lesser known.

Among the great designers at Herman Miller in the 1950s and 1960s, Alexander Girard enhanced Eames' and Nelson's furniture with innovative textiles. As head of Herman Miller's Textile Division since it was formed in 1952, he designed some of the most colorful and exciting fabrics available anywhere.

Explore the broad range of beautiful, high-quality porcelain figurines manufactured by the Bing & Grondahl Porcelain Manufactory, of Copenhagen, Denmark, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, collectors worldwide appreciate the sculptors’ and decorators’ skills, as reflected in their charming figurines.

This beautiful and comprehensive volume on easy-to-grow geraniums (pelargoniums) provides a wealth of new information for hobby growers from all climates, including valuable tips on the challenges each region presents. Chapters provide detailed background on the many varieties of geraniums, including scented leaf pelargoniums, zonals, dwarfs, stellars, regals, angels, and more.

Chinese pottery and porcelain has been admired, sought after, fought over, and emulated throughout the history of the civilized world. In form, color, and technique, China led the world in the ceramic arts. Its perfection of hard paste porcelain in the Ming Dynasty followed a fascinating record of ceramic production that is traceable back to 5,000 B.C.

This long-awaited book will be a valuable tool for collectors, dealers, and researchers of modern Italian glass. Most comprehensive volumes are written in Italian, and none includes a value guide. This one, in English, includes information and photographs that will make this book a standard reference on the subject.

The islands of Murano, in the lagoon of Venice, have been a sheltered community of glass artists for at least 700 years, leading the world in blown techniques and design of beautiful and functional objects. This new study captures the artistry of Murano glass as well as the multi-generational world of discovery, innovation, alliances, and realliances that have fostered that artistry.

For the first time, alarm clocks with legs, between 1880 and 1935, are brought together in a single volume. Over 375 black and white photos and catalog pages illustrate the fascinating alarms affectionately known as "tin cans" and nickel alarms.