The dramatic evolution of 20th century European jewelry design, documenting the innovative trends, sources, and makers. Artists' limited-edition creations, as well as fashion and costume jewelry, are explored through the well-researched text, over 700 wonderful photos and vintage prints. Biographical sketches are provided for the artists and couturiers who worked closely with the fashion designers.
Only a few years ago, if you needed an appraisal of The revolution in the personal property appraisals gems and jewelry for any reason, you asked your local field (of which jewelry is a part) is a little more than a jeweler, who hastily scribbled a one-line handwritten decade old. There now exist uniform standards and note. He or she usually performed the appraisal for procedures for personal property appraisers, classes free, and did so with reluctance, accommodating you in valuation techniques, and degree programs in the only because as a customer you held the promise of a valuation sciences. future sale. The price your jeweler may have assigned Professional jewelry appraisers are on the edge of to the jewelry was granted without the least regard a new vocation. Banks, insurance companies, and for market research, legalities, or ethics. In most in governmental agencies have all helped bring about stances, the estimate was no more than a properly the changes and contribute to the birth of the profes completed sales receipt. sion; they have realized that they can demand and Gemologists were usually pushed into the role of get high standards of performance and integrity from appraiser by their jeweler employers, who were eager jewelry appraisers, as they can from appraisers of real to gain an advantage over their competitors by adver property.
Both new and seasoned collectors are looking for an instructive yet fun way to learn more about their favorite collectibles. The distinctive new Collector's Compass "TM" series is their trustworthy companion -- an affordable, reliable resource for getting started in, learning more about, or just plain enjoying the romance, the adventure, and the many pleasures of collecting.
This unique four-volume encyclopedia examines the historical significance of fashion trends, revealing the social and cultural connections of clothing from the precolonial times to the present day. This sweeping overview of fashion and apparel covers several centuries of American history as seen through the lens of the clothes we wear—from the Native American moccasin to Manolo Blahnik's contribution to stiletto heels. Through four detailed volumes, this work delves into what people wore in various periods in our country's past and why—from hand-crafted family garments in the 1600s, to the rough clothing of slaves, to the sophisticated textile designs of the 21st century. More than 100 fashion experts and clothing historians pay tribute to the most notable garments, accessories, and people comprising design and fashion. The four volumes contain more than 800 alphabetical entries, with each volume representing a different era. Content includes fascinating information such as that beginning in 1619 through 1654, every man in Virginia was required to plant a number of mulberry trees to support the silk industry in England; what is known about the clothing of enslaved African Americans; and that there were regulations placed on clothing design during World War II. The set also includes color inserts that better communicate the visual impact of clothing and fashion across eras.
A comprehensive illustrated survey of the subject by Michael Poynder, who ensures that curious and intriguing details are balnced by sound historical, practical and technical information. At the same time he is at pains to describe and illustrate a comprehensive selection of hundreds of examples from all periods and at all price ranges, relating the number of illustrations directly to the types of jewellery most readily available and the largest number of the many colour plates to the most prolific period of production - the 19th century. The prices given are fully up to date and the text is profusely illustrated in colour and black and white, with detailed captions.
The Fashion Insiders’ Guides are carefully curated compendiums of the current hotspots, classic haunts, and hidden gems of the world’s greatest fashion destinations. A former Parisian living in New York, French Vogue correspondent Carole Sabas was often approached by friends and colleagues on their way to Paris for Fashion Week, looking for the best place for a quick facial, early morning yoga, or to meet a friend for a drink. So many people asked, in fact, that she produced a small guide filled with advice, which she gave out for free. Requests for more information and other cities came pouring in. Abrams is now making Sabas’s Paris and New York guides available to everyone, with expanded content including chapters such as “Eating and Drinking,” “Beauty,” “Health,” “Shopping,” “Art,” and an eclectic selection of odds and ends called “Might Be Useful One Day.” Written with a light touch and in a friendly tone, each entry includes a description of the recommended spots with hints about when to go, who to ask for, and what to get, as well as location and contact information. The inclusion of additional advice from local fashion celebrities on their favorite places to frequent puts readers confidently in-the-know. Peppered throughout with drawings by a noted and local fashion illustrator, these beautifully designed guides will be the must-have accessories of the season. Praise for The Fashion Insiders' Guide to New York: “Hidden gems are finally unveiled in this posh and savvy guide for sophisticated visitors and newcomers to the Big City . . . this is one must-have guide for stylish New York travelers.” —Ambassador magazine
We travel to grow a€" our Adventure Guides show you how. Experience the places you visit more directly, freshly, intensely than you would otherwise a€" sometimes best done on foot, in a canoe, or through cultural adventures like art courses, cooking classes, learning the language, meeting the people, joining in the festivals and celebrations. This can make your trip life-changing, unforgettable. All of the detailed information you need is here about the hotels, restaurants, shopping, sightseeing. But we also lead you to new discoveries, turning corners you haven't turned before, helping you to interact with the world in new ways. That's what makes our Travel Adventure Guides unique. The author is fascinated with these islands and her passion comes across in the text, which is lively, revealing and a pleasure to read. Detailed town and regional maps make planning day-trips or city tours easy. Adventures covered range from town sightseeing tours and nature watching to sea kayaking and mountain climbing excursions. Travelers looking for a more relaxed vacation may want to sign up for dance lessons and take part in the local Carnaval or join a local cycling club and tackle some of Aruba's most scenic areas - these cultural adventures will introduce you to the people and afford you a truly unique travel experience. This guide focuses on Aruba primarily and is based on material found in our larger book, Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao Pocket Adventures.
A narrative tour de force that combines wide-ranging scholarship with captivating prose, Kevin Starr's acclaimed multi-volume Americans and the California Dream is an unparalleled work of cultural history. In this volume, Starr covers the crucial postwar period--1950 to 1963--when the California we know today first burst into prominence. Starr brilliantly illuminates the dominant economic, social, and cultural forces in California in these pivotal years. In a powerful blend of telling events, colorful personalities, and insightful analyses, Starr examines such issues as the overnight creation of the postwar California suburb, the rise of Los Angeles as Super City, the reluctant emergence of San Diego as one of the largest cities in the nation, and the decline of political centrism. He explores the Silent Generation and the emergent Boomer youth cult, the Beats and the Hollywood "Rat Pack," the pervasive influence of Zen Buddhism and other Asian traditions in art and design, the rise of the University of California and the emergence of California itself as a utopia of higher education, the cooling of West Coast jazz, freeway and water projects of heroic magnitude, outdoor life and the beginnings of the environmental movement. More broadly, he shows how California not only became the most populous state in the Union, but in fact evolved into a mega-state en route to becoming the global commonwealth it is today. Golden Dreams continues an epic series that has been widely recognized for its signal contribution to the history of American culture in California. It is a book that transcends its stated subject to offer a wealth of insight into the growth of the Sun Belt and the West and indeed the dramatic transformation of America itself in these pivotal years following the Second World War.
