2 comments about Mid-century Plastic Jewelry (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is a great new book on plastic jewelry. I especially enjoyed Chapters 1 and 2 because of the interesting background information on the production of costume jewelry and the tips on how to distinguish one type of plastic from another. Organized by color, the examples of plastic jewelry are beautifully photographed.



2. As a lifelong collector of mid-century plastic jewelry, I have found the literature on the subject to be amaturish and rather incomplete. No More! This excellent work by Ms Klein certainly will become the "bible" in this field and I feel will overshadow other works in print. The histories, methods of deteriming material, and care and repair as well as the splendid photography make this book a "must" for every collector and dealer.

No comments about John Deere Two-Cylinder Tractor Buyer's Guide.

2 comments about Ghost Towns of Northern California (Pictorial Discovery Guide).

1. Bought the book in anticipation of being out in that area soon, and after reading the great historical info and seeing the beautiful photos, I can't wait to get out there and see some of the places for myself!

   I only wish the maps had been a little more detailed, and that the author could have provided coordinates of the sites from a GPS, to make it easier to get to the locations.




2. I am a native Californian, although I have lived in Boston for many years. One of the most intriguing parts of California for me has been visiting abandoned and restored pioneer towns in the Golden State. About 70 miles from my first home in San Bernardino, is located an old mining town, Calico, in the middle of the Mojave desert. That town has set my expectations for visiting pioneer towns.

   For my 49th birthday, my father and wife arranged for me to have a 49er vacation that included attending a San Francisco 49er football game and then heading off into the gold country to revisit the sites where the great gold rush first began.

   From knowing a lot about California history, I knew of many towns and sites that I wanted to see. But along the way, I was intrigued by signs and notes about many sites that I had never heard about before. I wished that I had had along a source as fine as Ghost Towns of Northern California.

   Although his book will seem like a coffee table book to some, I found it to be an essential exploration guide. More than 50 towns and sites are described and pictured. Mr. Varney does a fine job of giving you the local history (which often includes how much gold was mined locally and how it was mined) while the photographs give you a sense of what there is to see. You also get maps that can easily be used to find each of these locations. Most are concentrated in the gold areas (such as near the Oregon border, near route 49, and in the high Sierras), but others have different backgrounds and locations such as Alcatraz and China Camp in the San Francisco Bay area.

   The author defines a "ghost town" as being a town that has had a large slide in its permanent population, even if it is still populated. So few of these "ghost towns" are uninhabited like Calico was when I was a youngster.

   I double checked the accuracy of the information by comparing my experiences on my 49er vacation to what the book says, and the information and views tallied perfectly. Nice job!

   The photographs are more realistic than artistic. That is not to say that they are not beautiful in many cases, but they give you a realistic view of what you will see rather than a "sunset at Sedona" feeling.

   You probably won't want to visit all of these ghost towns, but the book will help you decide when and where you will want to visit. I strongly urge you to decide to visit the sites that interest you and to use this valuable guide to help you plan and follow through on your plans.

   I thought the book is an exceptional value. I would have gladly paid more than twice the asking price for this great resource!

   After you finish enjoying the photographs and text, spend some time rereading Mark Twain's stories about the gold camps. It will help you get in the mood for planning a wonderful trip!

2 comments about Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1950-1975.

1. This is one of the best price guide books for American records. Due to its detailed information and clearly organized listings, it surpasses all previous publications in its scope and usefulness. It adds artists not previously mentioned in past price guides but does omit artists on a somewhat arbitrary basis. Why Getz and not Gillespie etc.? For the artists it does include, much hard work is reflected in the thorough discographies which list reissue information and pressing chronology with great accuracy. Obscure artists with limited product are, as is common with books of this type, omitted. For the money, this is the best book. Only Osborne's Rockin Records covers more ground, but in less essential detail.



2. What a letdown! While this book purports to cover the period 1950-1975, I was sadly disappointed to find that it completely omits one of the most important musical influences of that period, DON COSTA, who was a noted arranger-conductor, master of the 12-string guitar, a performer in his own right, and a man who influenced the careers of many well-known performers like Frank Sinatra, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Johnny Mathis, Ferrante & Teicher, Paul Anka, and the list goes on. Don Costa's fabulous arrangements have appeared on labels such as ABC-Paramount, Columbia, Mercury, United-Artists, and his own label, DCP-International. Don Costa was a true musical genius and as such, he was hired to be the musical director of a major Boston, MA radio station when he was only 15 years old!... One can only wonder what other important performers or facts were left-out of this book, and such omissions only serve to cast doubt on the seriousness of the data that did manage to find a place between the covers of this publication!

No comments about Ethnic Jewellery.

1 comments about Wire Jewelry Kit: 101 Tips and Techniques: Discover Clever Tricks and Handy Hints for Creating Your Own Stylish Wire Jewelry.

1. This Wire Jewelry Kit is such a great buy, I couldn't pass it up! I was impressed with the instruction booklet and the actual beads and wiring. A must have for beginners!!

1 comments about Guns Illustrated 2008 (Guns Illustrated).

1. A good reference book with photos and descriptions. Very similar to GUN DIGEST 2008. I bought both, but next year, one or the other.

1 comments about Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Volume 1.

1. excellent well worth the cash if you are a scare fan this will raise your hair

5 comments about Queen's Jewels: The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II.

1. I can't say enough about this book. Leslie Field obviously loves her subject; the amount of research that went into this book is impressive. It is fascinating to follow a piece of jewelry through history from Queen Victoria to Princess Diana through pictures. The accompanying text is informative, but the pictures really say it all in this book.



2. I was so impressed with and have gotten so much Joy from this book, it has inspired me enough to go ahead and try my first on-line review. When I noticed this was out of print I was very surprised. Even more so when I realized there was also a 1997-revised edition. I am hopeful its simply because the newly expanded volume is getting its finishing touches. With digital imaging technology having come so far since the publishing of the first two editions (87/97), the detail that is now available will hopefully be prominently featured in the next. A unique aspect of this book is the thoroughness of information presented on several different topics.
   The title subject is definitely covered in meticulous detail. Aside from the jewels it really is almost a complete mini-biography of most of the British Royal Family. After all the Men bought jewels too! It is amazing to see an 18th century piece on Queen Elizabeth and be able to trace it exactly from it origin through the centuries.
   The information in text and pictures give a much better understanding of the whole concept of continuity, with many surprises along the way. Tidbits like how Queen Victoria stubbornly refused to return gems that another Royal House insisted it owned. How important Jewels were to Queen Mary, not for their monetary value but because of their family historical importance. Its the little details like this that give you a much more personal understanding of monarchs, without being dishy or gossipy.

   Both the front and back inside covers gives a complete family tree dating back to Henry VII. Inside, thirteen categories/chapters cover everything from Diamonds and Emeralds to Sapphires and Amethysts, explaining who favored a particular kind of gem or style over another. Do not expect a very in-depth education on gems, however you get a great understanding of the history and importance of gems through the centuries as a symbol of power and status. There is a generous amount of color and B&W photos perfectly balanced with the text. Generations of Royals Portraits set-up three or four to a page wearing the same Jewels over scores of decades are some of the picture highlights. I really don?t think you need to be a Royal Watcher to appreciate the images. From all the individuals listed in the Acknowledgments many of them with titles you understand this book was published with the complete cooperation and help of the entire Royal Family. Its the photography that makes you appreciate this. A perfect example of this is the cover subject. A magnificent necklace part of a set named: The Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure. Inside there is another full color page showing the complete set, however throughout the book you can see no less than ten or twelve different royals wearing some kind of configuration of it. Including the World Famous snapshot of the late Princess Diana wearing the necklace as a headband.
   You cannot help but feeling like you know the members of the various royal houses a little better after reading a few excerpts. The entire volume gives you an impression that the author truly respects, enjoys and is highly educated on her subject. This is one of the few books that I own, that I know I will never post for sale used. I hope you enjoy!




3. Leslie Field's "The Queen's Jewels: The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II" is a splendid, splendid book in every way. Field has gathered together hundreds of important photographs (of the nearly half million she saw altogether) of Queen Elizabeth's jewels. These are shown both in their cases and being worn by various monarchs, and we see how different royal family members have altered the look or the purpose of pieces as fashions and times changed over the years. Field has complemented these photographs with her outstanding, meticulously researched text. Even if you purchase the book mostly to drool over the photographs, you will end up being both captivated and educated by the accompanying text.

   Field begins the book with the ascension of Queen Victoria to the throne. Because of the Salic laws passed by the House of Hanover in 1833, Victoria was prevented from becoming ruler of both the United Kingdom and Hanover. The kingdoms were split for the first time in well over a century. Immediately, King Ernest of Hanover--an uncle of Queen Victoria--demanded his share of the royal jewels, arguing that since the kingdom had been split, so must be the gems. Victoria disagreed, and the argument went on for two decades before finally being settled in favor of Hanover. Subsequently, Victoria gave up several important pieces of jewelry to her uncle's descendants--but was already well on her way to amassing an important collection.

   Victoria was the first British monarch to make clear that some pieces belonged to the Crown and were for use by any Queen to follow her--and that some pieces were her personal property, and hers to dispose of as she saw fit. British monarchs have followed in her footsteps ever since and although Field showcases many sumptuous Crown pieces in the book, the bulk of what we see are the Queen's personal pieces. And what a collection it is!

   The collection is vast and jaw-droppingly beautiful. Field wisely divides the book into types of stones, from diamonds and pearls to emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, turquoise, and more. We see everything from parures
   (i. e., complete matching sets of everything from necklaces to brooches to rings to earrings and more) to necklaces and tiaras which were gifts from other governments or from such quaintly named organizations as "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" to pieces designed by Prince Philip expressly for his wife.

   Among the many stand-outs in the book are:

   - Queen Elizabeth's three-carat diamond solitaire engagement ring, designed by Prince Philip for his wife and set with a handsome diamond taken from a tiara belonging to Philip's mother (p. 85);

   - The Godman Necklace, which had been bought by an English naturalist in the 1890s while on holiday in Bavaria. His daughters, many years after his death, wrote to the Lord Chamberlain saying that they felt they owned jewelry once owned by Empress Josephine of France and that the Queen might be interested in it. Although it turned out not to have been of this provenance, it was undoubtedly a stunning and valuable piece, showcasing seven large emeralds and three smaller ones, and surrounded throughout with an encrustation of diamonds and platinum filigree (p. 95);

   - The Cambridge's Lover's Knot Tiara, shown being worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in 1818, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in the 1890s, Queen Mary in 1926, Queen Mary again in 1935 (this time without the upright pearls which originally adorned it), Queen Elizabeth in 1955, and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1985. This is powerful testimony that good design and fine jewelry are both timeless (pp. 113 - 115);

   - Queen Mary's "Rose of York" bracelet, which is a breathtaking ruby and diamond pendant which was eventually turned into a bracelet (p. 143).

   Of course these are but a few of the many treasures in the book. It is a fascinating read, and a wonderfully complete and detailed account of what is probably the finest jewelry collection in the world today.




4. Field has produced an excellent balance of text and pictures and has done an exceptionally thorough job of documentation. I was fascinated by his descriptions of how the jewelry was modified over the years to accommodate the fashions of the day and the taste of the current owner. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars was due to the pictures. Most are black and white (for obvious reasons), however some were of very poor quality, and very few taken with the intention of displaying jewelry. There was one delightful story of a gift to the young Princess Elizabeth, a necklace and bracelet, which the Queen now refers to as "my best diamonds". But do we get to see the diamonds? No, the only available picture was a distant news photo of the young Princess sitting at an angle and the jewels nearly impossible to see. For Princess Diana fans, don't bother buying this book. There are less than a half dozen images of Diana, and nothing you haven't seen before. And just a reminder, this is her personal collection. You won't see any of the crown regalia.



5. After reading this book and salivating at the photographs, I'll NEVER lust after anyone else's jewellery again. Apart from the sheer magnificence of the stones and the settings, the provenance of the pieces and just how they happened to be in the possession of the various members of the royal family, is completely fascinating. It's also a very interesting look at the social mores of the various eras. In Queen Victoria's time, she tended to wear more modest jewellery, much of which had a sentimental value to her, and so the ladies of the day tended to follow her example. In the following reign, that of Edward V11, the upper classes of the day followed the example of Queen Alexandra, who was a beauty and who dressed lavishly in her own particular style, which was followed by ladies of the court and which featured high necklines, decorated heavily with diamonds and precious stones. In the following reign of a very rigid George V and Queen Mary, the court seemed to be bolstering the idea of an unapproachable royalty, above the touch of scandal and to foster this idea by literally covering the Queen in jewels from head to toe. Today's monarch jewels up only on the most formal of occasions, but it's thanks to her and to the Queens of the past that this amazing collection has been built up over the years to amaze and bedazzle lovers of beautiful jewellery everywhere.

4 comments about All-American Ads 30s (Midi).

1. Taschen's fourth volume of the All-American Ads series provides a big look back to the day before yesterday. Steven Heller provides a short overview of the decade and explains that despite the Depression magazines, in which most of these ads appeared, had very high circulations. For a few cents readers could escape the reality of everyday life and be entertained by the features and the colourful advertisements. Naturally there is no real mention of the Depression though some of the ads sport the little NRA symbol and the words `We do our part'

   The format of this book is the same as the others, nine sections (Alcohol and tobacco, Automobiles, Consumer products, Entertainment, Fashion and beauty, Food and beverages, Industry, Interiors and finally Travel) provide whole, two or four ads to a page and fortunately none of them are angled or overlap. The digital reproduction of the 1500+ ads is excellent, it is always a problem to reproduce anything that is already printed because it can create screen clash but these are reproduced with clean colors and sharp lines (thanks to 175 dpi).

   Most of these ads are copy and picture heavy, stylish use of white space and clever typography was years away, though three ads for Pierce Arrow autos on pages 176-177 stand out because they do seem very modern. Illustrations rather than photography were the main visual elements with headlines and copy used to fill any space that was left.

   This as a super book if you are interested in social history or want to see how copywriters created product desire more than sixty years ago or you are just curious about things your grandparents reminisce about. Maybe they remember the 1932 ads for the Pitcairn autogiro, after all no home should be without one!




2. You expect a book like this to be fun, and it is! The hard sell approach, the inflated claims, and the infamous phrase, "It isn't brand X if it doesn't say Y!" (as if your brain is scrambled) ... it's all hilarious now. And even when these techniques get tedious, the drawings and paintings are colorful and well-designed by themselves.

   The ads don't mention the Depression, but you can see it in the phrases "stretch your dollars" and "these days..." That's a technique auto makers adopted after Sept. 11th, as in "we're getting America moving again with 0% financing." In that sense, ad makers fashioned a social history that belongs alongside stories of travelling Okies and bread lines. These ads showed what people hoped for, what they wanted to become. And that's just as important as where they were. So while post-Sept. 11th ads wanted to get the family back to the dinner table, so Depression-era folks wanted to get their friends back for champagne and elegant dinner parties.

   Still, there is enough variety here to reflect many points of view and design style. Some ads were clearly ahead of their time. Some were still mired in Victorian imagery. A few are really shocking, like the public service ad with a drawing of a sinking Lusitania with the headline, "The Lusitania Sank. So What of It?" (It was an ad for World Peaceways.)

   I am no historian or designer or advertiser ... but I found this book mind-blowingly fun.




3. Once again, Taschen has put forth a wonderfully illustrated and highly enjoyable publication. The ads are superb. The reader can truly immerse themselves in popular culture and daily life in the United States during the 1930s. What I most appreciate is the fact that Taschen presents the materials as is; they let the ads speak for themselves. I consider it one of the best resources of popular culture from the era.



4. An awesome collection of ads from this decade. Hundreds of pages w/ ads of all categories. Very enjoyable. I'm an advertising major & this is a fun book to own!!!