The Arts and Crafts Lifestyle and Design
Pioneered by William Morris and grounded in the desire to return to simple design and ornament, the Arts and Crafts movement had enormous impact in England before spreading to Scotland in the work of Charles Rennie Macintosh and to America through Gustav Stickley, Elbert Hubbard, and others. In America, the architecture most closely associated with the movement was the deep porch bungalow, but in England there were fabulous Arts and Crafts estate homes such as Standen and Melsletter House. These are the primary focus for architecture historian Hitchmough. She does not leave out America the Greenes' Gamble House in Pasadena, CA, is given some notice, as is the work of Stickley but it is C.F.A. Voysey and other British builders who shine here. This tour of these grand estates is highlighted by Charles's photographs, as he moves us from room to room, showing grand staircases, dining halls, inglenooks, and massive fireplaces. The various rooms show just how essential full environmental design was to show off William Morris tapestries or William De Morgan tiles, for instance. Though it does have a British bent to it, Hitchmough's work is an essential purchase for any Arts and Crafts collection. Highly recommended. Joseph Hewgley, Nashville P.L.Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.