Rancho Deluxe: Rustic Dreams and Real Western Living
The evolution of the ranch house from "simple, functional architecture...to an opulent, vivid style" is examined here. Ranch houses in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas show the utilitarian styles of "real" cowboys from the late 19th century, which soon evolved, with the help of movies, radio, and books, into the opulent, Western- and Spanish-influenced style epitomized by the homes of "rich" cowboys such as King Gillette and the Dohenys and "media" cowboys such as Will Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy. The beautifully photographed interiors show a highly stylized, romanticized Western/ranch/cowboy way of living, a "vernacular" style that became the basis of tract housing from Levittown to California's San Fernando Valley. An excellent purchase for Western history and entertainment collections as well as professional and large interior design collections.Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.