Historic Books

A delightful young heroine and realism on the westward journey. A clean, delightful read for myself, my children, and grandchildren!

Retta Barre is truely an engaging character. She is 12 yrs. old the summer her family leaves Ohio to travel the Oregon Trail. The days are long and boring for Retta,but that doesn't last for long once she meets up with the indian Two Bears and his family.....the adventures begin. Retta finds herself in in fixes that she knows God is leading her through. This is a fun little series.

Don't miss the rest of the books in this series:

Book 2. The Buffalo's Last Stand
Book 3. The Plain Prairie Princess

If anyone gets the pleasure of seeing this book in the flesh, you will be sweetly content. And any other Louise Bourgeois book has nothing on it. The delicate mono-coloured drawing inspire curious thoughts in to the excentric mind of the artist. A must have, if you can get your hands on one.

Browsing through this book of sketches is like reading Bourgeois' personal diary. These drawings seem to be the ones she made only for herself, to figure things out and generate more ideas. This is not her "finished" work, so don't expect "LB's Greatest Hits", but any true fan of this artist will delight in seeing her sketchbooks come to life and reading her thoughts and memories of the drawings. Full of rich spontaneity & wit.

There are 127 pages with pictures on every page. Some of the pictures pre 1900 and the majority are of good quality. This book is a must for anyone wanting to research the history of Valdosta and Lowndes county Georgia.

Dr. Tomberlin is actually a neigbor of ours and has been for about 30 years. Our children sang Christmas Carols on his front lawn and "Tricked or Treated" there when they were growing up. This is a purchase that I made for them. I was raised in Brooks county, a few miles from here. But we raised our children here in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia. The photos and comments will mean so much to them as they grow older. Thanks to Dr. Tomberlin they can look back in history and see what helped to mold them. Thank you, Joe, for a job well done.
Susan Klanicki

Try to imagine that someone captured all the stars in the sky, molded them into straining human and animal shapes and then sealed them beneath a glistening coat of spring rain. If you can fix that image in your mind you have some slight idea of the power of the sculpture of Luis Jimenez. This artist uses materials that you'd expect to see gracing the clear-coated skins of street rods to make amazing sculptures of men and women who work hard for a living, play hard for life and face Death like a long-lost lover. In his book "Man on Fire" you see a collection of the various stages of the ideas that have sprung from this creative man's mind. It is fascinating to see the pencil drawing receive color, then go on to a maquette and finally a finished sculpture that more often than not looks like liquid fire trapped momentarily in solid form. It is equally fascinating to see and read about what inspired Mr. Jimenez to combine such diverse influences to create uniquely new works. Having seen several of Mr. Jimenez's pieces in person, I can say that the pictures in this book pale in comparison to the real pieces but then a pale reflection of near-perfection is still near perfection. I'd recommend this book and this artist to anyone interested in something beyond the usual and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

This is a beautiful book that is a cataloque published in conjunction with an exhibition entitled "Man on Fire. Luis Jimenez." The exhibit was organized by the The Albuquerque Museum in 1994. The text that accomapanies the magnificent illustrations and sculptures in different media is highly informative and gives insight into this artist from El Paso, Texas. There are several essays by different people, all of which are excellent, but the one that is probably the most interesting is the perspective by writer Rudolfo Anaya who is probably best known for his quintessential Chicano novel entitled "Bless Me Ultima." His perspective is one that reflects the imagery of the artist in a southwest fashion that is steeped in a heritage that dates back to the myths of the Americas, like a feathered Quetzalcoatl that continues to flow back and forth across the frontera(border) in the spirit of old Mexico. Of even more interest is the written word by the artist himself in which he describes "The Process of Developing a Sculpture." Not only does he explain the process but throughout the book but there are a number of drawings, usually colored pencil on paper but many times ballpoint pen on cardboard, crayon on paper, graphite on paper, etchings or watercolor and ink on paper in which you see the beginnings of what will become public art in vibrant colors in larger than life fiberglass sculptures. There are also several lithographs included. The studies for his fiberglass masterpieces are works of art themselves. The book is a bilingual text, with Spanish and English language right next to each other for easy reference. The book is a sort of retrospective that captures the artists early years of development up to the present where his works are featured in major cities and museums. Years ago I first became acquainted with his works when I saw his alligators sculpture in downtown El Paso in San Jacinto Plaza or as it commonly known , Plaza De Los Lagartos(Alligator Plaza). This was of particular interest to me because I remember as a young kid seeing the live alligators in the plaza, then the removal of the alligators and eventually the installation of the sculpture in the early 1990's. His monumental works can be seen in many different locations such as the Denver International Airport where his "Denver Mustang" greets visitors, The "Southwest Pieta" of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that was not without controversy before settling into a more "Mexican " section of town and locally(San Diego) the "The San Diego Fountain," with it's post modern design and marine life panels in newly refurbished historical Horton Plaza. Prestigous museums like the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Smithsonian in Washington DC and The Long Beach Musem of Art are just several of the many museums that house Luis Jimenez pieces of art. As mentioned his works are featured in several museums as permanent pieces in various media including several bronze outdoor pieces and of course his unique fiberglass work. His fiberglass pieces are instanly identifiable for their briliance and radiant color schemes that reflect the spirit of the southwest. If there is not enough information here in customer reviews than do a search to see some of the images created by Luis Jimenez, they are absolutely amazing and breathtaking. After seeing some his works you will want to get this book ,unless of course you can afford one of his pieces. If you enjoy art books than this is one to look for and add to your collection. Recommended for southwest art book collectors.

Strong structure, high quality reproductions and printing on glaze paper: beautiful, historical and ethical. Don't miss it ! :-)

Finally someone has taken the time to collect old maps of Asia that show Tibet as a distinct territory. Any lover of Tibet or old maps will certainly find this calendar fantastic. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

"This collection of thirty postcard reproductions of the paintings of Mark Rothko traces his development from the figure painting of his youth to the large-scale paintings that made him one of the best-known exponents of Colorfield Painting in the United States during the 1950s."--Strand Bookstore

This is a great introduction to the works of Mark Rothko. The reproductions of his work are very interesting. There is some background information on Rothko and some essays from other artists.

A must-have for anyone who has visited this fantastic art museum. The visit can easily be relived through this book.

This is a great coffee table book that includes many important paintings of Art Institute of Chicago. All the images are in color, and the story of each painting and the artist is given. Each painting is described on a single page, and therefore the pictures are sufficiently large and detailed. The book starts with 15th century religious paintings, and progresses to include well known impressionist paintings such as Seurat's Sunday on La Grande Jatte and Renoir's Two sisters. It also has a section on 20th century paintings. Not a substitute to seeing the actual works, but it is close...

The Art Institute of Chicago houses a world-renown collection of artwork that spans the complete and diverse spectrum of six centuries of painting. Now in a revised and expanded second edition, Master Paintings In The Art Institute Of Chicago organizes and showcases 149 major paintings (like the Insitute itself) into European, American, and Twentieth-Century categories. This outstanding introduction to the history of art in general, and the Art Insitute of Chicago's impressive collection in particular, would grace any personal, academic, or community library artbook collection.

"Matthews: The Historic Adventures of a pioneer Family" is a wonderfully written book which looks into the past of a prominent Southeast Missouri family. This book provides lessons in business, success and morality, as taught by the late C.D. Matthews and the generations that followed.

After C.D. Matthews settles in Southeast Missouri and begins building and expanding his business empire, be prepared to be reading for hours. I did not put the book down from page 100 through 306.

Matthews: The Historic Adventures Of A Pioneer Family by Edward C. Matthews III is the biographical story of the author's family who settled in Southeast Missouri two hundred years and eight generations ago. A superbly written family history, this is the story of generations of men and women whose ambitions and perseverance were to shape and influence the entire region. Beginning with the settlement of the then newly acquired Louisiana Territory, nd continuing with the subsequent growth and development of Southeast Missouri, these are very human stories of Matthews family members complete with the private tragedies, public accomplishments, and diverse personalities. At the core of the story is C.D. Matthews who was born a poor farm boy in the 1840s and who grew up to risk his life supplying corn and wheat to the Confederate forces during the Civil War. Surviving the war, he went on to amass a fortune in the fields of banking, lumber, railroads, and land. Also available in a hardcover edition (0976041316, $35.00), Matthews: The Historic Adventures Of A Pioneer Family is informative and fascinating reading, and could well serve as a template for others who are thinking of writing their family histories.

This book is one of the best books done on Maya art. Hundreds of well-done photographs. Looking at the photos in this book was the first time that it finally sunk in that Maya art is on par with the art of any of what is considered the "best" art from around the world. The articles interspersed with the art are interesting too. Well worth the money.

This important, lavishly produced book will more than satisfy all, including scholars, students and collectors, as well as the casual reader. The highly descriptive/photographic catalog of the comprehensive '98-'99 Palazzo Grassi exhibition (514 artifacts listed on 142 pages of 696 total) is worth the price by itself. The photography is absolutely superb, making this a fun book to just browse through. With more than 20 scholarly articles covering all aspects of the most current knowledge on the MAYA, this is the definitive "Must Have" book on this most amazing culture. Easily worth double or triple Amazon's price.

For those of us who visited McCall, the "Lodge" held a warm place in our hearts. I was reminded of all the special times... of damp wool sweaters in winter and coconut suntan oil in summer. A nice stroll down memory lane.

This book brings back wonderful memories. Shore Lodge was an integral part of the "Village of McCall". The book's research was thorough and detailed. The writing is humorous and endearing while being historically accurate. The many photographs lend added dimension to the charactors and stories. Kudos - a lot of history and nostalgia in such a small book!