On the Bookshelf - Two Spring Releases

In 1913, wealthy women rallied the Garden Club of America to help improve the landscape of the 48 states, which had deteriorated—both morally and environmentally—after the close of the Civil War. In order to spread the word to gardeners throughout the country and illustrate exactly what a garden could and should be, they commissioned Frances Benjamin Johnston, celebrity photographer of American homes and gardens. Gardens for a Beautiful America, 1895-1935, by writer and lecturer Sam Watters, presents for the first time 250 color photographs that have been preserved by the Library of Congress for 70 years. Prepared as glass slides for Johnston's illustrated lectures, the photos still resonate with her crusading message: "Garden the nation back to America the beautiful—one elm, one rose, one fountain and one shady terrace at a time." Published by Acanthus Press.

View from Terrace to Swimming Pool at Killenworth, George Dupont Pratt House,
Glen Cove, New York, circa 1918. 

View from Terrace to Swimming Pool at Kenarden Lodge, John Stewart Kennedy House,
Bar Harbor, Maine, Summer 1920.

View to Kitchen from East Flower Garden and East Flower Garden Pergola at Chatham,
Colonel Daniel Bradford Devore House, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1927.

Flower Garden at Mrs. Francis Lemoine Loring House, Pasadena, California, Spring 1917.

ALSO AVAILABLE this spring is the first monograph on designer Jennifer Post. Written by Anna Kasabian, Pure Space showcases twenty of the designer's elegant, minimal interiors. According to Kasabian, Post's work "emphasizes clear spatial organization on a primary axis, and adheres to strict rules of balance, continuity, and clarity of forms. When she introduces color or luxurious textures, they are in moderation and always come with a very specific purpose." Post is the principal and visionary of her firm Jennifer Post, Inc., which functions as an interior architecture firm as well as a full-service interior design firm. Her work has been published in Architectural Digest, the New York Times, Metropolitan Homes and others. Published by Rizzoli New York.

Here is the ultimate feminine dressing room, with the sexy temptress Marilyn, shades of white, 

a lounge chair by Ligne Roset, and a dressing table by J. Robert Scott.  © Roger Davies

Delicate stiletto-legged furnishings anchor the elegance while keeping the peace of the place.  

The clear glass table was designed by J. Robert Scott, and 1950s Italian modernist chairs are by Paola Buffa.  © Michael Moran and Antoine Bootz

This bedroom sits on a corridor of glass, keeping it open to the views. Glass goes opaque at the 

press of a button.  © Ken Hayden

The pool provides a focal point for public and private rooms. Whether gray sky or blue, this view holds the peacefulness of the place in check.  © Roger Davies