The rainy days of fall are upon us, and I always like to highlight books that reflect the life's work of collectors. These books, in my opinion, are the best in the world, as they contain both the passion and knowledge of decades of study and collecting. The book “Mennonite Arts” by Clark Hess, that I had a small hand in producing, is such a book. It reflects the decades of time that Hess put into researching this magnum opus. For anyone interested in Pennsylvania German arts, central Pennsylvania history or the importance of the Mennonite tradition in the arts, this is the book to read.
Another classic life's work is Monroe Fabian's “The Pennsylvania German Decorated Chest,” originally published by the Pennsylvania German Society. I was lucky enough to be involved in bringing that book back into print by Schiffer, and it remains a classic in the field. Fabian tracked down chests and found an incredible number of examples. It is the book to read and to own on the subject.
Ken Few wrote “Building Harrisburg: The Architects and Builders 1719-1941,” which is a book that will never be rivaled for addressing the history of the capitol of Pennsylvania. It is a book that belongs with every student of Pennsylvania history. My copy got wet during our move, and I think highly enough of it that I will go get another copy.
Another book that was recently brought to my attention is Debbie and Randy Coe's “Currier and Ives Dinnerware.” It’s not a topic that I would generally write about, but this delightful little book clearly represents the history of the work and the passion of the authors who put the collection together that form the basis of the book.
As I reconnect to southern decorative arts, I have to give a shout out to two books that are worth reading. First is a staple of my bookshelf and has been in my library for nearly two decades. Linda Baumgarten's “What Clothes Reveal” is not only an in-depth look at 18th-century apparel but wonderful social history of the period.
Similarly, Cathleene Heller's “Eighteenth Century English as a Second Language” is a great book and one that you should enjoy reading as you consider what the difference was between 18th and 20th century language. I recommend this book to every student of history whether you collect antiques or not. It is a must have!
For those of you who have a life's work book in your head, I encourage you to reach out to the folks at Schiffer Books, who are always looking for authors who can put their life’s work into a book. I have worked with them several times and know how skilled they are in bringing a life work into print. They are always looking for project authors.
And for me, I have a whole bunch of books that I hope to write someday, when the kids are grown (and Mary is only six, so it will be a while), including a history and directory of 20th-century craft revival artists.