One Woman's War: Letters Home from the Women's Army Corps, 1994-1946

Book Description

Anne wrote weekly letters to her parents back in Minnesota, chronicling a familiar yet uncommon wartime story of patriotism, travel, homesickness, army procedures, off-duty high jinks, family bonds, and boredom. Her eye for detail and her easy, candid style make these letters a treasure for those who want to know about the war years-and for those who remember them all too well.

Book Description

Every so often a writer of substantive talent appears through the smokey background to perk up our interest in firefighters and firefighting. George Pickett is just such a man....In The Brave you will come to know him and a valiant group of men as they speed from alarm to alarm in downtown New York, where the buildings are tall and for the most part old, where bums and drug addicts populate the streets, and where the fire companies hardly ever rest.

Customer Reviews:

The Brave.......2005-01-19

I finished "The Brave" this weekend; I closed the book with a tear in my eye and a lump on my throat. I was deeply moved by the story and it was sad to see a 20 year chapter of your life end on such a sour note with the inappropriate accusations from that Chief. The book did a wonderful job of revealing all of the different emotions, triumphs and defeats that you and many others were faced with on a day-to-day basis. It showed the deep compassion that the fire fighters have for those they could and could not save while enduring the jeers and lack of respect from the very people they were charged to protect.

I, and I am sure the public in general, was truly unaware of how little rest these men really get and how often they are hurt, only to rush back into the fight and be chastised at any point when they failed to be absolutely perfect. I can see where you, the fire fighters would truly be a "Band of Brothers".

"The Brave" would make an excellent movie; in fact you could make a movie out 1/3 rd of the material in the book.

Thanks for enlightening me,

Joey Lee

The Brave.......2004-01-02

The Brave takes you right into the Heart of Firefighting in 70's New York. As a fellow Firefighter who loves to put pen to paper I am always keen to read the experiences of other Firefighters in this vastly underrepresented market.

Every book shelf these days seems to be full of Celebrities, Politicians, Soldiers or sports personalities telling us their stories. It make a refreshing change when a Firefighter, Medic or Policemen puts pen to paper, these people are fighting a never ending war every day on the Streets of our Countries.

The Brave tells the story of Life in a Firehouse on the Lower East Side of New York City in the 1970's, a period now remembered by the Veterans of those days as 'The War Years'. Recession, social unrest, poverty and crime were the catalyst for may Fires in many run down cities in the World. Very Few Cites saw the Fires that New York saw in that period and fewer Still Firemen saw the Fire Duty that the Men of the FDNY saw at this time.

George Pickett has an ability to drag the reader down the stinking burning hallways of the tenements. You can feel the heat searing your skin and the smoke choking your lungs. Time and again you follow page after page wondering will the heroes of the FDNY reach the victim before the room erupts all around them, more often than not they do...frequently with seconds to spare.

I finished this book in 24 hours, such was the draw of the story unfolding before me. I found every possible excuse to pick the book up and start reading again. If action is what you want then give the jungles of South America or the Desert of the Middle East a rest..opt instead for the action in the Blazing sweatshops, tenements and flop houses of New York City in the 70's.

The Brave is a must read!.......2003-09-11

WOW!! The Brave is full of action from start to finish and would make a great movie! The Brave keeps your attention and makes it hard to set the book down. It gives a great picture to how challenging life is as a NYFD firefighter. The storey is compelling and truthful and I'm sure will be around for a long time. Congratulations to George Pickett on this GREAT book!

The Brave: A Story of New York City's Firefighters.......2003-08-01

Few books have captivated my attention as much as George Pickett's "The Brave: A Story of New York City Firefighters". Both as a native New Yorker growing up in the 60's and 70's in the Bronx, and a volunteer firefighter in Westchester County, NY, I can rerlate to the many references in this action packed book.
Pickett brings the reader into every fire call, every dark smokey hallway and heat searing room. The reader is there, holding the irons, the nozzle or climbing the ladder.
Above all the book is truthful. Clearly, the author;s integrity and honest is eveident during each story-both the flattering and humiliating. George Pickett should be proud of his career, family and work on the compelling effort to document the life of a New York City Firefighter. Bravo!!!
-Michael J. Deegan

5 STAR READ!.......2003-01-25

A page turning account of life as a New York City firefighter. A little slow at the start, but captivating and exciting by the second chapter. George Pickett does a great job of taking you along on the big red trucks, down the burning halls and into the mindset of the men, who New Yorkers call The Brave. Not only a great story but an important history lesson for anyone who wants a better tomorrow for us all. A Great read! 5 Stars!!! Thanks George!!

Book Description

"Human beings have the unique ability to compress a lifetime of stress into every passing moment," says Dr. Martin Rossman. When we worry, he teaches, the body prepares for "fight or flight," putting in motion a chain of physiological effects that can leave us exhausted, depressed, or physically ill. Anxiety Relief shows listeners how to reverse these debilitating effects through relaxing, rejuvenating guided imagery techniques Dr. Rossman has prescribed to thousands challenged by stress. One information-packed CD session includes: deep body-mind relaxation; the inner wisdom dialogue; and the "worry warrior" technique for converting fear and worry into positive energy.

Customer Reviews:

excellent assist to let go of anxiety and breathe deeply again.......2007-07-14

Marty's way of introducing is very permissive and without expectation, allowing me to go at my own pace. I was recently diagnosed with cancer and sleep has not come easily and I have frequently felt myself overwhelmed. Listening to the whole CD or sections of it has been extremely helpful and grounding. Sometimes I fall asleep while listening to it. Marty's voice quality is soothing and calming. I've also given it to a few of my anxious patients who have found it helpful, and am in the position of having to order more for my office.

soothing.......2006-08-13

I'm sure what he actually says is helpful (it is!) but I found his voice so soothing it put me to sleep before I could focus on what he was saying!

Anxiety Relief.......2005-09-15

This CD was very soothing but I feel like I almost have it memorized now. I wish there were more exercises to relax to, on here I believe there is only 4. The only thing I didn't like about it was that he says the same thing at the beginning of each exercise. Also I was looking for something maybe with some soothing music this CD only has a little at the beginning and the end. Overall I think it was a good purchase though.

Amazon.com

Beyond the well-known, sometimes lurid, events of renowned painter Vincent van Gogh's short life lies a much more mild daily existence of meals with friends and neighbors. Van Gogh's Table presents a gentle and kinder look at the visionary's world. Authors Alexandra Leaf, a culinary historian, and Fred Leeman, the former chief curator of the Van Gogh Museum, offer a tale of the artist's life through the lens of his last home, the Auberge Ravoux. Van Gogh was a constant traveler who frequently boarded at small hotels and dined in cafés. During his few months at this inn, van Gogh produced numerous magical works. As a tribute to the incredible painter, and the café life that inspired him, Leaf and Leeman have brought together stories and images of the artist's life and work with menus from his days at the Auberge Ravoux. Try recipes like Warm Tarte Tatin with Crème Fraiche or Dark Chocolate Soufflé Cake with Crème Anglaise to experience the sweeter side of van Gogh's world. If you're a fan of the great painter or a lover of French cooking, then this book is a must-have. --J.P. Cohen

Book Description

At the Auberge Ravoux, in a tiny artists' village twenty miles from Paris, Postimpressionist painter Vincent van Gogh found a measure of peace in an otherwise ill-starred life. In what would be his last home, he enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow artists and an unparalleled burst of creativity.

The auberge still operates today as the Maison de Van Gogh. Little has changed since Van Gogh set down his bags more than a century ago, and visitors to its cafT are treated to the same regional cuisine that he dined upon.

Here is an intimate view into Van Gogh's world, as stirring as sharing poulet and pommes sautTes with the artist himself. Written by one of America's foremost culinary historians, with Dr. Fred Leeman, the former chief curator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and including an introduction by the auberge's proprietor, this unique cookbook/art book explores life in the artists' cafT, with traditional recipes ranging from the hearty to the refined. Letters, engravings, postcards, and a selection of Van Gogh's paintings transport the reader to the turn of the century.

Customer Reviews:

Van Gogh's Table: Dining at the Auberge Ravoux.......2006-09-09

In Vincent Van Gogh's brief 37 years, he resided in at least 38 locations spread among four different countries. The Auberge Ravoux inn in northern France was to be the last of Van Gogh's residences, for it is where the artist died in 1890. The author purchased the Auberge Ravoux Inn and renovated it with the help of dedicated craftspersons and turned it into a memorial to the artist

Van Gogh's Table is a collaborative effort that combines an art book with recipes designed to evoke the flavors of Van Gogh's time, along with cultural and culinary history augmented by Van Gogh's illustrations and paintings. Fifty recipes for bistro classics such as Rosemary Roast Chicken with Pan-Fried Potatoes, and Garlic and Warm Tarte Tatin with Crème Fraiche,

A recipe for beef bourguignonne begins with; "In our time-pressed age, such a dish requires that we step back for a moment and remember that some things in life are worth waiting for -- especially stews."

Vincent van Gogh spent much of his life in cafes, hotels, and small inns. These establishments often became the subjects of his paintings, Van Gogh's Table is a unique presentation of culinary history, Van Gogh's artwork, and recipes that transport readers to the Auberge Ravoux in the year of 1890.

As a professional artist and dedicated cook, I found this a uniquely enjoyable book.

A perfect blend of art and cuisine.......2006-07-08

This lovely book, a perfect blend of art and cuisine, will satisfy any reader, from the most casual van Gogh fan to the most discriminating foodie and/or art historical specialist. As the subtitle indicates ("Recipes from the Artist's Last Home and Paintings of Café Life"), it's is partly a cookbook, featuring recipes from the Auberge Ravoux, a 19th century inn in the town of Auvers-sur-Oise where van Gogh lived the last seventy days of his life, and where he died.

But don't be misled. This is not just another pretty coffee-table book with yet more pretty color reproductions of "The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum," etc. This is a work of substantive scholarship, but presented in such a way as to be accessible and enjoyable to anyone. The second half of the book, including the recipes, is authored by culinary historian Alexandra Leaf (in cooperation with chef Christophe Bony), who contexualizes the recipes in a larger discussion about van Gogh's time in Auvers and culinary customs of the time. The first half is authored by art historian Fred Leeman, former chief curator of the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. His essay, "A Private Life in Public Places," discusses van Gogh's biography, but primarily from the view of his time spent in restaurants and cafés, so it's not the usual story that's been recounted so many times. In addition to discussing more well-known van Gogh paintings like "The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum" or "The Night Café," Leeman also includes lesser-known paintings and drawings that specialists will be happy to see and non-specialists will enjoy learning about. His analyses of the works are clear and persuasive, sometimes offering alternative datings and interpretations. Julia Galosy, who worked with Dominique-Charles Janssens, the current owner of the Auberge Ravoux, in restoring the inn, also contributes a wonderful essay on that specific café and its history. All the authors rightfully avoid the tabloid sensationalism that unfortunately pervades many published treatments of the artist (including those written by evident non-specialists in a lame attempt to make a quick buck).

Handsome illustrations of nearly every van Gogh work mentioned (including some that are rarely illustrated), archival photographs, and lovely photographs of the contemporary incarnation of the Auberge Ravoux and its cuisine, add to the stand-alone value of this book. For those who are interested, there are endnotes in the back of the book, leading readers to specific citations in van Gogh's letters and elsewhere, and a brief but comprehensive bibliography.

On a side note: I purchased and read this book a few months ago in preparation for a visit to Auvers-sur-Oise. My plans included a luncheon at the Auberge Ravoux and a pilgrimage to Vincent's lonely attic room. Reading this book, including Mr. Janssens' forward, was the perfect preparation for my visit. Sitting in the cozy atmosphere of the Auberge and enjoying a three-course luncheon (including the Marinated Herring and Salmon from p. 110, a plat du jour of chicken fricassee [not in the book], and the positively sublime Chocolate Mousse Saboyan from p. 130) was a wonderful experience that I will always treasure. A different experience, more spiritual and moving in character and even more memorable, was the actual visit to Vincent's room upstairs. Mr. Janssens and his associates are to be commended for their dedication to Vincent's memory through their work at the Auberge Ravoux, and the authors and publisher of this book are to be commended for diffusing that work in book form.

While at the Auberge Ravoux, I purchased at the gift shop one of the "torchons" (table linens) embroidered with the name of the auberge (pictured on p. 109). Both it and this book share a place of honor in the van Gogh section of my personal library.

Bon appetit!

Gorgeous Magnificent Book!.......2006-01-08

The Grandmother's Apple Cake recipe in this book is my favorite recipe on Epicurious so I bought the book hoping the other recipes would be as good. Wow! It was so beautiful and interesting and so much more than a cookbook that I gave it to a good friend as a Christmas gift and ordered another.

This is really half art book, half cookbook. The book is co-written by an art historian (mostly the first part, which recounts Van Gogh's last days, spent in the hotel, when he churned out 70 paintings in 70 days) and Alexandra Leaf, a food historian, who together with the chef at the hotel (which exists to this day) includes recipes for dishes Van Gogh ate. They're fantastic. Highly recommended.

It's wonderful.......2002-11-07

It's entertaining and educational. I really enjoyed. Great gift idea.

Van Gogh's Table.......2002-01-20

I have enjoyed reading the historical and personalized view of Van Gogh's stay at the Auberge Ravoux. The recipes appear to be ones that can be enjoyed. My husband surprised me with the chocolate mousse the other night and it was the best I have ever eaten.
Compliments to Alexandra Leaf!

Average customer rating:

A treasure!

Jazzy Gift Baskets: Making & Decorating Glorious Presents

Like this book, wish the products were available in the U.S.

Jazzy Gift Baskets: Making & Decorating Glorious Presents
Marie Browning
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Baskets | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Gift Basket Design Book: Everything You Need to Know to Create Beautiful, Professional-Looking Gift Baskets for All Occasions

Bountiful Baskets: Creating Perfect Gifts for Any Occasion

The Perfect Basket: How to Make a Fabulous Gift Basket for Any Occasion

How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business, Third Edition (Home-Based Business Series)

Start Your Own Gift Basket Service

ASIN: 1402744420

Book Description

Decorate, create, and give with love—or start a successful home business: that’s what crafters can do with this jazzy, snazzy guide to putting together the perfect gift basket. Written by Marie Browning, author of the best-selling Jazzy Jars, it’s not only filled with a variety of techniques for decorating the baskets—painting, découpage, adding a no-sew fabric lining—but presents a wealth of ideas for selecting, assembling, and creatively packaging lovely gifts to place inside. Choose from more than two dozen themes for every occasion, including Celebration Baskets for life’s special moments; Thank You Baskets; Food Baskets, with ideas for preparing an entire meal; and many more.

Customer Reviews:

A treasure!.......2007-03-19

I first saw this book at the public library and fell in love. The photos are wonderful and illustrate the process of creating beautiful gift baskets. Extensive directions are given and supply lists. I think that I could even replicate some of the gift baskets, and I am not that creative.

Jazzy Gift Baskets: Making & Decorating Glorious Presents.......2007-02-08

Great Ideas for outstanding gifts. This book has wonderful gift presentations. Thanks

Like this book, wish the products were available in the U.S........2006-11-10

I would have to say this book, unlike so many others, offers great ideas for modifying ordinary containers to create beautiful, unique receptacles for gift items. The author seems to be a jack-of-all-trades as she takes gifting to a whole new level. She not only enhances the baskets with paint, embellishments, weaving, floral design...etc., but she makes some of the gift products herself. The reader is offered a plethora of information from whitewashing baskets to manufacturing homemade soaps to be used as basket fillers. Her baskets are lovely and inspiring. My disappointment lies in the roadblocks I encountered in my attempt to purchase some of the items needed to re-create her baskets. I searched far and wide for a product she calls "floral foam," which will serve as an adhesive for the application of dried or silk flowers to a basket without that messy glue-gun string effect. I believe the author resides in the UK and her resource list suggests that her products originate there. My web resources came up short and I have yet to put her directions to the test.
All in all, this book is a great purchase if you are looking for basket ideas. She certainly motivates the reader to take basket design one step further.

Average customer rating:

Gardening - the art of the possible

Gardening - the art of the possible

Northwest Garden Style: Ideas, Designs, and Methods for the Creative Gardener
Jan Kowalczewski Whitner
Manufacturer: Sasquatch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Home Landscaping: Northwest Region (Home Landscaping)

Cascadia: Inspired Gardening in the Pacific Northwest

Northwest Landscaping: A Practical Guide to Creating the Garden You've Always Wanted

ASIN: 1570610649

Book Description

Twenty-two private Northwest gardens provide the backdrop for inspiring solutions to the most common gardening problems in this full-color extravaganza from garden paradise-the Northwest.

Customer Reviews:

Gardening - the art of the possible.......2003-10-10

The writer starts out by saying "gardening, like politics, is the art of the possible". This book is written "to help non-professionals solve their landscaping problems by showing how other home gardeners have dealt with similar landscaping issues".

Written for the gardener in the Pacific Northwest, this book offers ideas, designs and methods for the creative gardener. In each of the eight chapters the writer introduces the topic, provides some background and context, then describes and illustrates two or three gardens where the owners have successfully faced similar issues. Some chapters, for example "Gardens in Small Spaces" and "Gardening on a Slope", address problem sites that some gardeners are faced with, others, such as "Waterwise Gardens" and "Gardens for Attracting Wildlife", help gardeners implement their choices in design. Each chapter has a plant list (and, mercifully, it's quite compact), a checklist to guide planning - sometimes with how-to-do-it diagrams - and some additional ideas to enrich this style of garden.

The writer is knowledgeable about the problems and possibilities facing the gardener in the Pacific Northwest and writes with clarity, always maintaining a balance between the lyrical and the practical.

L. Quartermain Younker's photographs illustrate the richness of northwest gardens and focus on some of the successful treatments of daunting sites and the applications of environmentally friendly principles.

This book will jump-start the novice gardener in the Pacific Northwest as well as offering mnore experienced gardeners new ideas and new viewpoints.

Gardening - the art of the possible.......2003-10-10

This book will jump-start the novice gardener in the Pacific Northwest as well as offering mnore experienced gardeners new ideas and new viewpoints.

Average customer rating:

Awesome resource

There are better books out there

Amazing

Award Winning!

amazing and astonishing!

The Secret Meaning of Names
Pierre Leruzic , and Pierre Le Rouzic
Manufacturer: Sunstar Publishing Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Baby Names | Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Name Book: Over 10,000 Names, Their Meanings, Origins, and Spritual Significance

The Hidden Truth of Your Name: A Complete Guide to First Names and What They Say About the Real You

A Dictionary of First Names (Oxford Paperback Reference)

The Secret Universe of Names

Your Magickal Name: Using Astrology, Numerology, Myth and Meaning to Choose the Perfect One

ASIN: 1887472665

Book Description

Pierre Le Rouzic's The Name Book, intrigues it's audience with a stunningly accurate description of their characters based solely on the name they bear. Containing over 9,000 names, this volume is a priceless encyclopedia of wisdom - a name book that has passed the test of time. This book is fun! International bestseller with over 2.5 million copies sold outside the USA Provides an accurate analysis of our personality based solely on the name we bare. Index includes over 9,000 names - described in 80 chapters. 85 graphic illustrations (called name portraits) convey the message in a glance. An invaluable resource for new parents or people wanting to change their name. Opening chapters explain why our names, culture, magnify, or restrict aspects of our personalities Provides guidelines for choosing correct names for new born babies or name changes.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome resource.......2006-08-24

I found this book while working at a large chain bookstore, stuffed behind all the others on a shelf, lost for years. What a treasure! I was stunned to find my unusual (self-chosen) name included, and the name I was given at birth, but most of all, to discover the REASON my birth name never fit! Why it always gave me the willies to speak it aloud! And to learn that I'd chosen a name for myself that not only fits my personality, but my highest aspirations, all the qualities in myself I wished to reinforce and none of those I'd rather do without.

I highly recommend this book for sheer fun and enlightenment! Not much explanation for how Mr. Le Rouzic determined all these things (sadly, because I'd love to know); I wish it had a companion volume explaining this. But I do know that the frequency or resonance of the names we bear does indeed have an important impact on our lives. Must have been his life's work and it must have been inspired.

I think everyone should own this book for better self-understanding and improved relationships. It's costly, but your name is with you every moment of every day. Isn't a better knowledge of what it's broadcasting, both to you and about you, worth the steep price? And if it's all wrong for you--it's not too late to choose a better one!

There are better books out there.......2006-07-22

I was excited to get this book because I do believe names have their own meaning. Unfortunately, this book gives no in-depth explanation of any basis associated with names but rather assures the reader that the author has studied names for over 50 years and knows what he's talking about. The beginning of the book attempts to explain some things but only a paragraph or so is offered for each topic, certainly no real in-depth information. The whole book was terribly disappointing and the numerous typos are surprising - someone did not proof this book.

I highly recommend "The Hidden Truth of Your Name - The Nomenology Project" over this book. Fewer names are included but the principles are explained so much better. I also feel the attributes for each name are much more accurate than the ones in "The Secret Meaning of Names". The secret is to start with the right book first and to learn why there is meaning to names.

Amazing.......2004-11-13

I have had this book for a many years. It is an incredible book, the personalities match up very well and it helps you find first names and middle names that don't clash with eachother. The more common names have several different personality types to choose which describes you or someone else best, such a Lisa had two different types, number 7 and number 34, number 7 is 100% me, The Seeker of Experience. It has so many names and they match up really well to so many people. Naming is an important thing and it does effect who you are, and this helps you know yourself a little better. Pair this up with The Ony Astrology Book You Will Ever Need and you will know yourself inside and out! But as a stand alone book it is incredible, use it to know people better, and use it to have a little bit of an idea of who your children will be. Have fun!

Award Winning!.......2004-05-08

This book gave me the shakes. Wondering and knowing a name is something powerful then just nothing.. I gave this book a 10!!

amazing and astonishing!.......2002-03-08

I recently discovered "the secret meaning of names" and am, to say the least, absolutely amazed! So far I have read the descriptions of the personality traits, social traits, health, pshychology, intelligence, and emotional nature of 13 of my family and friends. And, much to my amazement, every one accurately depicts each of these people. What an amazing book, either for research or entertainment, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the study of names or people.

Average customer rating:

The Secret Meaning of Names
Ren LEXANDER
Manufacturer: Letgo Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KPAP6E

Book Description

With essays by Elizabeth Johns, Cheryl Leibold, Katharine Martinez, Elizabeth Milroy, Sue Himelick Nutty, Patricia Likos Ricci, Ethan Robey, Kirsten Swinth, Page Talbott, Tara Leigh Tappert, Mark Thistlethwaite, Andrew L. Thomas, Nina di Angeli Walls, Helena E. Wright, Sylvia Yount

In their day, from 1830 to 1930, members of the Sartain family of Philadelphia were widely known as printmakers, painters, art administrators, and educators. Since then, the accomplishments of three generations of Sartains—John, children Samuel, Henry, Emily, and William, and grand-daughter Harriet—have become obscure. This wide-ranging collection of essays aims to rectify that situation.

The patriarch of the family—John Sartain—came to Philadelphia from England in 1830 to make a name for himself as a mezzotint engraver. Mezzotint was a sophisticated means of popularizing the work of well-known painters, and as an engraver trained in London, John was in great demand. He became influential, not just as a pictorial engraver, but as a painter, publisher, and administrator. He even designed monuments and furniture. And he passed on his skills and learning to his children.

One of John's daughters and three of his sons went on to become equally celebrated. Emily, with her friend Mary Cassatt, became a well-known painter and principal of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, precursor of Moore College of Art and Design. As an art educator, she became a leader in the women's art movement and traveled widely as a speaker and delegate. John's sons Samuel and Henry worked closely with their father as engravers and printmakers and were early photography enthusiasts. Son William moved to New York, where he became an associate of the National Academy of Design, a founder of the Society of American Artists, and president of the Art Club of New York. Henry's daughter Harriet followed her aunt Emily as head of the School of Design, where she advocated broad popular access to art appreciation and training.

The Sartains were important not just for who they were but for whom they knew and influenced. They were in the vanguard of the movement to democratize art and art education. Among their acquaintances were painter Thomas Eakins, Emily's one-time beau; poet and short-story writer Edgar Allen Poe; industrialist and art collector Joseph Harrison, Jr.; and Harriet Judd Sartain, a successful homeopathic physician who financed her niece Emily's professional training. Lavishly illustrated with 113 duotones and 8 color plates, Philadelphia's Cultural Landscape is a fascinating look at a century in which the production and promulgation of art was seen as everybody's business, and at a family that epitomized that spirit.

Customer Reviews:

Family History tells a story of Philadelphia.......2001-01-08

Page Talbott with Katharine Martinez have done their homework to reveal more than a family history. They have revealed a city, namely Philadelphia, during an enlightened time in America. The Sartain family not only supports and encourages creativity and independence among the citizens of Philly, it reaches out to the world for inspiration and knowledge. The authors of this collection of reports have researched and visited their subjects with passion and vision. It is apparent in each essay.

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