A Gallery Of American Weathervanes And Whirligigs

First used to gauge New England's ever-changing weather, now viewed as American folk art, historic weathervanes have been a part of the region's skyline for more than three centuries. Focusing on examples that can still be seen in public, this comprehensive study of the development of the weathervane describes changes in form and function from colonial times to the present, and also documents the histories of weathervane makers throughout New England.

For a full list of entries, contributors, and more, visit the Encyclopedia of American Folk Art web site. This is the first comprehensive, scholarly study of a most fascinating aspect of American history and culture. Generously illustrated with both black and white and full-color photos, this A-Z encyclopedia covers every aspect of American folk art, encompassing not only painting, but also sculpture, basketry, ceramics, quilts, furniture, toys, beadwork, and more, including both famous and lesser-known genres. Containing more than 600 articles, this unique reference considers individual artists, schools, artistic, ethnic, and religious traditions, and heroes who have inspired folk art. An incomparable resource for general readers, students, and specialists, it will become essential for anyone researching American art, culture, and social history.

This book presents watercolor renderings along with a selection of the artifacts in the Index of American Design, a visual archive of decorative, folk, and popular arts made in America from the colonial period to about 1900. Three essays explore the history, operation, and ambitions of the Index of American Design, examine folk art collecting in America during the early decades of the twentieth century, and consider the Index's role in the search for a national cultural identity in the early twentieth-century United States.

"Crafted from sheet metal and scraps into likenesses that include clowns, knights, cowboys, and L. Frank Baum's Tin Woodman of Oz, tin men have both utilitarian and aesthetic purposes. Some serve as sheet-metal shops' trade signs or prove an apprentice's competence. Others are coveted in boutiques, antique stores, and folk art museums."--BOOK JACKET.

The present book is a special gift for a special colleague and friend. Defined as an “Unfestschrift,” it gives colleagues, students, and friends of Regina Bendix an opportunity to express their esteem for Regina’s inspiration, cooperation, leadership, and friendship in an adequate and lasting manner. The title of the present book, Reading Matters, is as close as possible to an English equivalent of the beautiful German double entendre Erlesenes (meaning both “something read/a reading” and “something exquisite”). Presenting “matters for reading,” the Unfestschrift unites short contributions about “readings” that “mattered” in some way or another for the contributors, readings that had an impact on their understanding of whatever they were at some time or presently are interested in. The term “readings” is understood widely. Since most of the invited contributors are academics, the term implies, in the first place, readings of an academic or scholarly nature. In a wider notion, however, “readings” also refer to any other piece of literature, the perception of a piece of art (a painting, a sculpture, a performance), listening to music, appreciating a “folkloric” performance or a fieldwork experience, or just anything else whose “reading” or individual perception has been meaningful for the contributors in different ways. Contrary to a strictly scholarly treatment of a given topic in which the author often disappears behind the subject, the presentations unveil and highlight the contributor’s personal involve¬ment, and thus a dimension of crucial importance for ethnographers such as the dedicatee.

Automata and mechanical toys delight children and adults alike with the beauty of their design and the excitement of their movement. This book explains how the mechanisms work and celebrates many leading makers. Topics covered: ·History of automata & mechanical toys including the early inventors from Hero of Alexandria, through the mechanical marvels of the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries, to contemporary automata. ·Advice on how to get started; tools and materials required and techniques explained. ·Step-by-step instructions with clear colour photographs.