117 House Designs of the Twenties (Dover Architecture)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.27 (639 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0486269590 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 144 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-02-17 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Another keeper for those who are obsessed As I am!"117 House Designs of The Twenties" is a reprint of the 1923 Gordon Van Tine catalog. There are a few errors in the introduction (such as the statement that Sears started selling kit homes in 1909; it was 1908) and some other frustrating mis-information, but that's a minor point.For those sick puppies (such as myself) who like to sit and read old catalogs for hours and hours, this book is a gem. There's lots of reading material in the front and back, giving good detail about the company and how they did business.Gordon Van Tine was a worthy contender in the kit home business, se. Praise from the Owner of a Gordon-Van Tine Home Shoe Prof I live in one of the delightful Gordon-Van Tine No. 613 homes, so finding this book was a thrill. I have seen another of these houses in Cortland, NY, in the stucco finish (one of two siding options), and one somewhat-"remuddled" one in Black River, NY, with vinyl siding (!) and alterations to the sunroom windows. Both of these houses are on main roads, so I imagine there are many others on quiet side streets, like ours. Ours is in the cedar finish--original 1924 siding in pristine condition. It is in Watkins Glen, NY. The house is framed in cedar! The floors in the front of the house a. "Great book, definitely get this one" according to Texas Bill. I bought this book about 15 years ago and am still going back and perusing it, as my dog-eared copy shows. Lots of very clear, well drawn floor plans and elevations, plus a lot of info on sourcing, distribution, and manufacture that you won't find in some other plan books. Bonus: details of construction showing how elaborate and well-designed the behind-the-walls structure is, making a totally solid house - and every inch of it prefabricated.Even though in most cases the rooms are rather small by today's standards and the majority of plans are more plain than fancy, still I keep wishing
This fascinating book, a reprint of a rare catalog of prefabricated houses from 1923, reveals in detail the types of design offered to those in the market for a new home in the early 1920s.Of the 117 designs included, most are substantial middle-class homes. Some have affluent touches such as a sleeping porch or a sun room. Floor plans for the first and second floors are included, and interior and exterior detailing are extensively described. And there are large, formal homes as well, many of which embody America's unflagging interest in colonial styling. The specifics of plumbing, heating, and lighting are included in a special section at the back of the book.Architects, architectural and social historians — anyone interested in American home design — will enjoy the rich variety of designs presented. In the post-World War I era, as the economic boom of the 1920s gathered momentum, millions of Americans set out to make the dream of owning their own home come true. But the popularity of cottages and bungalows is also apparent in the wide selection of practical and appealing designs depicted. Labor and materials were plentiful and cheap, and new trends in home design made the prospect of homebuilding an exciting venture. Republished in association with the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, this authentic catalog provides not only an indispensable repository of information about the homes themselves but a source of insight into American life at a time when owning a home bec