U.S.A. - Northeast & Middle Atlantic Architecture, New York City - History, Construction & Building Trades - Methods & Materials, Architectural Decoration & Ornament, U.S.A. - General & Miscellaneous Architecture

Terra-Cotta Skyline: New York's Architectural Ornament

Name: Terra-Cotta Skyline: New York's Architectural Ornament
Author: Susan Tunick
ISBN: 9781568981055

by Susan Tunick

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Overview

Any city walker knows the delight that a flash of colorful ornament can bestow on an otherwise gray promenade. These glazed splashes of vivid yellows, greens, cobalt blues, and metallic lusters often are made of terra cotta, which, for more than one hundred years, has been an integral - but largely unrecognizedpart of America's architectural legacy. Terra-Cotta Skyline reveals these architectural treasures in more than seventy-five color images commissioned exclusively for this book, as well as more than one hundred rare documents, drawings, and previously unpublished archival photographs. Accompanying text based on extensive research into the history of terra cotta provides anecdotes and insights into the working methods of the architects, sculptors, and artisans who designed with terra cotta - and the entrepreneurs and laborers involved in its manufacture. Terra-Cotta Skyline also tells of the efforts of determined current-day preservationists to protect this threatened part of our architectural heritage.

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Terra cotta ornamentation has enhanced American buildings for more than 100 years, yet this architectural legacy has been controverial, and largely unrecognized and undocumented. The author<-->president of Friends of Terra Cotta in Manhattan, a scholar of ceramics, and a lifelong New Yorker<-->rode her bicycle throughout the city seeking out the most interesting buildings, which are presented here in 75 color photos, accompanied by 100-plus documents, drawings, and archival photos. The text, based on extensive research into the history of terra cotta, provides insights into the working methods of the architects, sculptors, and artisans who designed with terra cotta; the entrepreneurs and laborers involved in its manufacture; and current efforts for preservation. Distributed by Chronicle Books. 10x12.5<"> Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.