Classic Modern Homes of the Thirties

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A Streamline House Beautiful - Rated


A really super book for the price. This is a paperback reprint of a book published in America in 1940. Each house has one or more photos, inside and out, plus a plan (some a bit too small) and details about what the owners wanted, site, cost, materials, exterior and interior details etc. The black and white photos are good considering they have been taken from a printed source.

The authors describe the concept of modern architecture in the short introduction and in the back each architect writes about their views on design. I must have looked through this book dozens ot times and I still love these houses. Unfortunately I bet a lot of them are no longer standing, which makes this reprint even more important as a visual record.

If you are interested in this type of streamline building have a look at 'The Modern House Today' by Nick Dawe and Kenneth Powell, this has excellent color photos of sixty-three houses in England that are still standing, unfortunately the book is let down by the minimalist design. Charlotte and Peter Fiell's massive 576 page reference book '30s and 40s Decorative Art' covers Moderne houses (mostly in the US and Europe) with photos of interiors, ceramics, textiles and lighting. All three books are worth owning.