The Tolstoys in the 21st Century is a photographic portrayal of the modern day Tolstoy dynasty, as photographed by Oleg Tolstoy-Miloslavsky, a relation of one of the world's greatest writers. Tolstoy-Miloslavsky, who trained in London and whose work has been exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery amongst other renowned venues, wanted to pay homage to his illustrious forefather. When the far-flung clan gathered at Tolstoy's country estate for a family reunion, Tolstoy-Miloslavsky photographed his relatives in a room that contained Tolstoy's personal effects. The result is a stunning collection of photographic portraits that are both intimate yet engaging, as they capture the diaspora of a family whose name is synonymous with culture, creativity and the proud heritage of Russian literature. This book combines living history with cultural history, with results that will surprise the eye and delight the imagination, with forewords by Edward Lucie-Smith, Rosamund Bartlett and Yekaterina Tolstaya.

«Try and imagine what a museum of creativity looks like. This book tells of a challenging exhibition held in one of the major Russian museums-the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Arseniy Zhilyaev created a conceptual project for an imaginary museum. The viewer sees into the future after the liberation/revolution and is confronted with a radically different outlook on the history of twentieth-century art. At the core of the exhibition, there turns out to be a complex dialectic in the relationship between museum and artist: how does an artist's work come to be exhibited in a museum? When and why does an artist engage in artistic creation outside the museum walls? Is the museum the space in which a «happening» takes place? The book includes texts by Russian and foreign art critics as well as a number of previously untranslated Soviet avant-garde texts about museums and proletarian folklore.»

Hailed by the poet and architectural historian Sir John Betjeman as a genius at photography, Edwin Smith (1912 — 1971) was one of Britain's foremost photographers. At the time of his death he was widely regarded as without peer in his sensitive renditions of historic architecture and his empathetic evocations of place. The recurrent themes of Smith's work — a concern for the fragility of the environment; an acute appreciation of the need to combat cultural homogenization by safeguarding regional diversity; and a conviction that architecture should be rooted in time and place — are as pressing today as when Smith first framed them in his elegant compositions. By providing the first in-depth survey of his work, this book introduces Smith's poignant imagery to a new generation.

The illustrator Jonny Hannah was born and bred in Scotland, and now lives by the sea in Southampton, but he also resides in Darktown — a mysterious coastal town, not found on any map, peopled by pin-up girls, jazz artists and tattooed sailors. Darktown is home to the Unquiet Grave junk emporium; the Mermaid Cafe, where folk legend Woody Guthrie still plays each week; McVouty's vintage clothes shop; and a pier with a condemned helter skelter. Joining Hannah on his trip to downtown Darktown are the writers Philip Hoare and Peter Chrisp, who explore the eclectic influences on Hannah's work, and Sheena Calvert, who introduces a special typographic catalogue of hand-drawn lettering. As he tours Darktown, Hannah presents his prints and paintings in thematic chapters reflecting his passions, and bids farewell to his alter ego, Rocket Man, who inhabits the darkest corners of pop culture.

Horst P. Horst (1906-1999) was one of the twentieth century's master photographers. A revered figure in the world of fashion image making, he charted sixty years of style for Vogue and House and Garden, from the fashions and celebrities of the 1930s to the interiors of the 1980s. However, little-known within his body of work — and contrasting intriguingly with his career in fashion — is a set of prints and a book, Patterns from Nature (1946). Working with a Rolleiflex and Graphic View Camera in new York, Monterey and Mexico, Horst photographed the detailed textures and forms of natural objects, including plants, rocks, shells and butterfly wings. His close scrutiny of these forms makes them unfamiliar and revelatory. These images were gathered into Patterns from Nature, which also featured 9 kaleidoscopic images made by arranging the photographs in simple repeat. Horst believed that these dynamic patterns would be 'immediately applicable to industrial fields such as textiles, wallpaper, carpets, plastics and glass'. Published to coincide with a major retrospective on Horst's work at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Martin Barnes re-examines these images in, Horst: Patterns from Nature. This new edition will make the 9 original collaged images available for the first time in nearly 70 years and will also include a further 28 photo-collages that have only recently been rediscovered and have never before been seen or published.

In the fickle world of fashion, little is certain except the sure knowledge that fashions come and go, and today's unfashionable styles are likely to be back in vogue tomorrow. Bikinis, Bell-Bottoms and Blue Jeans chronicles the most influential, exciting, and shocking items of clothing of the last 100 years. The trench coat, the trainer, and the miniskirt, to name only three, have all changed the way we think about our dress. Fashion journalist Kate Mulvey charts the evolution of 70 key garments, investigating how their individual stories have helped shape the course of fashion history. Each entry traces the origins of an unforgettable item of clothing, and explores the moment it first made an impact on the world fashion stage, as well as the garments that developed out of it, the personalities who wore it, and its continuing popularity today. With illustrations sourced from fashion features, catwalk shots, advertisements, and film stills, Bikinis, Bell-Bottoms and Blue Jeans is an entertaining, stylish overview of modern dress that will thrill fashionistas everywhere.

The last 25 years or so have witnessed redevelopment in the City of London on an unprecedented scale, following the deregulation of the financial markets, the so-called Big Bang, in the mid-1980s. As the City has earned its place as a true global financial center, three-quarters of its office space have been rebuilt, and developers have taken a much more adventurous approach, commissioning such leading British and international architects as Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Jean Nouvel, and Richard Rogers. New City is the first book to examine in depth the creation of one of the world's largest collections of cutting-edge contemporary architecture — not just the prestigious office blocks that have changed the skyline, but also the cultural institutions, retail developments, and public spaces. Following an introduction that explores the context for the rebuilding of the City, the main part of the book is divided into 12 concise walk-throughs of the major areas. Authoritatively written by a former urban planner and with all-new photography throughout, this book is an indispensable architectural guide for professionals and the public alike.

In England, gardening and garden-visiting are national obsessions. More than 80 years ago, the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) was founded with the aim of raising money for charity by opening gardens of quality and interest to the public. In the first year, some 600 gardens were opened. Today, over 3700 gardens — many of them privately owned and opened for just a few days each year — are listed in The Yellow Book, the annual guide published by the NGS. The Gardens of England gives you the opportunity to view 50 of the country's greatest garden gems from the comfort of your armchair. Each of the five chapters is written by a different leading gardens expert, and surveys 10 gardens opened as part of the NGS during a particular period. George Plumptre, an international authority on gardens and head of the NGS, provides an engaging introduction on garden-visiting, and 12 well-known gardeners offer a personal account of their favorite NGS garden. Featuring established and new gardens of all styles, this is a book that no lover of the English garden should be without.

A companion and successor to Merrell's hugely successful Dream Homes (more than 50,000 copies in print), this book presents 100 exceptional interiors of all styles from around the globe. From sumptuous, state-of-the-art city apartments created by professional designers to quirky holiday retreats transformed by their dedicated owners, More Dream Homes is an exciting kaleidoscope of locations and decoration ideas. Each project is fully illustrated with beautiful photographs by celebrated interiors photographer Andreas von Einsiedel, while Johanna Thornycroft describes concisely the key characteristics of each home and how these have been achieved, providing insights into the work of leading designers. More Dream Homes contains a wealth of inspiration for lovers of interior design or anyone seeking to make their dream home a reality.

Young architects in the UK are making a name for themselves, not just because of the buildings they design, but also because of the ethos they share — one that embraces concern for the environment and makes a virtue of limited budgets. In New Arcadians, Lucy Bullivant profiles 15+ cutting-edge UK-based practices, presenting recent key projects as well as interviews with the architects. The architects' ecological awareness is evident in a wide range of schemes, from Nord's Shingle House in Dungeness, Kent, which makes use of sustainable and recyclable materials, to Plasma Studio's Flowing Gardens for the 2011 World Horticultural Expo at Xi'an, China, an inspiring example of urban regeneration. Other projects employ ecologically intelligent building materials or demonstrate a commitment to protecting and increasing biodiversity. Complete with an introduction exploring key trends in contemporary British architecture and full biographies of all the featured practices, New Arcadians is an exciting overview of the work and attitudes of a rising generation of UK architects who are reinvigorating the profession.

Once upon a time, only typesetters needed to know about kerning, leading, ligatures, and hanging punctuation. Today, however, most of us work on computers, with access to hundreds of fonts, and we'd all like our letters, reports and other documents to look as good — and as readable — as possible. But what does all the confusing terminology about ink traps, letter spacing, and visual centring mean, and what are the rules for good typography? Type Matters! is a book of tips for everyday use, for all users of typography, from students and professionals to anyone who does any layout design on a computer. The book is arranged into three chapters: an introduction to the basics of typography; headline and display type; and setting text. Within each chapter there are sections devoted to particular principles or problems, such as selecting the right typeface, leading, and the treatment of numbers. Examples throughout show precisely what makes good typography — and, crucially, what doesn't. Authoritatively written and designed by a practitioner and teacher of typography, Type Matters! has a beautifully clear layout that reinforces the principles discussed throughout.

Today fashion is moving forward at a faster pace than ever before, with advancing technologies and new materials reinventing clothing as we know it. Futuristic garment designs are often inspired by surprising sources: biological science, climate change, space suits, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and nanotechnology. Fashion Futures offers a fascinating survey of these new directions, charting the transformational products, design processes, maverick materials, and groundbreaking practitioners that are revolutionizing fashion. Design expert Bradley Quinn also explores radical retail operations, fashion forecasting, and the relationship between fashion and other disciplines. Featuring inspirational interviews with international trend forecasters and designers, and packed with illustrations of extreme designs and prototypes, Fashion Futures is a thought-provoking overview of how fashion will look, perform and be manufactured and purchased in the twenty-first century.

Ask almost anyone to describe their ideal home, and the chances are that it'll be spacious and glamorously decorated, as though it has leapt straight from the pages of a glossy magazine. But enviable decor alone does not result in happiness. The days of simply 'getting the look' are over; we are now more interested in achieving a contented home life than in considering purely the aesthetics of our interiors. After all, home is not simply a pretty backdrop to life, but a practical and integral part of it. In this timely new book, interiors expert Rebecca Winward first considers what makes our homes so vital to our happiness, then outlines the basic principles that create a happy home. The main part of the book follows a clear room-by-room arrangement, with sections on such elements as layout, colour, coverings for walls and floors, storage and accessories for each main space in the house. Useful, down-to-earth advice is accompanied by inspirational photographs from stylish homes of all kinds, and every chapter concludes with a list of dos and don'ts for achieving the perfect happy room. Happy Home is not so much about a certain style as about a certain style philosophy. Follow these principles, and your home will be functional, beautiful — and ultimately happier.

'Made in Japan' is a simple phrase, but one full of meaning. From kettles and cutlery to chairs, Japan creates some of the most innovative, elegant, whimsical and well-made objects in the world. Combining high aesthetic standards with cutting-edge technology, many of these designs turn everyday items into functional works of art that would look as good in a museum as on a kitchen counter. Made in Japan surveys 100 of the country's recent design triumphs, among them furnishings, utensils, gadgets, clothing, office equipment and even a silent guitar. While the book features mainly mass-produced objects, it also includes one-off prototypes and limited-edition items that are immensely popular in Japan. Created specifically for the Japanese consumer, these products reflect the way people live, work and play in a country that prizes highly both exceptional craftsmanship and industrial perfection.

Retro is back — if it ever went away — and more and more of us are finding inspiration in the homes of the twentieth century. Whether your preferred style is elegant Art Deco, streamlined mid-century modern or the chrome-laden decor of the classic American diner, Retro Home shows you how to re-create the look you love without having to break the bank or spend days scavenging junk shops and attics. Interiors expert Katherine Sorrell surveys the highly polished and lacquered glamour that characterized the homes of the 1920s and '30s, the bright colours and Scandinavian sleek of the '50s, and the funky plastic furnishings of the '60s and early '70s. She explains how to select a style that works for you; explores iconic designs that are crucial to getting the right look; and presents over 20 case studies of stunning retro rooms in contemporary homes. Whichever room you're decorating, in whichever style, Retro Home guides you through the colour schemes, furniture (whether vintage or reproduction), soft furnishings and accessories that will create an authentic, individual interior.

Even before the advent of haute couture, Paris was a great centre of fashion. During the second half of the nineteenth century, when the capital was transformed by an ambitious urban plan, its residents responded in kind, wearing styles as polished and modern as the city itself in order to participate in the exciting new social scene. Featuring famed paintings by such Impressionist masters as Degas, Cassatt, Manet, Monet and Morisot, this delightful book revisits the world of Parisian fashion through the eyes of first-hand observers. Thematic chapters present a gallery-like ensemble of paintings that follow in the footsteps of stylish Parisians as they stroll in the parks and boulevards, meet friends at cafes, take in the theatre, relax at home and go on holiday. In an extended narrative-style caption to accompany each image, fashion and art historian Debra N. Mancoff offers a detailed discussion of what men and women wore and how their dress defined them. To complete the picture, illustrated interludes, providing glimpses into dressmaking, corsetry and millinery, the origins of couture and the rise of the department store, reveal how Paris became the fashion capital of the world.

There has until now been no proper study of the bird in art, despite our fascination with birds, and despite the wealth of complex meanings associated with them in different cultures. A number of pagan gods are linked with birds, and dynasties and empires have adopted powerful birds as their symbols. Birds feature in numerous creation myths, and represent the human soul in many religions. We can trace bird imagery from the cave paintings of the Paleolithic era to the present day, and across all world cultures: there are painted, drawn, mosaic, sculpted, embroidered and ceramic birds, and birds as marginal illuminations or the subject of meticulous ornithological studies. This exquisite new book investigates the significance of the bird in 250 beautifully reproduced works of art, both ancient and modern. Nine chapters — on such themes as the mythical bird, the Eastern bird and the domestic bird — explore in detail a rich and rewarding collection of paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures, creating a book that will enchant art lovers and anyone interested in ornithology.

The cat's reputation and place in society have been subject to twists and turns of fate that are all reflected in art. While cats were deified by the ancient Egyptians, they were vilified by the medieval Church, before the Renaissance and Baroque periods saw their gradual rehabilitation. By the eighteenth century cats had become popular household pets worldwide. Generations of artists have treasured their contrariness and beauty, and while the cat does not always occupy centre stage in paintings, it always adds an extra symbolic dimension to a picture, or illuminates its meaning in an unexpected way. This sumptuously illustrated book examines the relationship between cats and humans from ancient times to the present, offering fascinating insights into the prominence of the cat in art in cultures worldwide. Thematic chapters explore in detail a rich and rewarding collection of paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures, creating a book that will have enduring appeal among art lovers and cat lovers alike.

Until recently, analysis of the future was left to forecasters and trend experts. Today, however, designers and architects are playing an increasingly important role, creating products and environments that will change the way we live. Design Futures is a thought-provoking exploration of the radical directions that the creative industries are taking. Design expert Bradley Quinn reveals how a new generation of products, materials and surfaces will align design with such areas as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and nanotechnology, reinventing the spaces in which we live and work, and how we experience the human body. Featuring interviews with renowned designers, architects and trend forecasters — among them Karim Rashid, Toyo Ito and Li Edelkoort — and over 250 illustrations of futuristic products and concepts, this is a unique guide to some of the twenty-first century's most compelling ideas.

In this captivating book, photographer Michael Kloth makes a passionate appeal to animal lovers everywhere with over 80 endearing portraits of shelter cats.