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Based on the author's Slade lectures given at Oxford University in 1975-76.
'A masterpiece of social history' Daily Mail There is nothing quite as beautiful as an English country house in summer. And there has never been a summer quite like that Indian summer between the two world wars, a period of gentle decline in which the sun set slowly on the British Empire and the shadows lengthened on the lawns of a thousand stately homes. Real life in the country house during the 1920s and 1930s was not always so sunny. By turns opulent and ordinary, noble and vicious, its shadows were darker. In The Long Weekend, Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the truth about a world half-forgotten, draped in myth and hidden behind stiff upper lips and film-star smiles. Drawing on hundreds of memoirs, on unpublished letters and diaries, on the eye-witness testimonies of belted earls and unhappy heiresses and bullying butlers, The Long Weekend gives a voice to the people who inhabited this world and shows how the image of the country house was carefully protected by its occupants above and below stairs, and how the reality was so much more interesting than the dream.
This glorious book is filled to the brim with a wide ranging history of textiles and 350 superb illustrations drawn from many countries and sources vestments and costume, samplers and pictures, great beds and furniture. The story of embroidery and needlework is discussed within the fascinating context of the history of fabrics, of decorative costume, of interior decoration, of church and state ceremonial, of girl's education, of furniture and pastimes. Silk, cotton, linen, and the significance of colours and dyes are also considered. Two interesting chapters reveal the world-wide fascination in an influence of Chinese embroidery and Indian textiles. With a broad account of the artistic achievements of every facet of decorative needlework the book is rich with the art-historical background encompassing the most magnificent of all embroidery, the mediaeval English vestments so coveted by Popes and Bishops across Europe, to the domestic treasures created in more recent centuries. Baroque, Rococo, neo-classical and other period characteristics are each discussed with reference to works created by children, young girls, and ladies who made furniture coverings destined for posterity. The nineteenth century saw extremes of art and fashion ranging from Berlin woolwork to Art Needlework and the eclectic inspiration represented by William Morris, all leading to simpler modernist styles which evolved over the twentieth century. The author sets in political and social context the whole panoply of textiles distinguishing between the magnificent products of professional workshops and the uniquely individual and especially charming amateur embroideries that survive today amongst the most beautiful treasures of the decorative arts. Mr Synge's text is authoritative but examines with infectious enthusiasm this field which has never been sufficiently understood but now interests more people than ever before. It will appeal to all who admire beautiful things, fine workmanship, good design and lovely fabrics. 320 colour & 30 b/w illustrations
The first in a new series that breathes freshness into interior and lifestyle books, The New Country Style England presents a wide array of rural retreats, seaside cottages, forest huts, and nature getaways. While the city home has undergone countless well-documented stylistic changes, there has been a quiet revolution going on in the countryside. The picture of pastoral perfection (think chintz) is being reinvigorated and modernized by the creativity of a new generation of owners, reflected in the stylish (and sometimes utterly unexpected) interiors of their homes. A converted neo-Gothic church is home to a contemporary furniture maker and his family, with Arne Jacobsen chairs in the dining room, Pucci upholstery in the chapel, and a trampoline for the children in the nave. In Gloucestershire, a dark wooden bed from Lombok is tucked into the eaves of an old rectory, while a Venetian glass chandelier hangs in the dining room, and hand-painted Chinoiserie adorns the walls. The mix of colors and textures, palettes and patterns, and, most importantly, a commingling of eras all help to make this book a visual delight. The intrinsic value comes with the hundreds of photographs, an incredible juxtaposition of detail, and a handsome heft. The New Country Style England showcases interiors that redefine traditional country style with wit, fun, and modern taste. It's the rustic experiencewith a here-and-now twist!