Shop America: Midcentury Storefront Design 1938-1950

Book Description

Window shopping

In postwar America, everything pointed to a bright, shiny future. Sheer optimism and opulence informed everything from automobile design to architecture, infusing design with larger-than-life planes and curves. Storefront design of the era is particularly indicative of this phenomenon, incarnated here in an extensive collection of hand-illustrated shop window designs from 1938 to 1950. These spectacular, often grandiose plans for grocery stores, shoe shops, beauty salons, bakeries, and more are reminders of a time when stores were sacred shrines for the congregation of American shoppers--impressive and even slightly intimidating, just like the future itself. Collected for this unique book, the designs viewed in retrospect reveal the mindset of a unique period in history. In addition to an extensive selection of drawings are historical black and white photographs of actual shops built in a similar style. Shop America offers a rare look at mid-century commercial America as it pictured itself.

Customer Reviews:

disappointing.......2007-06-16

I was disappointed in this book. The best picture is the one on the cover. Inside, each selection is pretty much the same. "Style suggestion for a florist shop," "Style suggestion for a shoe store," etc. Has diagrams and font types, window measurements, etc. All tech stuff that's not really interesting to me. I would have returned it, but didn't want to mess with the shipping. Sigh.

American Business Embraces Modernism.......2007-04-29

In the midst of the Great Depression, American Business adopted an American form of modernism that heralded a new age of technology and progress. This period of design history is sometimes called, "Machine Age", "Streamline Modern" or "Midcentury Modern." This belief in the spirit of progress can be seen in almost all American design of this period.

"Shop America" adds to our understanding of the time by focusing on store front design. American glass companies produced beautifully illustrated catalogs that promoted the use of glass and modern building materials. These catalogs inspired architects and small business owners to create store fronts that embraced the progressive spirit of modernism.

When many of us think of the 1940's and 1950's, we think of a conformist age best understood by old television shows like Ozzie and Harriet and Father Knows Best. However, a book like "Shop America" also demonstrates that American business and consumers of the time were willing to adopt a bold modernist vision. Although the designs in these books are 50-60 years old, they are still very fresh and exciting.

This book was produced by the German Publisher, Taschen. Like all Taschen books it is a very good value. It is a large format book with very high production values. This book is a must purchase for all enthusiasts of the period as well as for contemporary architects and designers. Highly recommended.

Streamline meets Atomic on Main.......2007-03-18

Turn the pages of this fascinating book and you're window shopping on Main Street in the late forties, plenty of consumer goods are just a touch away thanks to large glass windows. The essence of the book is more than ninety ideas for storefronts created by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. Each has an artists rendering, sometimes a technical detail or floor plan and technical information about the glass used.

It is the exuberant artwork that makes the book come alive. They capture a mid-century of elegant shoppers seduced by Carrara glass and Aluminum. Virtually every store has an overall streamline design frequently mixing atomic motifs and the final individual touch is the name in a modern sans type or a casual script for a ladies retail unit. Strangely there is no actual reference to the Pittsburgh PGC or the artists though E A Lundberg has his signature on many of the illustrations.

This is a large book (handsomely designed and printed) that fortunately makes all the wonderful renderings large too. In the first few pages Steve Heller contributes an overview of storefront design illustrated with black and white photos of real stores in large American cities. Predictably few of them are as flamboyant as the concept artwork in the glass-makers sales material.

*** FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Salons and Spas: The Architecture of Beauty

Average customer rating:

amazing pictures and blueprints

Salons and Spas: The Architecture of Beauty
Julie Sinclair Eakin
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Commercial | Creative Spaces | HOWdesign Studio | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1592531652

Book Description

Beauty is big business worldwide. This is most evident by noting the amazing transformation of what was once the corner "beauty shop" into the amazing spaces that are now called salons and day spas and are being designed by some of the world's hottest designers and architects. Providing a serene atmosphere that pampers and relaxes is as important for success as the products and services these retreats offer. Clients' demands are not just to look beautiful when they leave but also to feel beautiful when they are there. The salons and spas that can provide this perceived sense of beauty prove to be the most successful. These pages provide an inside look at the most elegant and appealing spas to the hippest beauty shops.

These new shops represent the high-end of interior design and architecture and the atmosphere is as important as the service. Spas and Salons features the design details of the best and newest beauty shops and spas on the block and uncovers, through interviews with the designers, what makes them so appealing, memorable, and desirable.

Customer Reviews:

amazing pictures and blueprints.......2005-09-03

I'm in the process of building a second location (salonspa) and this book had the most amazing pictures and the visual of the blueprints gave me such a different perspective of things that I had not even thought about. I love this book it was well worth the price.

Average customer rating:

A great resource

Ultimate Shop Design (Ultimate Books)
Llorenc Bonet Delgado
Manufacturer: Te Neues Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

German | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Italian | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Arts & Photography | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

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ASIN: 3832790586

Book Description

Today, the parameters of shop design have expanded exponentially. No longer is the retail landscape crafted only for shopping convenience and to reinforce brand identity. It has evolved to reflect the role of shops as a public space where we spend a large part of our leisure time. For this reason, architects and designers are increasingly pushing the boundaries when designing shop interiors. The result: the creation of unique and spectacular spaces within the city; spaces which engage and entertain even the most jaded browsers and add to the city's dynamism.

Customer Reviews:

A great resource.......2006-05-20

This book is HUGE (525 pages) and took me almost 2 hours to skim; I look forward to going through the book more thoroughly when I have the time. The majority of the stores featured are ultra modern, minimalistic styles... works of art themselves. You'll find stores located in Europe (London), Asia (largely Japan), and some from the US (LA and New York).

Even for use as a simple design-idea reference, this book is worth its price. I will undoubtedly apply many of the concepts in this book the store I'm opening.

Average customer rating:

Cool Shops New York

Cool Shops New York (Cool Shops)

Manufacturer: Te Neues Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

German | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Italian | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Arts & Photography | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Travel | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Travel | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Travel | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All Italian Books | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 3832790217

Book Description

One of a new series of authoritative guides teNeues is introducing this season, Cool Shops New York takes the reader on a tour of the best stores and boutiques in this dynamic world city. Each shop included is distinguished by more than the products it sells. The editors also highlight exemplary architecture and interior design (the Jean Paul Gaultier store designed by Philippe Starck, the Issey Miyake store in Tribeca designed by Frank Gehry, the Apple store in Soho designed by Bohlin Erwin Ski Jackson) with lavish color photographs and emphasize as well the appeal of smaller, one-of-a-kind shops. Attractively designed to fit into any handbag, backpack, or briefcase, this book includes a site map for easy use and is sure to be a must-have for shopaholics everywhere!

Customer Reviews:

Cool Shops New York.......2006-03-14

Very well done and professionally produced. I hope they provide updates in the future. Great gift idea for clients in the fashion biz.

Average customer rating:

A plethora of modern design ideas

New Shops & Boutiques
Marta Serrats
Manufacturer: Collins Design
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Professional Reference | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Consumer Guides | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 006074796X
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Book Description

With the increasingly important cultural role being placed upon shops and boutiques in today's competitive retail environment, the need to provide new and innovative shopping experiences has brought about a redefinition of simple consumerism. Fashion spaces have taken on the role of the museum, presenting product collections as if they were displaying works of art. With this new emphasis on the role of the retail space comes the architectural challenge of creating multifunctional, customizable shells that can be renewed to meet the needs of every seasonal collection.

New Shops & Boutiques takes us inside more than 40 contemporary projects that have captured the public's attention and recognition, thanks to their exceptional interior and exterior architecture and design. From Giorgio Armani and the Sony Tower Showroom, to John Pawson and WonderWall Inc., this shopping tour around the world presents a comprehensive selection of the market's most outstanding commercial spaces and designers. And with more than 500 full-color photographs, New Shops & Boutiques is sure to provide an indispensable guide for the storeowner and architect alike.

Customer Reviews:

A plethora of modern design ideas.......2006-05-20

This book shares many images with both "Ultimate Shop Design" & "The New Boutique: Fashion And Design" (both of which are likely recommended on the page you are looking at). Despite the common images, there is different information contained within this book than the others.

I highly recommend this book and the others mentioned as sources of inspiration if you are in the process of design a retail store you would like to separate from the pack.

Average customer rating:

Shop Design
Heinfried Tacke
Manufacturer: Te Neues Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback