Taschen

Henry Ford jump-started the age of the automobile with the first assembly-line car in 1908: the Model T. Over the next century the automobile evolved from chugging workhorse to tailfin-era showboat to sleek status symbol, complete with sleek hood ornament. Initially a novelty item, the car grew into a necessity of the modern age, and a vector of freedom on the open road. 20th Century Classic Cars offers a lush visual history of the automobile, decade-by-decade, via 400-plus print advertisements from the Jim Heimann Collection. Using imagery culled from a century of auto advertising, this book traces the evolution of the auto from horseless carriage to rocket on wheels–and beyond. With an introduction and chapter text by New York Times automotive writer Phil Patton, as well as an illustrated timeline, this volume highlights the technological innovations, major manufacturers and dealers, historical events, and influence of popular culture on car design. Here are car trends as reflection of the zeitgeist, from the thrifty VW Beetle to the lumbering, gas-guzzling Hummer. Time-travel through the Automobile Age, with a collection that puts you in the driver"s seat.

One of the most accomplished human beings who ever lived, Leonardo remains the quintessential Renaissance genius. Creator of the world's most famous painting, this scientist, artist, philosopher, inventor, builder, and mechanic epitomized the great flowering of human consciousness that marks his era. And yet, so wide-ranging and prolific were his interests that he brought hardly any major undertaking to a final end. In his thousands of notes and sketches, Leonardo would not only demonstrate his graphic genius but also anticipate some of the great discoveries and inventions that would follow him, from key points in anatomy - such as the principles behind blood circulation - through to plans for armoured military vehicles, planes, helicopters and submarines. Leonardo also advanced numerous artistic techniques, achieving a complex psychology in such paintings as The Last Supper and the enigmatic La Gioconda, or Mona Lisa, which continue to mesmerize visitors from around the world to this day.

Commerce into art. This title deals with a critical observer of American society. Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is recognized today as the most important exponent of the Pop Art movement. He overturned the traditional understanding of art and placed in its stead a concept that retracts the individuality of the artist. Warhol was a critical observer of American society, exposing his compatriots' consumerism in his paintings ("Campbell and Brillo" series), as well as their fascination for sensational journalism. In 1963 Warhol founded his Factory in New York, literally a manufactory of ideas and work, which influenced film in the 1960s, published the influential magazine "Interview" in the late 1970s, and also produced Warhol's own artwork: Warhol conceived the idea, and a worker in his factory carried it out. The work remained (consciously) unsigned - a fact which nevertheless did nothing to diminish Warhol's reputation. He once complained that rich New Yorkers would willingly hang his Electric Chain in their living rooms - as long as its colours co-ordinated with the wallpaper and draperies. About the series: Every book in TASCHEN's "Basic Art Series" features: a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist; approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions; and, a concise biography.

Widely thought to be the greatest American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was a true pioneer, both artistically and technically. At a time when reinforced concrete and steel were considered industrial building materials, Wright boldly made use of them to build private homes. His prairie house concept - that of a low, sprawling home based upon a simple L or T figure - was the driving force behind some of his most famous houses and became a model for rural architecture across America. Wright's designs for office and public buildings were equally groundbreaking and unique. From Fallingwater to New York's Guggenheim Museum, his works are among the most famous in the history of architecture.

Happy birthday, dear Tramp!. Celebrating Chaplin's life and work as his alter-ego turns 100. From Alaska to Zimbabwe, the bowler hat, cane, baggy trousers and outsized shoes of the Tramp is still the most recognized silhouette in the world, 100 years after Charlie Chaplin first created him. Celebrating his centenary, TASCHEN presents The Charlie Chaplin Archives, the ultimate book on the making of Chaplin's films, using the vast resources of the Chaplin archives. Within a year of arriving in Hollywood in 1914, British-born Chaplin, playing the Tramp, had become the slapstick king of America. By the end of his second year on the silver screen. Chaplin's fame had spread worldwide. He was the first international film star and, with a million dollar contract, became one of the richest men in the world. With his own studio and his stock company of close collaborators, Chaplin began making his greatest movies: The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), The Circus (1928), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), and The Great Dictator (1940)-an unassailable collection of work that has enshrined him in the collective consciousness of world culture.With unrestricted access to his archives, this book offers insight into the process behind the Chaplin genius, from the impromptu spontaneity of his early shorts to the meticulous retakes and reworking of scenes and gags in his classic movies. Using 1,200 stills, memos, storyboards and on-set photos, as well as interviews with Chaplin and his closest collaborators, we see how Chaplin turned his caricature of the Tramp into a living character. The Tramp is the ultimate underdog, an everyman trying to survive economic depression, two World Wars, and the Cold War. Whatever crises life threw at him, the Tramp, and Chaplin, shrugged it off, straightened his shoulders, and walked off into a brighter future. This is the entire Chaplin life history in words and pictures.It features: 1,200 images including many previously unseen stills, on-set photos, memos, documents, storyboards, posters, and designs, plus scripts and images for unmade films; an oral history, told from the point of view of Chaplin himself, drawing upon his extensive writings, many of which have never been reprinted before; supplementary interviews with some of his closest collaborators; material from over 150 books of press clippings in Chaplin's archives, which range from his early days in music halls to his death; Chaplin's short films, from Making a Living (1914) to The Pilgrim (1923), as well as all of his feature-length movies, from The Kid (1921) to A Countess from Hong Kong (1967); and, (In first print editions) a filmstrip from the classic City Lights (1931), cut from a print in Chaplin's archives. It also includes documents from the Chaplin Archives Property and Copyright of Roy Export Company Establishment, scanned by Cineteca di Bologna.

Clothes define people. A person's attire, whether it's a sari, kimono, or business suit, is an essential code to his or her culture, class, personality, even their faith. Founded in 1978, the Kyoto Costume Institute recognizes the importance of understanding clothes from sociological, historical, and artistic perspectives. Now holder of one of the world's most extensive clothing collections, the KCI has amassed a wide range of historical garments, underwear, shoes, and fashion accessories dating from the 18th century to the present day. Showcasing the Institute's vast collection, Fashion History is a fascinating excursion through the last three centuries of clothing trends. Featuring impeccable photography of clothing expertly displayed and arranged on custom-made mannequins, it is a testimony to clothing as "an essential manifestation of our very being" and to the Instiute's passion for fashion as a complex and intricate artform. The book's authors include some of the smartest minds and sharpest eyes in fashion studies: Akiko Fukai (Chief Curator of T he Kyoto Costume Institute), Tamami Suoh (Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute), Miki Iwagami (Lecturer of fashion history at Sugino Fashion College (Tokyo), Reiko Koga (Professor of fashion history at Bunka Women's University), and Rie Nii (Associate Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute).

Bible stories: Martin Luther s revolutionary publicationMartin Luther s Bible, first printed in 1534, was not only a milestone for the printing press, but also a momentous event in world history. A UNESCO world heritage masterpiece, Luther s translation from Hebrew and ancient Greek into German made the Bible accessible to laypeople for the first time and gave printed reference to a whole new branch of Christian faith Protestantism.In this meticulous two-volume reprint, TASCHEN presents both the Old and New Testaments of Luther s landmark publication. Based on a precious copy of the original and printed in color, it reveals the multilayered splendor of this bible, showcasing the meticulous script, elaborate initials, and exquisite color woodcuts from the workshop of Lucas Cranach.Stephan Fussel, director of the Institute for Book Sciences at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, adds his expertise to the publication with detailed descriptions of the illustrations, as well as an introduction exploring Luther s life and the seismic significance of his bible."

Dramatic scenes: The rich spectacle of the BaroqueFrom dramatically-lit paintings to elaborate, gilded interiors, the Baroque era introduced a new dimension to Western art. In place of the harmonious perspectives and elegant proportions of the Renaissance came a world of momentum, energy, and heightened spectacle. The style influenced many forms and disciplines between the 16th and 18th century, infusing painting, sculpture, architecture, and music with a direct, often emotive, appeal to the audience.This TASCHEN Basic Art 2.0 edition focuses on Baroque painting. Through mythological and religious scenes, still-lifes, and beyond, we explore how a vivid vocabulary of deep colors, intense shadows, dramatic gestures, and diagonal lines infiltrated both Northern and Southern schools. Along the way, we meet such leading Baroque practitioners as Nicolas Poussin, Annibale Carraci, Caravaggio, Velazquez, Rubens, and Rembrandt, and examine their particular innovations in composition, narrative, and light to achieve a Baroque sensibility."

The Greek myths are timeless classics, whose scenes and figures have captivated us since ancient times. The gods and heroes of these legends hold up a mirror to the human condition, embodying universal characteristics and truths - whether it be the courage of Perseus, the greed of Midas, the vaulting ambition of Icarus, the vengeance of Medea, or the hubris of Niobe. These traits are the basis for immortal dramas and rich narratives, as profound as they are entertaining, which form the bedrock of our culture and literature today and remain relevant and fascinating for all readers, young and old alike. This edition contains 47 tales based on the most famous episodes in Greek mythology, from Prometheus, the Argonauts, and Theseus to the Trojan War and Homer's Odyssey. The individual texts are selected from the seminal work Sagen des klassischen Altertums (Legends of Classical Antiquity) by Gustav Schwab (1792-1850), and strikingly illustrated by 29 artists, among them outstanding representatives of the Golden Age of Book Illustration and the Arts and Crafts Movement, including Walter Crane (1845-1915), Arthur Rackham (1867-1939), William Russell Flint (1880-1969), and Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900-1930). These illustrations are complemented by scene-setting vignettes for each story and a genealogical tree of Greek gods and goddesses by Clifford Harper, commissioned especially for this volume. Placing the tales in context, the book contains a historical introduction by Dr. Michael Siebler and is rounded off with biographies of all featured artists as well as an extensive glossary of ancient Greece's most famous protagonists. The heroism, tragedy, and theater of Greek mythology glimmer through each tale in this lavishly illustrated edition, awakening the gods and heroes to new life.