Thames&Hudson

This sumptuously illustrated book surveys the exquisite range of costume jewelry produced by haute couture fashion houses, an often neglected subject. 'Costume Jewelry for Haute Couture' is for anyone with an interest in this most creative and accessible decorative art. It showcases the extraordinary diversity and exceptional craftsmanship of the jewelry in hundreds of beautifully reproduced pieces from such fashion houses as Chanel, Courrèges, Yves St Laurent and Lanvin. The story begins in antiquity, but the main focus is on costume jewelry’s heyday, which ran from the 1920s to the 1990s. The main stages in its development are placed in historical, social and cultural contexts, and in terms of their format and styles.The book also focuses on jewelry making and the partnerships between great couturiers, costume jewelers and craftsmen. The spectacular photographs include hundreds specially taken for this volume, as well as many original photographs of the jewelry being worn.

One of the largest and most exciting segments of the graffiti world has been left largely unexplored until now. Freight Train Graffiti is the first comprehensive insight into a subset of the graffiti world that has become the focal point for many graffiti artists today. This book takes us on a fascinating visual journey through the freight train graffiti landscape, with stories, ideas and thoughts from over one hundred of the most influential and prolific freight train artists, many of whom have consented to interviews for the first time, and over 800 stunning illustrations of their work. This is primarily an American tale, closely linked to the New York subways and the construction of the United States itself, but one that will inspire anyone who has ever been interested in graffiti.

This is the only book to provide a complete overview of the long history out of which today’s rich and varied gay culture has emerged. Historians from nine countries consider the evidence for same-sex relationships throughout the centuries, charting shifting attitudes towards homosexuality and the gradual emergence of a concept of self-identity. For thousands of years, men and women have felt a desire for emotional and physical intimacy with those of their own sex. Their story, for many years forgotten, erased, ignored or rewritten, has in recent years become the focus of an extraordinary outpouring of research. Completely new avenues of inquiry have opened up and old assumptions have been challenged. Gay Life and Culture draws upon these findings to present a lively and thought-provoking account of what, until recently, could have been termed a ‘secret history’. From ancient Greece and Rome right up to the present day with its issues of gay rights, AIDS and civil partnerships, this book also considers same-sex relationships in non-Western cultures, through history and across the globe. From homoerotic Persian poetry to tales of cross-dressing women in 18th-century Italy, from the wild, hedonistic delights of between-the-wars Berlin to concepts of a third gender in Asia and Native North America – all are discussed and recounted from memoirs, letters, archives, and works of art and literature.

Graffiti Woman celebrates the rise of female graffiti and street artists, showcasing the work of over 125 women, from those at the top of the game, such as New York’s Lady Pink and Amsterdam’s Mickey, to a galaxy of rising stars. Accompanied by lively quotes from the artists themselves, and introduced by renowned American artist Swoon and author Nancy Macdonald, this book is a must-have for anyone who has ever felt drawn to the galleries of the street.

A beautiful, elegiac collection of sixty polaroid photographs by the late, great Soviet film director, Andrei Tarkovsky Composed of sixty luminous polaroids taken by Andrey Tarkovsky in Russia and Italy between 1979 and 1984, this beautifully produced series of cameos from the director’s life reveals him to be a master of the still as much as of the moving image. The photos in the first section, taken in Russia, have the radiant melancholy of lengthening shadows and trees looming through misty dawns near Tarkovsky’s country dacha, together with portraits of his wife, son and dog, loaded with nostalgia by quotations from his later diaries. Those taken in Italy portray exquisite still lifes and glimmering ruins. The book concludes with photographs from Tarkovsky’s personal collection. Tarkovsky is here revealed as realizing the utmost potential of a fleeting, disposable medium: his images seem to capture eternity in a moment.

All the principles, practices and techniques you need to realise your interior design goal. • Discover how design has evolved over the centuries, and learn how to think visually and develop your own personal style • Organized into units to reflect the courses of top design colleges, the book is filled with practical advice on all aspects of interior design, from the initial idea to adding the finishing touches • Step-by-step tutorials guide you through the entire design process, with advice on finding inspiration, planning the space, choosing colour schemes and working with textiles • A gallery of finished examples by interior designers and students will inspire you in your own designs, and provides a valuable insight into the work of the professional designer

'The Jeweled Garden' traces the inspiration and evolution of two centuries of garden-inspired jewelry. The great 19th-century French jewelers, Boucheron, Chaumet, and later Lalique, excelled in adapting flowers, trees, and fruits into wonderfully imaginative – and highly collectible – bracelets, brooches and necklaces. The legendary 20th-century firms Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and Belperron also created memorable jewels emulating nature, as did American jewelers such as Seaman Schepps, Oscar Heyman & Brothers, David Webb and Verdura. Their ingenuity has in turn inspired the designs of our own time, including Mughal-influenced pieces by Joel Arthur Rosenthal, Stefan Hemmerle’s playful ferns and mushrooms, and Jacqueline Karachi-Langane’s cascading orchid necklace for Cartier. The 375 stunning illustrations make this a collector's piece in itself.

No artist ever worked harder to render the visions of his mind’s eye than M.C. Escher. A superb draughtsman, he set himself the challenge of portraying other-worldly transformations of space within the familiar boundaries set by a sheet of paper. The resulting images have become the favourite artworks of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. This powerfully original artist has long deserved a book that does justice to his visual invention: this is it. Escher’s works are arranged to form a cinematic journey of discovery, brilliantly interweaving his better-known prints with numerous unpublished working drawings and sketches (including 12 full-colour fold-outs), the artist’s eloquent words, and observations by Escher expert J.L. Locher. As beautiful and rigorous as an Escher work itself, The Magic of M.C. Escher is destined to become the classic study of a great maverick who so memorably linked the world of image-making with geometry and paradox.

Pet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – are the most successful duo in British pop history. Since the mid-1980s, their records have topped the charts and sold in their millions across the world. Number-one hits such as ‘West End girls’, ‘It’s a sin’ and ‘Always on my mind’ and platinum-selling albums such as 'Please', 'Actually' and 'Very' have helped establish the group as one of the most influential of recent decades. From the iconic photography and seminal graphic design of their record sleeves to their groundbreaking videos and innovative stage shows, Pet Shop Boys have set the standards for the visual presentation of pop.

The most interesting interiors reflect the choices of the people who actually live in them. The spaces in this book may have been gutted or rebuilt, adapted or little changed, or even just redecorated, but they were not produced with high budgets or under the watchful gaze of interior designers. They express the true simplicity that everyone can create from what they have available and what they love. This is a refreshing, resourceful – and often more eco-conscious – approach to living. Renowned photographer Solvi dos Santos has travelled worldwide to provide this intimate insight into special yet simple living: from a converted church near New York, or a houseboat off the Danish coast, to a quarryside home in Ibiza. Henrietta Thompson’s text uncovers the stories behind each home, giving us a glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants. This book – the perfect antidote to jaded style palates – shows us how easy, and how rewarding, it is to be Simply Contemporary.

Here is an amazing journey through the world of toys and the children’s rooms that were their homes, from the late 19th century to the present day. More than seven hundred toys from the superb collection at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, are brought to life in a series of fabulous and fantastical scenes, strikingly staged to produce a toy’s-eye view of more than a century of fun and games. Dolls and teddies, trains and planes, robots and animals, favourite characters ranging from Donald Duck and Barbie to Luke Skywalker and the Ninja Turtles – all of these and more run riot through a land that seems both strange and familiar, comforting and unsettling, and absolutely evocative of the pleasures and pains of the playroom. The book is led by the gaze of Alberto Manguel, whose text explores what toys mean to both children and adults – how toys can tell us who we are and allow us to imagine what we may become. Manguel’s words and the extraordinary images come together to form a dazzling recreation of the dreamlike world of childhood, the serious business of pretending – and the magic of make-believe.

Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt will appeal to travellers, museum visitors and students, and to anyone intrigued by the life and times of the ancient Egyptians. • The first book to recount the full history of the colourful queens of Egypt • Vivid biographies cover 3,000 years of Egyptian queenship from Early Dynastic times until the suicide of Cleopatra in 30 BC • Stories of famous queens such as Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Nefertari, as well as lesser-known consort queens, reveal the variety of roles a queen could play • Special features – from Childbirth to Wigs – highlight different aspects of Egyptian culture, plus genealogical trees and numerous sidebars • Timelines give an at-a-glance visual guide to the chronology of the queens • 273 illustrations, 150 in colour, including portraits, reconstructions and line drawings This fascinating saga spans 3,000 years of Egyptian queenship, presents a biographical portrait of every queen, supplemented by a wealth of pictorial detail, datafiles, genealogical trees, timelines and special features – from Wigs to Childbirth, highlighting aspects of Egyptian culture. The female pharaohs Hatshepsut and Tawosret, the sun queens Tiy and Nefertiti, the indefinably beautiful Nefertari and Cleopatra: many of Egypt’s queens have left an indelible mark on their country’s history. And Egypt’s lesser queens, the numerous wives and daughters maintained in pampered seclusion in the harem palaces who are generally forgotten, their graves lost in the desert sands – their stories, too, are told.

This expanded and updated edition of John Peacock’s unrivalled collection of drawings ranges over eleven centuries of English historical costume. More than a thousand illustrations, based on surviving garments and contemporary paintings and photographs, demonstrate the astonishing changes in men’s and women’s clothing over the centuries – from the simple tunics and gowns of the eleventh century to the petticoat breeches and ostrich-plumed hats of Charles II’s reign to the T-shirts and shorts of today. Clear and detailed drawings, plus notes that pinpoint specific features such as fabric, decoration, accessories and cut, make each costume immediately comprehensible. Completely up to date, and with a new chart showing the main changes in fashion through the centuries, this is an essential reference for students of theatrical design and fashion, drama groups and anyone interested in the history of costume.

This is a bible of contemporary illustration. This is a comprehensive survey of new and exciting work from across the globe that will appeal to experts and newcomers alike. Each artist's work is accompanied by a self-portrait and a short, illuminating profile exploring their inspirations and their approach both to illustration and to their career.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was taken prisoner by the Germans in 1940. After two unsuccessful attempts, he managed to escape in 1943. During this time, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, assuming that the photographer had died in the war, started preparing what they thought was a posthumous exhibition of his work. When he reappeared, Cartier-Bresson was delighted to learn of the exhibition, and decided to review his entire work and curate it himself. In 1946 he travelled to New York with about 300 prints in his suitcase, bought a scrapbook, glued each one in, and brought that album to MoMA’s curators. His first exhibition, a celebration of his survival, opened on 4 February 1947. In the 1990s, Cartier-Bresson once again returned to this scrapbook. Following his death in 2004, the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, the present owner of the prints, finished restoring them, making it possible to bring a large body of extraordinary, hitherto unpublished work to the public, images that have finally become a memorial collection after all.

The first complete monograph to be published on the Greek artist, this includes works from the 1970s to the present.

The best of Klimt's drawings and watercolors, beautifully reproduced in full color. There is no doubt about Gustav Klimt's greatness as a draftsman. Remarkable above all is the intensely sensual mood that he establishes in his limpid, fluid drawings and watercolors: the pencil or crayon line with which his subjects are described explores and caresses as though the act of drawing was itself a seduction. Klimt's drawings are often highly erotic and explicit, many to such an extent that they have rarely been reproduced. This has made for an unbalanced representation of his work as a draftsman, and a comprehensive survey of his graphic output is long overdue. Rainer Metzger, a noted art historian, has brought together hundreds of Klimt's drawings and watercolors in a way that enriches our knowledge of the artist and enhances the visual impact of his oeuvre. Klimt's drawings and studies, and his elegantly direct and dangerously intoxicating preparatory sketches, reveal the underlying impetus for and structure of his elaborate canvases. 307 color illustrations.

This is a monograph on nearly a decade's worth of work by Andrew Bromberg, chief designer at the worlds largest privately owned architecture firm, AEDAS. Bromberg has become one of the most prolific and sought-after designers in Asia, responsible for transforming areas of China and the Middle East. The projects span the entire Asian continent, and include the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Singapore Cultural Civic Retail Centre and the Towers of Arabia. Each project is profiled in copious photographs and supported by drawings, plans and extensive captions.

The greatest mass extinction in Earth's history happened some 251 million years ago. In this cataclysm at least 90 percent of life was killed, both on land and in the sea, almost bringing evolution to a halt. What caused destruction on such an unimaginable scale? Was it the impact of a huge meteorite, or prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? In this acclaimed book, newly available in paperback, Michael Benton assembles all the evidence and gives his verdict.

Here is a training class that shows children how to pilot different kinds of spacecraft. Filled with stats and facts, this book covers essential space science, plus the latest space hardware, gadgets, and know-how. An introductory Astronaut School section looks at the technology of space travel. In Orbit takes children into space, putting them in the hot seat on different kinds of spacecraft or at mission control. They learn how to fly an Apollo rocket to the Moon, take a space shuttle to the International Space Station, go on a spacewalk, and ferry a cargo of tourists into zero gravity. The ID section at the back of the book explains how to identify different kinds of rockets and manned and unmanned craft, including probes, rovers, and shuttles.

All the monochrome expertise you need in a handy, pocket-sized package Photographers everywhere have come to trust Ilexs Field Guides as the ultimate in portable photo expertise. Packed with practical knowledge and all written by specialist professional photographers, these handy titles have sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. In this volume, renowned photographer Michael Freeman addresses one of photographys most popular and challenging areas: black and white. With advice on lighting, shooting, conversion and post-production, this is know-how that no photographer can a ord to be without.

In over 150 watercolour paintings and pencil sketches, Graham Byfield takes us on a tour of Oxford's historic landmarks, celebrated colleges and beautiful landscapes. But he also takes time to reveal some of the architectural treasures in little-known back streets and hidden cloisters. This is a book that captures the character of Oxford which charms millions each year, but is often lost in their snapshots and postcards. Illustrated throughout with superb watercolours printed on textured paper, Roger White's captions reveal the author's passion for Oxford, resulting in a sketchbook that offers an idiosyncratic and vibrant account of the city and its fascinating history. This book is the latest in the popular Sketchbook series, also distributed by Thames & Hudson, that includes Paris Sketchbook, London Sketchbook, Singapore Sketchbook, Thailand Sketchbook, The Loire Valley Sketchbook and Venice Sketchbook.

A new wave of designers and artisans are creating earrings that push the boundaries of jewelry design. Drawing on unique sources of inspiration to incorporate symbol and meaning, they are redefining the earring as more than a mere ornamental piece. This book showcases a stunning collection of the innovative work of jewelry designers from around the world. The 500 earrings that are featured demonstrate the wide variety of techniques, practices, and resources — some traditional, some more avant-garde — used to execute these imaginative designs in a range of materials.

This is a beautifully illustrated catalogue on the most comprehensive and ambitious full-scale retrospective of Munchs artistic oeuvre ever. In conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edvard Munch (1863-1944) in 2013, a once in a lifetime exhibition is produced by the Munch Museum and the National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design in Oslo. Munch 150 is the most comprehensive and ambitious full-scale retrospective of Munchs artistic oeuvre ever. It includes both an exceptional number of highlights, as well as some works that are less known, and is based on extensive loans from public and private collections. The exhibition and its catalogue encompass the entire development of Munchs art from the 1880s to his death in 1944; the primary focus will be on Munchs paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs. They cover Munchs oeuvre in an overarching perspective: Self-presentation and self-portraiture; Places and perception; Visual rhetoric; The Frieze of Life as a lifelong project; Munch and public life; Narration and abstraction; Figure and representation; The staging of gender; and The construction of Munch after 1944. The catalogue also reflects Munch scholarship from recent decades revitalizing the artists importance, and include a timeline, a biography, and an index of names and places.