Tastemaker

Elizabeth Gordon, House Beautiful, and the Postwar American Home

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Architecture, Interior Design, History, General Art, Criticism
Cover of the book Tastemaker by Monica Penick, Yale University Press
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Author: Monica Penick ISBN: 9780300228458
Publisher: Yale University Press Publication: June 13, 2017
Imprint: Yale University Press Language: English
Author: Monica Penick
ISBN: 9780300228458
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication: June 13, 2017
Imprint: Yale University Press
Language: English
A riveting and superbly illustrated account of the enigmatic House Beautiful editor’s profound influence on mid-century American taste 

From 1941 to 1964, House Beautiful magazine’s crusading editor-in-chief Elizabeth Gordon introduced and promoted her vision of “good design” and “better living” to an extensive middle-class American readership. Her innovative magazine-sponsored initiatives, including House Beautiful’s Pace Setter House Program and the Climate Control Project, popularized a “livable” and decidedly American version of postwar modern architecture. Gordon’s devotion to what she called the American Style attracted the attention of Frank Lloyd Wright, who became her ally and collaborator. Gordon’s editorial programs reshaped ideas about American living and, by extension, what consumers bought, what designers made, and what manufacturers brought to market. This incisive assessment of Gordon’s influence as an editor, critic, and arbiter of domestic taste reflects more broadly on the cultures of consumption and identity in postwar America. Nearly 200 images are featured, including work by Ezra Stoller, Maynard Parker, and Julius Shulman. This important book champions an often-neglected source—the consumer magazine—as a key tool for deepening our understanding of mid-century architecture and design.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
A riveting and superbly illustrated account of the enigmatic House Beautiful editor’s profound influence on mid-century American taste 

From 1941 to 1964, House Beautiful magazine’s crusading editor-in-chief Elizabeth Gordon introduced and promoted her vision of “good design” and “better living” to an extensive middle-class American readership. Her innovative magazine-sponsored initiatives, including House Beautiful’s Pace Setter House Program and the Climate Control Project, popularized a “livable” and decidedly American version of postwar modern architecture. Gordon’s devotion to what she called the American Style attracted the attention of Frank Lloyd Wright, who became her ally and collaborator. Gordon’s editorial programs reshaped ideas about American living and, by extension, what consumers bought, what designers made, and what manufacturers brought to market. This incisive assessment of Gordon’s influence as an editor, critic, and arbiter of domestic taste reflects more broadly on the cultures of consumption and identity in postwar America. Nearly 200 images are featured, including work by Ezra Stoller, Maynard Parker, and Julius Shulman. This important book champions an often-neglected source—the consumer magazine—as a key tool for deepening our understanding of mid-century architecture and design.

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