Donald-Brian Johnson

Pop culture collectibles from the post-World War I and II (1920s-1960s) are brought to life again in this new reference guide. Relive the days of the novelty "must-haves," including Hallmark paper dolls, holiday ephemera, Vogue picture records, and vaudeville. See the impact ceramists Marc Bellaire, Howard Pierce, and Heidi Schoop had in their era and today. Get nostalgic while viewing early TV Guides with "I Love Lucy" and Liberace. Take a walk down memory lane through movie posters featuring such iconic stars as Shirley Temple and Ava Gardner. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at popular antique walks held in such places as Walnut, Iowa. With 682 images, this invigorating exploration of the tastes that shaped an era is sure to make you smile. This reference book is a must-have for lovers of American popular culture, historians, and collectors.

Here is a unique vision of “life’s backdrop,” a virtual tour of the Art Deco style, encompassing every room in the house, from attic to basement. Hundreds of porcelain, glass, and metal decorative objects of the 1920s-1930s period have been photographed and organized by their appropriate settings. This is an intimate guide to Deco decor: how exquisite decorative accessories, chosen to reflect individual taste, can complement all that surrounds them. Making the journey a fascinating one is an informative, entertaining text, with biographies of Deco designers Camille Tharaud, Edouard-Marcel Sandoz, Charles Schneider, Lurelle Guild, and others. Current price estimates are also given for the pieces shown in nearly 700 gorgeous photos. Also shown are Deco-contemporary images from vintage magazines and catalogs.

The rise and fall of American Art Deco coincide neatly with the brief, but glorious, heyday of the Chase Brass & Copper Co.’s Specialty division. Gleaming Chase housewares of chrome, brass, and copper brightened many homes during the Depression years of the 1930s, thanks to the talents of such leading industrial designers as Lurelle Guild, Walter Von Nessen, Russel Wright, and Harry Laylon. The Chase Era presents in full the company’s first (1933) and final (1942) Specialties catalogs, illustrating the development of Deco design as represented by the Chase inventory. Also included are newly discovered pre-1933 Chase flyers, showing previously unseen Chase Specialties! Introductory comments focus on the whys and wherefores of Art Deco’s short reign, and the place of Chase in the Deco continuum. With a current price guide and full inventory information, The Chase Era truly provides the first and last words on Chase Specialties.

"The style you want--at the price you want to pay!" From 1930 to 1942, such advertising slogans drew cash-strapped Depression consumers to the Chase Brass & Copper Co.'s attractive array of lamps and lighting fixtures. Heralded as "brilliant in style and authentic in design," the Chase line presented a new concept in brightening the American home, as designed by modern industrial pioneers, including Lurelle Guild, Walter Von Nessen, the Gerths, and Harry Laylon. Chromium, brass, and copper fixtures appear in hundreds of current, catalog, and historic photographs (many in color), vintage advertising, a complete cross-reference listing, price guide, and index. Admirers of twentieth-century decorative arts will enjoy this in-depth look at "lights that give lasting satisfaction."

Once seen, never forgotten: that's a Moss lamp! Plexiglas bodies, spun glass shades, and spinning figurines were radiantly combined to transform humdrum 1950s home decor into something extraordinary. Today, these marvels of modern design continue to spark the interest of collectors. This book offers the first-ever, in-depth look at the Moss company and its shining array of lighting products. It traces the Moss success story through exclusive interviews with family members and employees, 750 current and vintage product photos, and never-before-seen materials from the Moss archives. Also included are a product index, price guide, and detailed information on the many collectible figurines that graced Moss lamps, from such noted design houses as Ceramic Arts Studio, deLee Art, Hedi Schoop, and Lefton. An illuminating and lighthearted look at the lamps, it's ideal for anyone attracted to the fresh, fun side of brilliant '50s design!

Initially promoted as "the answer to the housewife's prayer," the gleaming chromium, brass, and copper houseware specialties of the Chase Brass & Copper Co. today stand as icons of American Art Deco style. This book chronicles the entire Specialty line produced by Chase from 1930 to 1942 and profiles the industrial designers who made it possible, including such pioneers as Lurelle Guild, Walter Von Nessen, Russel Wright, and Harry Laylon. An essential reference for Deco collectors, this book features 650 full-color catalog and historical photos, vintage advertising, a complete cross-reference listing, and a price guide. This in-depth look at the unique Chase blend of practicality and streamlined modern design will appeal to all admirers of twentieth-century decorative arts.

The marvelous fused glassware of the Higgins Glass Studio first captivated buyers in the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to delight collectors today. With its arresting mix of geometric and curved lines, and bold use of colors, Higgins glass transformed ordinary table and giftware, from chip bowls and cakestands to candleholders and cigarette boxes, into something vibrant and exciting. Useful as well as attractive, the designs of artists Frances and Michael Higgins harnessed vivid imagination to innate practicality. Over 750 color and vintage photos feature hundreds of pieces not shown before. Newly discovered promotional photos, original designs, and advertising materials and extensive commentary by Frances Higgins and other Studio personnel highlight the informative, entertaining text. A personal view of the creation of Higgins glass is presented. The Studio today showcases talent that continues to build on the Higgins tradition. Current price estimates are also included. The result is a work destined to appeal to all with an interest in design and crafts of the mid-20th century.