Book Review - Skylines: American Cities Yesterday and Today by M. Hill Goodspeed
Category Book Review M. Hill Goodspeed Skylines: American Cities Yesterday and Today
I've always been fascinated to old black-and-white photos, especially ones that show growth over time. The book Skylines: American Cities Yesterday and Today by M. Hill Goodspeed is a visually stunning look at some major American cities, both early in their history, and how they look now. The only drawback to the book... it is *really* heavy! :)
Contents:
The Northeast: New York; Hartford; Providence; Boston; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.
The Southeast: Richmond; Charlotte; Charleston; Atlanta; Savannah; Jacksonville; Tampa; Orlando; Miami
The Midwest: Chicago; Milwaukee; Madison; Minneapolis; St. Paul; Detroit; Cleveland; Columbus; Cincinnati; Indianapolis; St. Louis; Kansas City
South Central: Louisville; Nashville; Memphis; Little Rock; New Orleans; Dallas; Austin; San Antonio; Houston
The West: Denver; Salt Lake City; Las Vegas; Phoenix; San Diego; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Portland; Seattle; Honolulu
Most of the city chapters cover two double-page spreads. The first two page combination gives a short history of the city, along with a number of black-and-white photos covering an earlier time in the city's history. There's usually at least one panoramic black-and-white picture showing an early version of the skyline, as well as a hand-drawn map of the city, complete with minute details common to those early days of mapmaking. Each of the photos has detailed captions that tell the viewer what they're seeing. Turning the page gets you a full color panoramic picture of the current skyline, quite often shot at twilight or night. The effect is a beautiful image of the city in all its splendor. This color image is also annotated with a guide to all the major building that show up.
This is the true definition of a coffee-table book... one that you'd place on your coffee-table for viewing by guests. But in this case, you'll need the coffee-table just to hold the thing! It's a foot and a half wide, and a foot high, with a weight tipping the scales over seven pounds. The paper weight is heavy and high-quality, so you're assured of getting beautiful images. Just don't expect to read this in bed propped up on your chest. I tried... it doesn't work. :)
I've always been fascinated to old black-and-white photos, especially ones that show growth over time. The book Skylines: American Cities Yesterday and Today by M. Hill Goodspeed is a visually stunning look at some major American cities, both early in their history, and how they look now. The only drawback to the book... it is *really* heavy! :)
Contents:
The Northeast: New York; Hartford; Providence; Boston; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.
The Southeast: Richmond; Charlotte; Charleston; Atlanta; Savannah; Jacksonville; Tampa; Orlando; Miami
The Midwest: Chicago; Milwaukee; Madison; Minneapolis; St. Paul; Detroit; Cleveland; Columbus; Cincinnati; Indianapolis; St. Louis; Kansas City
South Central: Louisville; Nashville; Memphis; Little Rock; New Orleans; Dallas; Austin; San Antonio; Houston
The West: Denver; Salt Lake City; Las Vegas; Phoenix; San Diego; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Portland; Seattle; Honolulu
Most of the city chapters cover two double-page spreads. The first two page combination gives a short history of the city, along with a number of black-and-white photos covering an earlier time in the city's history. There's usually at least one panoramic black-and-white picture showing an early version of the skyline, as well as a hand-drawn map of the city, complete with minute details common to those early days of mapmaking. Each of the photos has detailed captions that tell the viewer what they're seeing. Turning the page gets you a full color panoramic picture of the current skyline, quite often shot at twilight or night. The effect is a beautiful image of the city in all its splendor. This color image is also annotated with a guide to all the major building that show up.
This is the true definition of a coffee-table book... one that you'd place on your coffee-table for viewing by guests. But in this case, you'll need the coffee-table just to hold the thing! It's a foot and a half wide, and a foot high, with a weight tipping the scales over seven pounds. The paper weight is heavy and high-quality, so you're assured of getting beautiful images. Just don't expect to read this in bed propped up on your chest. I tried... it doesn't work. :)
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