Greene
& Greene : Masterworks by Bruce Smith, Alexander Vertikoff (Photographer), Edward R. Bosley
With Gustav Stickley and Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Sumner Greene
and brother Henry Mather Greene defined the Arts & Crafts movement
in America. From their offices in Pasadena, they created "Ultimate Bungalows,"
finely crafted homes characterized by the integration of architecture and
interior design into a harmonious whole. Though both brothers had long
and distinguished careers, the highpoint of their work came between 1903
and 1909, when they created such lasting masterpieces as The Gamble House
in Pasadena, the Pratt House in Ojai, and the Thorsen House in Berkeley.
Greene & Greene: Masterworks presents their work in this era in loving
detail. Bruce Smith, who wrote the text for the book, is an authority on
the Arts & Crafts movement, and is currently working on a biography
of Charles Greene. Alexander Vertikoff's lush photography is the perfect
accompaniment to the text, beautifully capturing the sweeping grandeur
of each house as well as capturing the subtle details that make each Greene
& Greene home a treasure. After an overview of the Arts & Crafts
movement and a brief biography of the of the brothers, the book turns its
attention to various details that characterized the brothers' style. In
the section on entryways, for instance, they point out that
Rarely in a Greene and Greene house is there an abrupt division
between inside and out. One enters by transitions, in stages. Brick steps
my lead up from the garden to a porch. Shelter comes from a gabled overhang
or sleeping porch that extends from above--one is covered but still able
to feel the breeze. The pattern in the door's art glass evokes the natural
world being left behind. Stepping inside, one still does not feel totally
enclosed; across the entrance hall are doorways framing a vista of gardens
beyond.
After exploring the details, they move on to the houses themselves,
looking at 24 houses ranging from the modest, unassuming Brandt-Serrurier
House in Altedena--a single story cottage built in 1905--to their greatest
creation, The Gamble House in Pasadena. A short history and examination
of details is given to each house, but by and large the houses are allowed
to speak for themselves through dazzling photos. One of the most striking
features of each house is the honey-colored light that fills each room
as it pours through Japanese-inspired stained glass chandeliers and is
reflected from rich mahogany and teak floors and furniture. To walk through
a Greene & Greene house was to walk through a work of fine art. As
Henry Greene said, "The idea was to eliminate everything unnecessary, to
make the whole as direct and simple as possible, but always with the beautiful
in mind as the first goal." As Greene & Greene: Masterworks clearly
shows, they succeeded brilliantly. --Laszlo Simonyi - Amazon.com Hardcover: 240 pages
Chronicle Books; ISBN: 0811818780; (October 1998)
