Saturday Book Break + Demolition!

Readers, do you ever wonder what happens to the people whose homes get demolished as neighborhoods gentrify?

These three modest-sized buildings a block away from where I live were the type most people wouldn't look at twice.  They were charming but not extraordinary, though the red-brick building is easily 19th century.

Here are a few other views:





In March, I noticed they were covered with scaffolding.  Uh oh!





And a few weeks later, this:



And now this morning, a gaping hole.





Nothing lasts forever in the big city.  On the bright side, today buds could be seen on the trees.



Speaking of change, I recently purchased a fabulous coffee table fashion book I wanted to share with you today, Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style (DK Publishing, 2012).   I'd had this approx. 20-lb. tome on my Amazon wishlist for months, but last week someone was selling a used copy for $15 so I grabbed it.   It has many glowing reviews on Amazon.

As you might expect from the title, Fashion: The Definitive History starts in ancient times and goes all the way up to the present, with more than half devoted to the 20th Century.  It's chock full of beautiful color plates and a tremendous amount of visual detail (and accompanying text).

This is a hugely ambitious work and I think it achieves its goals well.  Naturally, there's more on the West than the East, more on women's fashions than men's, and more on the Swinging Sixties than the ancient Etruscans.

Here's just a small taste (you can supersize these pics in Picasa by clicking on them):











 







































This would be a great book for a costumer, vintage sewing aficionado and/or reenactor,  of just someone who loves fashion and fashion history. 

Anybody already own this book or know it?

Have a great day, everybody!