Susan Weber - Böcker

A showcase of the "golden age" of the circus in AmericaThe circus is a source of nostalgia for Americans of all ages, either from memories of attending P. T. Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth," or through the colorful evocations in many movies, television programs, and books. Interest in the circus phenomenon is unflagging, yet there have been few publications that look closely at how the circus's European origins were refashioned for an American audience. Lavishly illustrated and carefully researched, this volume explores how American culture, values, demography, and business practices altered the fundamental nature of the European circus, and how, by the end of the 19th century, they had transformed it into a distinctly American pastime.At the peak of its cultural significance, the circus was a sophisticated combination of theater and business, and made effective use of advertising, train travel, and hyperbole. The subjects in The American Circus reflect this complexity, ranging widely from thematic explorations of circus music and elephants to more closely focused studies of objects such as circus toys, souvenirs, and performers' costumes. The book also explores the dark and even nefarious side of the circus, and its associations with marginalized dimensions of American life and culture. With contributions from leading scholars, this stylishly designed volume aims to identify the salient features of an Americanized cultural product and to analyze its appeal for American audiences.Published for the Bard Graduate Center, NYExhibition Schedule:Bard Graduate Center, NY(09/21/12–02/03/13)

A survey of spectacular breadth, covering the history of decorative arts and design worldwide over the past six hundred yearsSpanning six centuries of global design, this far-reaching survey is the first to offer an account of the vast history of decorative arts and design produced in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world, from 1400 to the present. Meticulously documented and lavishly illustrated, the volume covers interiors, furniture, textiles and dress, glass, graphics, metalwork, ceramics, exhibitions, product design, landscape and garden design, and theater and film design. Divided into four chronological sections, each of which is subdivided geographically, the authors elucidate the evolution of style, form, materials, and techniques, and address vital issues such as gender, race, patronage, cultural appropriation, continuity versus innovation, and high versus low culture.  Leading authorities in design history and decorative arts studies present hundreds of objects in their contemporary contexts, demonstrating the overwhelming extent to which the applied arts have enriched customs, ceremony, and daily life worldwide over the past six hundred years. This ambitious, landmark publication is essential reading, contributing a definitive classic to the existing scholarship on design, decorative arts, and material culture, while also introducing these subjects to new readers in a comprehensive, erudite book with widespread appeal.Distributed for the Bard Graduate Center

The Swedish toy industry has long produced vast quantities of colorful, quality wooden items that reflect Scandinavian design and craft traditions. This superbly illustrated book, including specially commissioned photography, looks at over 200 years of Swedish toys, from historic dollhouses to the latest designs for children.  Featuring rattles, full-size rocking horses, dollhouses, and building blocks to skis, sleds, and tabletop games with intricate moving parts, Swedish Wooden Toys also addresses images of Swedish childhood, the role of the beloved red Dala horse in the creation of national identity, the vibrant tradition of educational toys, and the challenges of maintaining craft manufacturing in an era of global mass-production.   Published in association with the Bard Graduate CenterExhibition Schedule:Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs(06/18/14–01/11/15)Bard Graduate CenterMarch 2015StockholmSummer 2015

John Lockwood Kipling (1837–1911) started his career as an architectural sculptor at the South Kensington Museum (today the Victoria and Albert Museum). Much of his life, however, was spent in British India, where his son Rudyard was born. He taught at the Bombay School of Art and later was appointed principal of the new Mayo School of Art (today Pakistan’s National College of Art and Design) as well as curator of its museum in Lahore.  Over several years, Kipling toured the northern provinces of India, documenting the processes of local craftsmen, a cultural preservation project that provides a unique record of 19th-century Indian craft customs.  This is the first book to explore the full spectrum of artistic, pedagogical, and archival achievements of this fascinating man of letters, demonstrating the sincerity of his work as an artist, teacher, administrator, and activist.  Published in association with Bard Graduate CenterExhibition Schedule:Victoria and Albert Museum, London(01/14/17–04/02/17)Bard Graduate Center, New York (09/15/17–01/07/18)

The first comprehensive study of the most important ceramic innovation of the 19th centuryColorful, wildly imaginative, and technically innovative, majolica was functional and aesthetic ceramic ware. Its subject matter reflects a range of 19th-century preoccupations, from botany and zoology to popular humor and the macabre. Majolica Mania examines the medium’s considerable impact, from wares used in domestic settings to monumental pieces at the World’s Fairs. Essays by international  experts address the extensive output of the originators and manufacturers in England—including Minton, Wedgwood, and George Jones—and the migration of English craftsmen to the U.S. New research including information on important American makers in New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia is also featured. Fully illustrated, the book is enlivened by new photography of pieces from major museums and private collections in the U.S. and Great Britain.Distributed for Bard Graduate CenterExhibition Schedule:Bard Graduate Center Gallery, New York(September 24, 2021–January 2, 2022)Walters Art Museum, Baltimore(February 26–July 31, 2022)Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent(October 15, 2022–February 26, 2023)

A comprehensive, in-depth examination of nearly three centuries of sculptural production from France’s famous Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory  Winner of the American Ceramic Circle Book Award for 2025 Sèvres Extraordinaire! brings to light the production of sculpture at Sèvres over the 280 years of the institution’s existence—from the first attempts at soft-paste porcelain to the revolutionary decision to skip the glaze application, producing a matte white evocative of marble. Other new techniques followed, emulating classic sculptural materials such as bronze and gold. These processes set Sèvres apart and ensured its long-standing success with the medium. This book offers an overview of the artists, artisans, and patrons who converged over the years at Sèvres, and whose ideas represent a microcosm of larger developments in art and culture. Considering the term “sculpture” in its broadest sense, it features vases, dining-table centerpieces, clocks, inkstands, and rare cups and saucers alongside objects such as busts, figures, and medallions. The history is told through material, much of which has never been illustrated, that includes drawings, plaster molds, and terracotta models housed in the archives of the Sèvres Manufactory and in the Musées nationaux, as well as finished sculptures designed by artists including Étienne Maurice Falconet (1716–1791), François Boucher (1703–1770), Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824–1887), Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), and Giuseppe Penone (b. 1947). Distributed for Bard Graduate Center Exhibition Schedule: Bard Graduate Center, New York(September 20, 2024–January 5, 2025 and September 10–November 16, 2025 )