[1st ed] Projective Ornament
First edition of Claude Bragdon’s assessment of ornament in twentieth century architecture, working from the premise that fresh motifs in ornament lagged behind new structural forms, or in his metaphor, “the clothes are new, but not the collar and the necktie.” Published in 1915 by the Manas Press, “Projective Ornament” proposed a system for generating geometric patterns abstracted from nature that could be adapted for use in architecture, serving as a universal form-language that could dissolve class, cultural, national, and religious differences. 8vo, hardcover, 79 pages, profusely illustrated in black-and white, following a color illustration on the frontispiece. An early essay by Bragdon, an American architect, writer, and stage designer weened on the arts and crafts movement of Harvey Ellis and Gustav Stickley, who later developed a conservative version of Sullivan and Wright’s organic architecture centered around regular geometry and musical proportion instead of individual creative character. His books include The Beautiful Necessity, The Frozen Fountain, The Arch Lectures, and Architecture and Democracy. Light fraying to spine ends and corners. Mild damp staining to front board. Faint mottling to rear board. P.O. bookplate to front pastedown. Light foxing to “By the Same Author” page and facing blank page.
First edition of Claude Bragdon’s assessment of ornament in twentieth century architecture, working from the premise that fresh motifs in ornament lagged behind new structural forms, or in his metaphor, “the clothes are new, but not the collar and the necktie.” Published in 1915 by the Manas Press, “Projective Ornament” proposed a system for generating geometric patterns abstracted from nature that could be adapted for use in architecture, serving as a universal form-language that could dissolve class, cultural, national, and religious differences. 8vo, hardcover, 79 pages, profusely illustrated in black-and white, following a color illustration on the frontispiece. An early essay by Bragdon, an American architect, writer, and stage designer weened on the arts and crafts movement of Harvey Ellis and Gustav Stickley, who later developed a conservative version of Sullivan and Wright’s organic architecture centered around regular geometry and musical proportion instead of individual creative character. His books include The Beautiful Necessity, The Frozen Fountain, The Arch Lectures, and Architecture and Democracy. Light fraying to spine ends and corners. Mild damp staining to front board. Faint mottling to rear board. P.O. bookplate to front pastedown. Light foxing to “By the Same Author” page and facing blank page.
First edition of Claude Bragdon’s assessment of ornament in twentieth century architecture, working from the premise that fresh motifs in ornament lagged behind new structural forms, or in his metaphor, “the clothes are new, but not the collar and the necktie.” Published in 1915 by the Manas Press, “Projective Ornament” proposed a system for generating geometric patterns abstracted from nature that could be adapted for use in architecture, serving as a universal form-language that could dissolve class, cultural, national, and religious differences. 8vo, hardcover, 79 pages, profusely illustrated in black-and white, following a color illustration on the frontispiece. An early essay by Bragdon, an American architect, writer, and stage designer weened on the arts and crafts movement of Harvey Ellis and Gustav Stickley, who later developed a conservative version of Sullivan and Wright’s organic architecture centered around regular geometry and musical proportion instead of individual creative character. His books include The Beautiful Necessity, The Frozen Fountain, The Arch Lectures, and Architecture and Democracy. Light fraying to spine ends and corners. Mild damp staining to front board. Faint mottling to rear board. P.O. bookplate to front pastedown. Light foxing to “By the Same Author” page and facing blank page.
