History of Frames

Frames and Framings By Timothy Newbery When a painting retains its original frame, we can appreciate the visual relationship between the two that the artist would have intended. Framings by subsequent owners with different frame styles can tell us much about the taste and priorities of a particular period or place. In this book, Timothy Newbery, a frame historian and framemaker, looks at frames from the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum. The book aims to provide the sense of importance of the picture frame in the scope of art history as a whole. Includes a glossary of relevant terms. 34 color illustrations. Softcover, 80 pages $15.95 Item No. B400

The Secret Lives of Frames By Deborah Davis A painting wouldn't be the same without its frame. In fact, a frame can be as important as the art it surrounds. Yet the picture frame is the Cinderella of the art world, beautiful, hardworking, and frequently overlooked. The Secret Lives of Frames, inspired by the hundred year history of Lowy, the premier fine arts services atelier in the country, celebrates the extraordinary art and artistry of the frame. Hardcover,  219  pages $50 Item No. B401

Handbook of Ornament By Franz Sales Meyer This final comprehensive edition contains the largest single-volume collection of classical art motifs ever compiled. More than 3000 designs are reproduced from Greek and Roman, medieval European, Islamic, Renaissance, baroque and early 19th century art, architecture and design. Design elements included are networks, Gothic tracery, geometric designs, akanthos leaves, lotus ornamentation, animal ornamentation, grotesque figures, fret bands, chains, interlacements, rosettes, undulations, spirals, link borders, cresting borders, finials, crockets, gargoyles, foliations, panels, and repeated ornaments. Artifacts such as decorated pottery vases, religious utensils, weapons, furniture, lamps and jewelry. Heraldic motifs and ornamental letters are also discussed. Softcover, 548 pages $16.95 Item No. B402

Defining Edges - A New Look At Picture Frames By W.H. Bailey From the earliest concept of the frame to the most sophisticated interpretations of the idea, W.H. Bailey traces the artist’s use of the frame to crop, control, manipulate, expand, embellish, and alter images in the eyes of the viewer. Beginning with a foreword by Adam Gopnik, a writer for The New Yorker, “Defining Edges” contains an introduction on “the story of the picture frame,” followed by seven chapters--The Frame as Altarpiece; The Frame as Window; The Frame as Decoration; The Frame as Content; Frames Found by Artists; Frames Designed by Artists and Frames Made by Artists. More than 50 works are examined. 95 illustrations, including 65 plates in full color. Hardcover,  136  pages $39.95 Item No. B486

Repertorio Della Cornice Europea By Roberto Lodi/Amedeo Montanari Put together by two frame dealers, this book is a "must have" for the serious frame person. The book begins with a 30-page essay (in both Italian and English) by Roberto Lodi. Then is followed by hundreds of color images from the 15th century through the 20th century. Brief descriptions are in Italian. This is one of the most well-organized books on European frames we have seen in a long time. One of the most useful aspects is that each frame has a profile drawing to allow the viewer to understand the shape of the frame in relation to the ornamentation. Makes a great gift as well as an important reference book for the indentification of frames. (830 images of frames) Hardcover, 418 pages $460 Item No. B500

A History of European Picture Frames By Paul Mitchell and Lynn Roberts A History of European Picture Frames by Paul Mitchell and Lynn Roberts This book, the culmination of 20 years’ work for two frame historians and consultants, is a comprehensive, scholarly survey documenting frame styles and their original context. The book is organized by nationality and period with 56 carefully constructed diagrams in the form of framemakers’ pattern books, interspersed with 38 plates of framed paintings. Components are drawn directly from photographs of 268 frames, original or contemporary to their pictures. Frames from Italy, France, Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium are included; and, for the first time, frame studies focusing on Germany, Central Europe, Scandinavia, and Spain are also featured. Hardcover,  136  pages $30 Item No. B503

Frameworks: Form, Function, and Ornament in European Portrait Frames By Paul Mitchell and Lynn Roberts Frameworks is the first survey of portrait frames to enable the reader to identify the most familiar frame styles associated with the major European artistic movements. Period frames are shown on their contemporary pictures, and in later revivals, up to the 20th century. The survey concludes with artists’ frames. The prime features and decorative techniques of frames are compared to styles of architecture, furnishings, and objects d’art. This book is intended as a companion to A History of European Picture Frames. 480 pages, 370 illustrations.THIS BOOK IS OUT OF PRINT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Hardcover, 480 pages $125 Item No. B505

The Book of Picture Frames By Claus Grimm This book was one of the first surveys of the development and types of picture frames throughout the centuries and continues to be a valuable guide to curators, collectors, and framemakers today. Topics such as changes in the significance of the frame, the wide variety of materials used, and adaptations of frames to new surroundings are all included. A glossary of terms and important style designations, a comprehensive bibliography, and a special section on American frames are also included. THIS BOOK BEING REPRINTED - NO DATE AVAILABLE YET. Softcover,  344  pages $45 Item No. B509

The Regilded Age This comprehensive catalog of gilded objects is from the 1991 exhibit at The Newark Museum sponsored by The Society of Gilders. It offers a look at both past and present gilded objects, with an emphasis on frames. The catalog is presented in three parts: detailed information on over 30 historical frames from 1870 to 1950; extensive technical information on the gilding process; and illustrations of the many contemporary gilded objects including frames, artwork, and signs. Softcover, 96 pages $15 Item No. B512

“The Frame in America” Poster This full-color poster, introduced by the International Institute for Frame Study, celebrates 100 years of American frame design from 1860-1960. Measuring 26”x38”, the poster was created in conjunction with a traveling exhibition that took place from April 2000-January 2002. (“The Frame in America” exhibit, curated by William B. Adair, first occurred in 1995.) More than 25 examples of frames from the period illustrate the poster. Sponsors of the poster are PFM, PPFA, FACTS, Abe Munn Picture Frames, Sepp Leaf Products, and NEI Group. Poster,  0  pages $25 Item No. P100

Ornamentation in Frame Design:In Search of Elementals By William B. Adair This booklet, originally as a supplement to the February 2004 issue of PFM, contains an essay on the role of ornamentation on a picture frame moulding--and the importance of being able to identify the numerous motifs. Detailed images of more than 95 types of ornaments are included for the reader's reference. Each image is accompanied by an explanation of its geographical and historical origins. Softcover, 20 pages $8 Item No. S101

Glorious Borders: Three Centuries of French Frames By Jennifer Janicki This 16-page booklet is an overview of a 1999 exhibit organized by Gold Leaf Studios in Washington, DC. A synopsis of the origin of the French Frame and its characteristics are enhanced by a glossary and step-by-step guide to gesso cutting and gilding. A complete biography for further reading is included. 22 illustrations, 14 in full color. Softcover,  16  pages $8 Item No. S109

The History of Frames By Robert Kulicke, William Adair, Henry Heydenryk, Jr Originally published as a supplement to Picture Framing Magazine, this 38-page booklet offers a comprehensive overview of frames, from the earliest surviving Egyptian frame to the American welded metal frame of the 1960s. Softcover, 38 pages $8 Item No. S510

Picture Framing Magazine Picture Framing Magazine is the only magazine devoted exclusively to custom picture framing. A one-year subscription includes 12 monthly issues, plus an annual directory of sources of supplies and suppliers. Each monthly issue contains articles on business, frame design, mat decoration, mounting, and much more. Subscribe online, just click here.

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