Noted historian Roger Moss provides a concise history of lighting and a resource of over 480 suitable reproductions organized by light source and fixture type. Includes valuable bibliography, suppliers and glossary. Highly recommended.

Roger Moss's new book on the historic house museums in greater Philadelphia fills a void that has existed for a long time. From the turn of the century through the 1920's there were many guides published to help a newly mobile society re-discover the landmarks that the new highways were both making more accessible and threatening. The Bicentennial did not bring a major updating of the available literature, but it did give many local historical societies and sites a major boost. This new book spotlights many of the smaller house museums in groupings meant to encourage touring. While not an architectural guide, the design of the buildings is given equal emphasis with descriptions of the history and collections. There are many interesting themes that are independent of specific buildings. The introduction recaps the history of historic preservation in Philadelphia in the context of the national movement, with the early effort to preserve Independence Hall and other 's! hrines' of democracy. A theme of this topic is the relationship of private citizens and the government. Many of the sites described are only still in existence due to the efforts of concerned individuals, families, or grass roots organizations. Women play a particularly important role, again through individual efforts or through groups such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Colonial Dames, or women's groups connected with museums. The huge number (relatively speaking) of historic sites in the immediate area makes any kind of guide a daunting proposition. Moss cites almost 200 house museums alone. His criteria for inclusion in this book consisted of location, original use as a residence, being open to the public without a special appointment, and finally, those houses where the interiors and collections are also distinguished. The fifty properties are grouped geographically to encourage visitation of multiple sites in one trip. The text aids in planning da! y trips. The text is very informative, with the themes pr! eviously mentioned, and interesting anecdotal information. For example, an owner of the Physick House stripped out most of the original woodwork because of her phobia about dust. The Barclay Farmstead is a 32 acre park in the middle of Cherry Hill, The Solitude sits in the middle of the Philadelphia Zoo, Woodlands in a cemetery. Harriton in Bryn Mawr was originally a tobacco plantation with slaves. Henry Mercer's 44 room house in Doylestown with 44 rooms 200 windows and 18 fireplaces is built entirely of reinforced concrete. The generous support of the Barra Foundation ensured that the production of the book is of the highest quality, and available at a moderate price. The photography by the noted local architectural specialist Tom Crane is first rate. In combination with the text the illustrations are a strong enticement to take a few weeks off, hop in a car, and start checking off the list.

Researching a mystery novel with a Victorian subplot, I pillaged the library for reference books. This one (I've just ordered my own copy) stands far above the rest. Not only are the details accessible, but the book references design mavens and trendsetters of that time so you can follow those research threads as well. Only problem is the maddening absence of color in sections addressing color. The black and white "color wheel" on pg.130 has got to be a first. And what on earth is "citron?" Beyond that, however, this is a well-organized goldmine of thoroughgoing detail about Victorian decorating bound to delight those interested in authenticity.

I voluteer at an 1844 farm in Ann Arbor, MI. I have been researching paint colors and wallpaper for a sitting room and this book was the best source I have found. There is good descriptions of the tastes and styles of each time period as well as some pictures that really show what they are talking about. More pictures would have been helpful, but it's good book for those looking to do true historic restoration. My one problem with the book is the lack of paint colors. It will say, "they used to paint the rooms blue-green, grey or yellow" but the book doesn't show what these colors looked like or even what the color range to begin in. That is my only criticism. If you are looking to be completely accurate with your restoration more work and research would be required, but this book is the best place to start.

Two years ago, we moved into a house built in 1875, and bought up an armload of Victoriana books to tell us what to do with it. Most of them were "decorator porn" -- lots of gorgeous pictures (many photographing the same places) that inspire a person to go antique hunting or to refinish Aunt Martha's rocker. This book is different! It divides 70 years into 4 periods, and for each, tells you plenty about what went on the walls, on the floors,on the windows, on the ceilings. It tells how the composition of paint (and its effects) evolved over the century, recommends books for sources of historic wallpapers, and tells how to recapture Victorian room colors amidst modern lighting. Generous notes on bygone lifestyles, too, with sprinkled quotes from Charles Eastlake, Godey's Lady's Book, and other 19th century gurus of taste. If you want something to help you capture the look (or just understand it) of another century, here it is. More encyclopedic than (the also useful, but much shorter) "Creating Authentic Victorian Rooms." The downside? Very low porn quotient: No glossy paper and few colored pictures (even for contemporary photographs)--but numerous 19th-century prints and diagrams.

This book is over 110 pages and every page has at least one picture, and most have two or three.

Beyond the good information re: color schemes, there is a lot of information in this book about the 101 details (fretwork, finials, porches, etc) of an old house.

Unfortunately, there are precious few old drawings and the ones they do have are done in muted browns and beiges. Now, I know they didn't have color photos back in those days, but I do wish they'd included more color pictures (drawings) of these old houses.

There are also some very interesting old paint ads - such as one that suggests the right house paint is *the* key to health and happiness. The book also contains plenty of written information and history, which is interesting reading.

And the photos/drawings offer a nice blend of the ostentatious Queen Annes and by contrast, the simple and modest "Builder's Style" homes.

I'm an old house purist trying to redo my simple old home as authentically as possible. This book is a good resource for that.

I really enjoyed all the details and information so that I can paint my own Victorian home. Good color combinations, great historical information. I do wish there had been a few more photos of correctly painted homes.