I am sorry, but I never read the book, but I purchased it as a gift for friend. However I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Simmons on a tour of Charleston, South Carolina in 1998. He is an incredibly lively person who is full of humor and has countless stories to share. I remember one in particular, when he spoke of his years as a boy when there were only horse & carriages for transportation. Then he said the age of the automobile came to be and folks would stop whatever they were doing to watch in awe as the automobile went by. Then he chuckled quietly as he descibed the same behavior today when a horse & carriage goes clamoring through town. There are no words to describe the artistic craftmanship of Mr. Simmons iron works, you simply have to see for yourself. As for Mr. Simmons, he is a proud yet humble man about his craft, his works and his life, you should meet him for yourself.

a stirring and engaging account of a man whose life spans almost the whole century, who grew up in a fascinating environment, regularly crossing between worlds while he served an apprenticeship, and went on to cross between other worlds, a folk artist who is regarded by the art world as a peerless sculptor, whose work is exhibited in museums. THis is a great study by a preeminent folklorist that will interest anyone.

John Vlach's book is a thorough study of the architecture of plantation slavery in the South. He primarily used resource materials from the 1930s Historic American Building Survey and WPA interviews with former slaves to develop a social history. The research is solid and comprehensive. Vlach demonstrates ways to interpret the buildings for information about the life of the people who worked and dwelled in them, and he backs up his conclusions with interview materials. It's a terrific way of studying architecture that merges folklife studies with architectural history. The conclusions expanded my understanding about history, and this book is an essential contribution to learning about black history.

This collection of essays and articles is essential reading for anyone interested in America's architectural history. Classic articles on ways to examine architecture in relation to cultural geography are featured prominently in this volume. There are also important pieces of work that link architecture to the history of various ethnic groups, and I especially enjoyed articles that deal with contemporary forms of vernacular expression. This is an important book for anyone interested in the study of folklore, history, art history, and architecture. It could also be useful for practicing architects to read the essays for ideas to inspire their own designs.

i was only vaguely familiar with the subject of african american decorative arts before reading this book a number of years ago. i have since become very familiar with the material, not only as a reader, but as a collector as well. i continue to go back to this book often. it is very informative, and very detailed. it is a must for anyone interested in the decorative arts. two other books i can recommend are signs and symbols: african american quilts by maude s.wahlman, and especially souls grown deep: african american vernacular art of the south, volume one (tinwood books, 2000) by multiple authors. the latter book is, i believe, an essential reader and study guide for anyone interested in art.

John Vlach's book is one of the most important contributions to the study of African-American folklore. Prior to Vlach's study, there had been well-documented and interesting studies of folklore within African-American communities. But Vlach's work is the first thorough study of material folk culture that any folklore researcher had completed on African-American folk culture. It's an in-depth and interesting study, and Vlach paved the way for additional research, some of which offers perspectives and interpretations that critique Vlach's findings. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in black history and culture, and it is filled with excellent documentation and intriguing insights that set the stage a range of important issues that are worth further examination.