"Plain or fancy, natural or painted, American wicker represents a significant and distinctive achievement in the international arena of the decorative arts. The fascinating history of American woven furnishings, from the mid-nineteenth century to the Great Depression, is offered in this volume, published on the occasion of an exhibition organized by the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C." "Although basketweave furniture is "as old as history itself" and indigenous to many parts of the world, in the United States it blossomed into an astoundingly rich and meaningful art form. The story of American wicker is like the saga of America, for the design, manufacture, use, and symbolism of woven furniture directly reflect the nation's changing social, cultural, and aesthetic values during its most transformative era." "In 1620 the first Pilgrim born on North American shores was rocked aboard the Mayflower in a willow cradle, but the real birth and flowering of the American wicker industry occurred during the nineteenth century when the freewheeling entrepreneurial spirit of the times brought forth important technological innovations and set the scene for the intense commercial rivalry of two principal manufacturers - the Massachusetts-based Wakefield Rattan Company and Heywood Brothers and Company - who, singularly and in merger, dominated the industry well into the early decades of the twentieth century."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

From his seemingly "poor boy makes good" childhood to his college years, this piercing, perceptive examination of the people, places, and events that shaped the character of Richard Nixon gives the reader a rare and a fair glimpse of the forces that shaped him. "From the Trade Paperback edition.

Complete reproduction of rare 1897 premiere issue of most famous wicker company catalog; probably finest primary source. Includes rocking chairs, armchairs, divans, tables, cabinets, etc. Over 400 illustrations.

This beautifully designed volume is the comprehensive book on wicker. Learn how wicker is made, all about the different styles and types, and how to restore and maintain your own wicker furniture. The book covers different types of wicker from the Victorian style, with twisted rosettes and cabriole legs, to Art Deco furniture of the 1950s with brightly colored fabrics and modern lines. Author and designer Mary Whitesides teaches you how to decorate with wicker, using creative ideas to incorporate it into many different styles of homes. Don't be fooled into thinking wicker is just for the sunroom or an outdoor patio. Wicker has great decorating possibilities and can be combined with furniture in many different styles to create a look that can be casual or formal, vintage or modern. The chapter on decorating with wicker shows examples from dozens of settings so you can see how easily wicker is incorporated into rooms for the look you desire. Wicker also includes information on what to look for in buying vintage wicker, how to care for and maintain your wicker, and how to restore antique pieces. A complete resource directory of national and international companies where you can purchase wicker is included. With 140 gorgeous full-color photographs, this book will show you how versatile and beautiful wicker can be.

For twenty-five years Tom Wicker wrote for The New York Times with passion and intelligence, educating a generation of readers on important social and political issues of the day. In Tragic Failure, this keen observer assesses the failure of racial integration in America. Thirty years after the landmark achievements of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, racial equality has made little progress and has, in fact, suffered setbacks as issues such as affirmative action, welfare reform, crime, and unemployment have made race the subtext for bitter political debate. Here, Mr. Wicker examines the current state of race relations and proposes some bold solutions-including major political realignment-to the disturbing and complex problems of race in America.

An American icon and hero faces a nation--and a world--in transition A bona-fide American hero at the close of World War II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower rode an enormous wave of popularity into the Oval Office seven years later. Though we may view the Eisenhower years through a hazy lens of 1950s nostalgia, historians consider his presidency one of the least successful. At home there was civil rights unrest, McCarthyism, and a deteriorating economy; internationally, the Cold War was deepening. But despite his tendency toward "brinksmanship," Ike would later be revered for "keeping the peace." Still, his actions and policies at the onset of his career, covered by Tom Wicker, would haunt Americans of future generations.