Publication Date:May 1, 2007 Shipping:Eligible for Super Saver Shipping Availability:Usually ships in 24 hours
Editorial Reviews:
Product Description Enter the world of cornices, cupolas, and colonnettes, prestigious architects, and even more prestigious residentsCharming and deeply informative, part historical detective work and part gossip column, this 400-page book offers an architectural and social history of one of San Francisco s most attractive neighborhoods, Pacific Heights. Illustrated with specially commissioned art, the book tells the stories of 110 houses designed variously by Ernest Coxhead, Willis Polk, Houghton Sawyer, Julia Morgan, William Wurster, and other great architects, along with lively and engaging accounts of the moguls, entrepreneurs, artists, mariners, recluses, and charlatans who have lived in them.
Customer Reviews:
A hundred of the structures of one of San Francisco's richest neighborhoodsJune 20, 2008 Part historical piece and part gossip, GABLES AND FABLES: A PORTRAIT OF SAN FRANCISCO'S PACIFIC HEIGHTS tours over a hundred of the structures of one of San Francisco's richest neighborhoods, blending architectural observation with a social history of the city that is perfect for any California history library. Chapters survey changing ownerships, politics, and social life surrounding these structures, with line drawings by Kit Haskell rounding out the historical backgrounds.
Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch
the fascinating houses of Pacific Heights in san franciscoJune 8, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful presentation of many fabulous houses in San francisco. it is an easy read and very pleasurable.
Gables & Fables - the new bible for Pacific HeightsMay 28, 2007 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you love San Francisco and its neighborhoods, Gables and Fables is an outstanding entry to the list of fine books documenting Pacific Heights. This book offers a compilation of articles written with a light, engaging style reminiscent of your favorite tour guide. Pick it up, read a few vignettes and set it down entertained by an insiders' tour of some of the neighborhood's fascinating homes. Anne and Arthur Bloomfield captured the essence of San Francisco and its unique flavor that includes the stories and secrets behind the doors.
The accompanying illustrations by Kit Haskell offer superb views of each subject. Sketched with care and an eye for architectural detail and flair, the artist captures the essence of the homes, buildings and architectural gems. An Illustration precedes every structure described by the authors, highlighting the topic and bringing it to life.
Each section includes a hand-drawn map. Put on your own home tour for visiting friends and show off your knowledge of the city. This book ranks high on my list of must haves for San Francisco aficionados.
