Oxford has a special place in the history of Pre-Raphaelitism. Thomas Combe (superintendent of the Clarendon Press) encouraged John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt at a crucial early stage of their careers, and his collection became the nucleus of the Ashmolean collection of works by the Brotherhood and their associates. Two young undergraduates, William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones, saw the Combe collection and became enthusiastic converts to the movement. With Dante Gabriel Rossetti, in 1857 they undertook the decoration of the debating chamber (now the Old Library) of the Oxford Union. The group’s champion John Ruskin also studied in Oxford, where he oversaw the design of the University Museum of Natural History and established the Ruskin School of Drawing. Jane Burden, future wife of Morris and muse (probably also lover) of Rossetti, was a local girl, first spotted at the theatre in Oxford.   

Oxford’s key role in the movement has made it a magnet for important bequests and acquisitions, most recently of Burne-Jones’s illustrated letters and paintbrushes. The collection of watercolors and drawings includes a wide variety of appealing works, from Hunt’s first drawing on the back of a tiny envelope for The Light of the World (Keble College), to large, elaborate chalk drawings of Jane Morris by Rossetti. It is especially rich in portraits, which throw an intimate light on the friendships and love affairs of the artists, and in landscapes which reflect Ruskin’s advice to ‘go to nature’.

More than just an exhibition catalog, this book is a showcase of the Ashmolean’s incredible collection, and demonstrates the enormous range of Pre-Raphaelite drawing techniques and media, including pencil, pen and ink, chalk, watercolor, bodycolor and metallic paints. It will include designs for stained glass and furniture, as well as preparatory drawings for some of the well-known paintings in the collection.

The book was compiled and edited by the World Diamond Museum’s chief curator and world-renowned jewelry expert Dr. Usha R Balakrishnan. She and nine other distinguished authors wrote ten monographs written in the order in appearance: Introduction;  The Nizam Diamond: Bala Koh-i-Noor, in the Sacred Trust of the Nizam of Hyderabad – Usha R. Balakrishnan;  Diamonds of the French Crown Jewels: Between East and West – François Farges;  A Concise History of Diamonds from Borneo – Derek J. Content;  Indian Diamonds and the Portuguese Duriing the Rise of the Mughal Empire – Hugo Miguel Crespo;  Two Large Diamonds from India – Jack Ogden;  The Romanov Diamonds: History of Splendour – Stefano Papi;  The Londonderry Jewels, 1819-1959 – Diana Scarisbrick;  Dress to Impress in Southeast Asia – René Brus;  Powerful Women, Important Diamonds – Ruth Peltason;  One in Ten Thousand: The Unique World of Coloured Diamonds – John M. King.

There are names in horological history that echo much more than just watches… Such is the case of Jaquet-Droz, 18th Swiss watchmakers with an international horizon, whose ceremonial clocks, prodigious androids, fashionable birdcages, pocket watches with moving scenes or collector’s snuffboxes remain the stuff of dreams for passionate enthusiasts. Today, the Maison Jaquet Droz continues to draw its inspiration from this rich heritage in order to reinterpret techniques and aesthetics, pushing back the boundaries of watchmaking and representing a perpetual source of fascination for collectors.

Based on the latest research on the subject and published on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-2021), this book offers a deep dive into the history of characters with a captivating journey. Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in what was then the principality of Neuchâtel, Pierre Jaquet-Droz founded a watchmaking workshop and developed it through a combination of technical, artistic and commercial skills enabling it to reach international markets. His son Henry-Louis developed the family business and further diversified production, a significant portion of which found its way to China and its dignitaries, devotees of luxurious and ingenious mechanical marvels.

This richly illustrated book aims to enable a rediscovery of their mechanical masterpieces as well as those of the Maison Jaquet Droz, whose rebirth and recent history are recounted here. These splendid historical and contemporary pieces embody a love of technical challenges and a taste for artistic refinement, adhering as much as possible to the sources of inspiration offered by nature. The Worlds of Jaquet Droz thus reveals part of the expansive universe of pre-industrial watchmaking while drawing parallels between past and present productions.

“A jewel of Baroque architecture, the Castelluccio Palace is the spotlight of a beautiful book retracing its history, its long restoration and its precious ornaments. These photographs reflect the Sicilian Golden Age.” —Fanny Guenon des Mesnards, AD France

“This monograph is an invitation to visit the Palazzo Di Lorenzo del Castelluccio.”—Italian Vogue

“A Palace in Sicily: A Masterpiece Restored doesn’t just pull back the curtain on the finished palace, it details the four-year-long process through an elaborate array of photos…” —Architectural Digest, and Yahoo

With its sun-drenched sands and Mediterranean waters, Sicily has been a favored destination of travelers for centuries. History is alive on this island, from ancient accounts of the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans; to the journals of wealthy young European men embarking on the Grand Tour. This book captures the sun-steeped aesthetic of the island, while detailing the restoration of one of its finest attractions: the Di Lorenzo del Castelluccio palace.

Marquis de Castelluccio was one of the last “servals” or “leopards” of Sicily – wealthy aristocrats who flooded the island with luxury. Following his death, his home fell to ruin. A half-century later, Jean-Louis Remilleux fell in love with this dilapidated 18th-century palace and made it his mission to restore it. Unveiled for the first time in this beautifully illustrated book, the Di Lorenzo del Castelluccio palazzo is one of the finest testaments to Sicilian architecture and art.

Today, lush green palm trees welcome you to the palace’s imposing front façade. Frescoes, arabesques, masks, imitation marble, ceilings and wainscoting have all restored to their former glory, over decades of elaborate work. This book charts the restoration process and celebrates the astonishing end results. It contains an album’s worth of photographs that capture the beauty of this palace beneath the Mediterranean sun.

This detailed two-volume set offers an unparalleled scholarly insight into the history of Danish porcelain. Renowned for its ceramic industry, Denmark earned its status as a leading porcelain exporter through intense rivalry with other firms across Europe. With its factories excelling time and time again at the largest international expositions of the 19th and early 20th century, Danish porcelain took its own place on the world stage.

Founded in 1775, Royal Copenhagen remains one the oldest porcelain manufacturers still in operation today. Throughout its history, the factory has experienced numerous highs and lows, and has weathered more than 130 years of competition from the Bing & Grøndahl Porcelain Factory. After 1882, the two factories were located less than a mile apart, with their flagship stores eventually competing side-by-side for sales in the heart of Copenhagen.

Danish Porcelain was inspired by a two-generation collection of Royal Copenhagen and Bing & Grøndahl porcelain, stoneware and faience begun by the author’s father in 1947. Developed over the past 20 years, this is the first comprehensive publication to critically review the history of both factories, from their beginnings to their eventual merger. Featuring detailed appendices and over 2400 images, these two volumes comprise an important source of information on the history of Danish porcelain, including the many technical and artistic successes of the late 1880s that revolutionized production worldwide.  

The Classicist is an annual journal dedicated to the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts. Focused on the United States’ Washington Mid-Atlantic region, the Classicist No. 18 explores the city’s rich architectural history as well as contemporary examples of classical design through professional and student portfolios as well as academic articles authored by leaders within the field. Contributors include Guest Editor W. Barksdale Maynard, architectural author; Witold Rybczynski, Martin and Margy Meerson Professor Emeritus of Urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania; David Frazer Lewis, Associate Professor of Architectural History at the University of Oxford; and Bryan Clark Green, Director of Historic Preservation for Commonwealth Architects in Richmond. 

“An ode to the architectural wonders of Iran.” — AD Middle East

“A book that you enjoy picking up because there are always new and exciting things to discover in the photos. A very special kind of eye journey and absolutely worth reading!” — Lovely Books

Iran, the former Persia, lies at an interface between West-East and North-South. Several early trade routes crossed the country, connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, and the cultural wealth and scenic beauty of this region has attracted travelers for over 2,000 years. This rich past makes Iran one of the most culturally interesting countries of Asia.

The art of building has a special significance here. In contrast to other fields of knowledge, visual communication is particularly important in architecture. Much cannot be fully described; it must be made visible.

In his book, Sohrab Sardashti immerses us in the dreamlike world of Iranian architecture. At the beginning of the book, the history of Iranian architecture is briefly described. Then an impressive variety of buildings is presented, divided according to their different functions. Mosques, tombs, madrassas, hammams, castles, palaces and more are all covered. The text at the beginning of each chapter briefly explains the nature and history of that type of building, followed by a series of examples with a short text on each, and an abundance of photos taken especially for this book.  

The book allows one to experience the great diversity and fascination of Iranian architecture and is a visual treat for the reader.

In the world of grand touring cars, Aston Martin occupies a special place. The English firm has always distinguished itself by its restraint, by the elegance of its creations, by the discretion of its style, by a reserve rarely observed in a universe that willingly abandons itself to exuberance. This book is devoted to DB models. David Brown relaunched the brand with emblematic cars, including some models that later became legendary, like the famous DB5 of James Bond.

The history of Aston Martin over the past 70 years is organized around eight main designs. They are all strongly typed; directly associated with their creators, and with the nature of the successive owners of the company. Serge Bellu, a specialist in the history of the automobile, has produced a superbly illustrated book on the history of this typically British brand.

Recaptioning Congo places the colonial Congo’s photography history in new perspectives. Six writers and everyday Congolese urban voices take an African-centered look at imperial archival images and provide them with creative, contemporary and/or literary ‘captions’. The book, linked to an exhibition in the photography museum FOMU Antwerp, is based upon the extensive research of the photographic history of colonial Congo (1885 – 1960), conducted by Dr. Sandrine Colard. It contains a wealth of revealing images that highlight the relationship between past and present, Africa and Europe and Belgium and Congo.

Text in English, French and Dutch.

Time is a great mystery. A changeable element, which expands or vanishes, but that appears concrete as it is marked by the passing of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years. The path toward the capture of minutes and seconds coincided with the phases of scientific evolution that allowed man to manufacture watches that are increasingly reliable, but that are also in tune with changes in customs, social needs, and aesthetic canons.

This book covers the art of watch manufactory as well as 60 great models, covering both their technical evolution and style trends. In each chapter in-depth studies will guide the reader to the history of the most important manufacturers, the personalities linked to the models treated, technical innovations, styles of the period, or records achieved by the wristwatches: from the watch that helped Charles Lindbergh during the first transatlantic solo flight, to the one worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on the top of Mount Everest, the most iconic models will be discussed in detail.

Published on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the 200th anniversary of the deciphering of the Rosetta stone, this book responds to the ever-growing enthusiasm and curiosity for Egyptomania.

This concept refers to a collective imagination which was nurtured throughout the 19th and 20th centuries by archeological digs and exploratory trips. These key discoveries were crucial for creation and particularly for the Art Deco artists who found their inspiration in Egyptian lines and patterns.

Art Déco & Egyptomanie explores the origins and functioning of this cultural and artistic movement shaped by many fields: architecture, cinema, sculpture, popular art, theater and fashion.

Art Déco & Egyptomanie comes with an explicit and previously unseen iconography.

Text in French.

Ever since cinema became a popular medium of mass entertainment, audiences have been intensely curious about life and work on a film set. How are films made, we have wondered, hoping that first-hand knowledge of a film set will explain the hold cinema has on us. This book presents rare behind-the-scenes photographs from the personal archive of the cinematographer Josef Wirsching, a pioneer of Indian cinema. Most of these photographs were taken in the 1930s and ’40s when Wirsching was employed at the legendary film studio, Bombay Talkies Ltd. The essays by a variety of scholars and film historians help us understand the historical and imaginative value of Wirsching’s photographic archive. Shot across film sets and outdoor locations, the images comprising of the cast and crew, production stills, and publicity images from the early days of Indian cinema show us that history, and cinema itself, is a vital ongoing project.

Published in association with The Alkazi of Collection of Photography, New Delhi.

In this evocative new book, historian David Kynaston tells the fascinating story of Anthony de Rothschild (1887–1961). Through access to never previously consulted diaries and letters, a three-dimensional picture emerges of a complex and thoughtful man guiding the City’s most famous merchant bank through the turbulent years between the 1920s and 1950s.

In politics he was open-minded and constructive whilst in his philanthropy, not least through his leading role in helping Jewish refugees (especially children) to leave Nazi Germany for England, he was thoughtful and generous. Austere on the surface but warm beneath, impatient equally of fools and idealogues, always searching for how he could contribute to make a better world – Anthony de Rothschild deserves, arguably more than almost anyone else in the 20th-century City, to be known properly by later generations.

For almost 300 years, pocket watches were important accessories for the nobility and middle-classes. In order to store the watches securely and stylishly, artfully designed stands that matched the wearer’s interior were developed and were an impressive reflection of the history of European art and culture from the Baroque to the early 20^th-century. The stands ranged from miniature versions of grandfather and mantle clocks to one-off works of art made from wood, ceramic or metal.

Until now, research on pocket-watch stands has attracted little attention. This publication provides a first representative overview of more than 800 objects from a unique private collection in southern Germany, documenting its wealth of designs, which encompass a large repertoire of Christian, mythological and political themes. Scholarly texts on the history of the objects, their designs, and restoration issues make this an indispensable standard work in this field.

Text in English, German and French.

Between the twilight years of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867) and the end of the Meiji Era (1868–1912) that followed it, photography offered a unique insight into the rapid transformation of Japan from an isolated, feudal society to a modern, industrialized state. In the four decades that followed the opening of the country in 1853, the camera evolved from an imported novelty to a familiar witness of Japanese daily life. Operating from the Treaty Ports of Yokohama and elsewhere, early practitioners of photography plied an often precarious trade in images of Japan and laid the foundations of what would soon become a highly competitive industry with a global reach. Whether cherished as souvenirs of an exotic land of fond imagination or curated as visual documents of a fast-changing society, these images by foreign and Japanese photographers, often packaged in exquisitely produced albums, enjoyed a wide circulation abroad and played an important role in influencing perceptions of Japan in the West well into the early 20th century.
Drawing from an extensive private collection assembled over many years, this book presents a unique selection of 19th century photographs of Japan, many of which are published here for the first time.

Making New Worlds: Li Yuan-chia & Friends is the first book to document the extraordinary activity at the LYC Museum & Art Gallery in Banks, Cumbria between 1972 and 1983. The LYC was the singleminded effort of the artist Li Yuan-chia, who moved to the rural North of England by way of London, Bologna, Taipei and Guangxi, China. At the LYC, Li organized exhibitions, published books, exhibited archelogical artifacts, arranged workshops and welcomed an array of visitors from local and international artists and art workers to nearby residents and travelers, many of whom became friends. In this book, which accompanies an exhibition of the same name at Kettle’s Yard, the curators Hammad Nasar, Amy Tobin and Sarah Victoria Turner, establish Li’s work at the LYC as a form of worldmaking, connecting his cosmic conceptual art practice, to his interest in participation and friendship as well as his engagement with nature and the landscape. Nasar, Tobin and Turner’s account is accompanied by nine short texts – by Elizabeth Fisher, Ysanne Holt, Annie Jael Kwan, Lesley Ma, Gustavo Grandal Montero, Luke Roberts, Nick Sawyer & Harriet Aspin, Nicola Simpson and Diana Yeh – that trace the diverse threads and ramifications of Li’s practice historically and in the present. Richly illustrated, Making New Worlds offers a provocative new way of thinking the history of British art in the 20th century. 

Between the second half of the 15th century and the 20th century, many painters added a fly to both their sacred and profane compositions. It was painted so convincingly that it seemed real. André Chastel, art historian, reconstructed in this book the history of the fly in painting, here reviewed and updated by Sylvia Ferino-Pagden. At least at the beginning, the fly was introduced as an odd masterpiece, an affirmation of the artist’s skill and convictions. A joke for illusionists, which however contains more complex meanings. The fly in painting then evolved. The insect, as we know it, is not well-loved and goes from simply being a nuisance to being the sign of death itself. And over time, la burla di Giotto, Giotto’s joke, generated a series of symbols where the artist wanted to represent the transience and precariousness of life, of earthly joys. The book chases the flies in picture after picture and recounts how the pictures are strewn with even minuscule signals, plots, and traps which, from time to time, take the form of a flower, an insect, a gem. It is a question of knowing how to interpret them to delve into a story that is also an adventure of the human spirit.

Text in English and Italian.

Cosmograph Daytona… a legendary name among watch aficionados, is one that conjures up montages of speed, engines and sound, but is also a symbol of prestige and admiration. The origin of the myth is linked to a city in Florida, Daytona Beach, famous for its motorcycle and automobile races on the beach. In 1959, the Daytona 500 race was born and three years later, Rolex became the official timekeeper of the Daytona International Speedway – hence, the start of the story of the legendary “Cosmograph Daytona”.
The chronograph complication and the history of Rolex have always been inextricably linked. Rolex’s first foray into measuring time began in the 1930s with the manufacture’s very first Oyster chronograph model. In 1963, Rolex launched the Cosmograph Daytona, a sports chronograph that has never stopped evolving in respect to the spirit of the brand, and which has always strived to improve existing technology by pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible.
The history and diversity of this chronograph is such that two (independent) volumes have been devoted to it. This first volume is dedicated to hand-wound Daytonas, manufactured between 1963 and 1988. It is a celebration of its illustrious history, which has been forged by many people, but if we had to choose one person in particular, it would be Paul Newman.