- Paperback: 96 pages
- Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (1 Nov 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0810929392
- ISBN-13: 978-0810929395
- Product Dimensions: 25.5 x 20.4 x 0.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,122,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Synopsis
Published in conjunction with the Fall 2000 exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, this volume contains color reproductions of original vintage artworks created to illustrate magazine stories or books. Focusing on the enthusiastic embrace of a particular 20th-century spirit, they form a visual archaeology
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
aharlib@worldnet.att.net 'Out of Time: Designs for the Twentieth Century Future' by Norman Brosterman is a glossy 8 X 10" trade paperback which gathers together numerous, rather fascinating and fun images of what has now become standard, even cliched concepts of the future: flying, domed cities; bubble-topped cars; humanoid robots; monorails; rocket ships, etc.---the output of talented American dsigners, artists and illustrators who, in the period covering the 1890s to the mid-1960s, focused their imaginations on rendering 'things to come'. 'Out of Time', utterly enjoyable as a book in its own right, also serves as the catalog of a Smithsonian Institute sponsored 3 year traveling exhibition also curated by author Norman Brosterman, a NY-based writer, architect, artist, and collector of modern cultural artifacts whose own possessions comprised a considerable proportion of the contents celebrated herein. Interest in this volume is vastly increased due to the fact that few of the orignal water colors, oil paintings aand pen-and-ink drawings which took Brosterman years to track down have ever been displayed for the public before.
Essentially, 'Out of Time' is a wonderful nostalgia trip for those who grew up relishing the old pulp magazines, popular technology periodicals and promotions for the 1939 NY World's Fair. It will be a revelation for later generations who are curious about the work of the "inveterate technodreamers" who imagined an alternative 20th century with visions that had an impact and influence on the real world---in industrial and automotive design, fashion, warfare, the exploration of space, and the arts---that was widespread albeit hardly recognized at the time.
'Out of Time' is not only filled with illustrations (many in full color), but offers substantial text giving the historical context for the visual archeology of industrial, architectural and fanciful design for the world to come. Sections of the book are devoted to: the future as history, as visualized in illustrations for science fiction stories; and the future as style as depicted in architectural designs, renderings of transportation of all types (especially flying machines and space vehicles) and conceptions of robots. An appendix is also included of brief biographical sketches of the artists whose work can be found in the book---most notably: Frank R. Paul, Alex Schomburg, Alexander Leydenfrost, Cheslay Bonestell, Virgil Finlay and Hannes Bok. There is also a bibliography. Thus we have a book---text and images---that has a cumulative effect of gee-whiz, gosh-wow exuberance. 'Out of Time; is a treasure trove that documents the optimistic imaginations of the writers, designers, architects and engineers who envisioned the future as if it were already there---making it the perfect gift for science-fiction afficionados, especially those that love illustrations of yesterday's tomorrows, visions that can be---corny, extravagant, misguided, wild, impractical, awesome, quaint or even dead-on accurate. 'Out of Time' should not be out of place on many bookshelves.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I just love this kind of book. I find looking at the past's look at the future a fascinating subject. Out of time is a book that covers this well, and unusually and usefully also looks at the artists who made the illustrations. Most time in this kind of book you just get slightly cynical comments about how they got it wrong. Out of time spares us that area of the obvious and concentrates instead on what they got right and the motivations for drawing them in the first place.
Another facet that I found illuminating is that in many cases these appear to be new scans from the original artwork, rather than reproductions from the printed originals. Because of this, and I write as a professional illustrator, it is possible to see how the illustration was put together. You can see where (for example) process white was used to add highlights and separate parts of an image. You can also see more detail than I suspect re-scanned pulp artwork would have allowed you to in the original.
If the book has a minor flaw, it's that it concentrates on cities and space. I would have liked to see more cars and trains. That's a minor niggle, but why I gave it four and not five stars.
Another facet that I found illuminating is that in many cases these appear to be new scans from the original artwork, rather than reproductions from the printed originals. Because of this, and I write as a professional illustrator, it is possible to see how the illustration was put together. You can see where (for example) process white was used to add highlights and separate parts of an image. You can also see more detail than I suspect re-scanned pulp artwork would have allowed you to in the original.
If the book has a minor flaw, it's that it concentrates on cities and space. I would have liked to see more cars and trains. That's a minor niggle, but why I gave it four and not five stars.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Out of Time: Designs for the Twentieth-Century Future
11 Nov 2000
Format:Paperback
aharlib@worldnet.att.net 'Out of Time: Designs for the Twentieth Century Future' by Norman Brosterman is a glossy 8 X 10" trade paperback which gathers together numerous, rather fascinating and fun images of what has now become standard, even cliched concepts of the future: flying, domed cities; bubble-topped cars; humanoid robots; monorails; rocket ships, etc.---the output of talented American dsigners, artists and illustrators who, in the period covering the 1890s to the mid-1960s, focused their imaginations on rendering 'things to come'. 'Out of Time', utterly enjoyable as a book in its own right, also serves as the catalog of a Smithsonian Institute sponsored 3 year traveling exhibition also curated by author Norman Brosterman, a NY-based writer, architect, artist, and
collector of modern cultural artifacts whose own possessions comprised a considerable proportion of the contents celebrated herein. Interest in this volume is vastly increased due to the fact that few of the orignal water colors, oil paintings aand pen-and-ink drawings which took Brosterman years to track down have ever been displayed for the public before.
Essentially, 'Out of Time' is a wonderful nostalgia trip for those who grew up relishing the old pulp magazines, popular technology periodicals and promotions for the 1939 NY World's Fair. It will be a revelation for later generations who are curious about the work of the "inveterate technodreamers" who imagined an alternative 20th century with visions that had an impact and influence on the real world---in industrial and automotive design, fashion, warfare, the exploration of space, and the arts---that was widespread albeit hardly recognized at the time.
'Out of Time' is not only filled with illustrations (many in full color), but offers substantial text giving the historical context for the visual archeology of industrial, architectural and fanciful design for the world to come. Sections of the book are devoted to: the future as history, as visualized in illustrations for science fiction stories; and the future as style as depicted in architectural designs, renderings of transportation of all types (especially flying machines and space vehicles) and conceptions of
robots. An appendix is also included of brief biographical sketches of the artists whose work can be found in the book---most notably: Frank R. Paul, Alex Schomburg, Alexander Leydenfrost, Cheslay Bonestell, Virgil Finlay and Hannes Bok. There is also a bibliography. Thus we have a book---text and images---that has a cumulative effect of gee-whiz, gosh-wow exuberance. 'Out of Time; is a treasure trove that documents the optimistic imaginations of the writers, designers, architects
and engineers who envisioned the future as if it were already there---making it the perfect gift for science-fiction afficionados, especially those that love illustrations of yesterday's tomorrows, visions that can be---corny, extravagant, misguided, wild, impractical, awesome, quaint or even dead-on accurate. 'Out of Time' should not be out of place on many bookshelves.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Where's the rest of the book?!
13 Jan 2002
Format:Paperback
This was my first reaction upon opening the parcel containing this book. Truly, it is a wonderful book; chock full of colourful illustrations and lively text. As such, it is a keeper.
Alas, it simply isn't enough! At 96 pages it is barely longer than a two part magazine article.
Where, for example, are the futuristic designs for the 1939 World's Fair? Or the 1962 World's Fair? Or the 1964 World's Fair?
Where are the designs for seminal 50's sci-fi movies like 'Forbidden Planet'?
Where are the concept drawings for Disneyland's Tomorrowland and Epcot Center?
Where are the space age clothing designs of Rudi Gernreich? Where are'The Jetsons'for crying out loud?
Wherever they are, they are not to be found in the pages of this book. Never has a book created within me such a mixture of delight and colossal disappointment.
Alas, it simply isn't enough! At 96 pages it is barely longer than a two part magazine article.
Where, for example, are the futuristic designs for the 1939 World's Fair? Or the 1962 World's Fair? Or the 1964 World's Fair?
Where are the designs for seminal 50's sci-fi movies like 'Forbidden Planet'?
Where are the concept drawings for Disneyland's Tomorrowland and Epcot Center?
Where are the space age clothing designs of Rudi Gernreich? Where are'The Jetsons'for crying out loud?
Wherever they are, they are not to be found in the pages of this book. Never has a book created within me such a mixture of delight and colossal disappointment.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Welcome to the FUTURE!
20 Dec 2003
Format:Paperback
This ia a great book, for science fiction fans or just people interested in future forecasting of the 20th century. The book deals with the ideas, serious or not, of what past artists, scientists and writers thought the future would look like. Cities, cars, airships, rockets, monorails fill the pages of this book, with text which guides you on your tour of the 'future'. Some designs like the floating airports, the car/boat and the monorail HAVE changed reality (for some of us),while other ideas, like the six mile high tower, are not yet available.
My problem, my ONLY problem, with the book is how small it is. At 96 pages it barely covers anything. The chapter on robots is only TWO pages long and only has TWO illustrations. I noticed only ONE underwater city and some drawings, like a few pages on the 'Future City' have no text at all.
Still, it is a great gift for sci-fi fans, future engineers or fans of the cartoon series "Futurama".
My problem, my ONLY problem, with the book is how small it is. At 96 pages it barely covers anything. The chapter on robots is only TWO pages long and only has TWO illustrations. I noticed only ONE underwater city and some drawings, like a few pages on the 'Future City' have no text at all.
Still, it is a great gift for sci-fi fans, future engineers or fans of the cartoon series "Futurama".
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