Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. > Glass Book Reviews
Venini Glass Book & Glass Books in general
paradisetrader:
Venini Glass: 1921-1986 by Anna Venini Diaz de Santillana
Can anyone recommend this book ?
Bernard C:
Peter:
As no-one seems to be willing to respond, here is my 2d worth.
On the plus side, it is not her first book on Venini, according to Jackson, so she should know what she is doing, although she since appears to have married into Spanish aristocracy.
On the minus side, I am wary about spending more than about GBP 20 on a book that could be full of pictures of one-off studio pieces and other specials, very unlikely to turn up at car boot sales. Such books have a hard time cost justifying themselves to me.
If it is mainly devoted to standard production output, then it worth almost any price - one good unsigned purchase will justify it.
How about borrowing it from your local library first to have a look.
Regards, Bernard C. 8)
paradisetrader:
Thank you Bernard
As a relative newbie still I have been reluctant to voice those opinions - even thought I've thought them - for fear of being accused of being unwilling to invest in researching my glass passion.
It's true that I'd prefer to spend whatever money I have available on glass rather than glass books but this year I have invested probably more in books than in glass !!
Yes I a have a couple of books that, while they do have valuable information, also have many wasted pages and double spreads on items only to be found in museums or those for which the author can easily optain picture reproduction rights, which is why I'm being more cautious now.
Library - I've already started to look into this option. I did visit my local library about 2 years ago and found, as you say, a pathetic selection. Your advice on inter-library loans is helpful and coincidentally just last night I tapped into the COPAC database to check on the availability of a book.
There is one full of museum pieces which I dont't regret buying - Waltrud Neuwirth's Glas Verre Vetri I 1950-60 which is basically the Murano catalogue of the Austrain Museum of Applied art - a fascinating but modest tome which I fortunately got for significantly less than the original £32.95 price tag in 1990. Yes the original till receipt is still inside. But that is the only one which cost less than £20 in my growing glass book collection.
Indeed the reason why I was asking about this particular book is that its avaliable now on Amazon at a significant discount and Venini being something in the order of the Rolls Royce of Murano I felt I should have something on it - just in case I accidentally come across a serious "find"....you never know.
And before you tell me off about buying online - there is no "local" bookshop in my High Street unless you count Blackstones the other side of The Ministry. I may just as well cycle another 15 minutes to Charing X Road which ain't what it used to be either.
By the by did you see my book recommendations for your pewter ?
Peter
Bernard C:
Peter,
As my above reply looked like the output of a real whinger, I deleted the rambling bits.
Suffice it to say that, the last time I looked, my local reference library had more shelf space devoted to crested china than to glass, once you exclude those dusty old tomes on C17 drinking glasses.
... and I don't tell people off for not patronising their High Street shops - I just point out that when you add in travel or postage costs they're probably cheaper, and, if you don't support them, you might find them all closed and boarded up one day. Sadly, we've recently lost our local jeweller through retirement, which is causing me some anguish as he was wizard at getting my Bagley clocks working properly again, only once ever having to resort to a full replacement mechanism. Unless I can find someone else, I will have to resort to a dunk in WD40 (the clock mechanism, not me) and a prayer!
I've just found your pewter recommendations. Thanks, I had missed them.
Did you see my reply on "Sticky Topics"? Last item on p1.
Finally, apropos of nothing, from Miller's Glass Antiques Checklist - revised edition:
"... the island of Murano, a short distance from the Venetian lagoon ..."
Where? Half a mile inland? Also, on the same page:
"... at the end of the 16thC 3,000 of the 7,000 Muranese were involved with the (glass) industry."
I think it needs a "directly" added to make sense. Once you set foot on the island you are involved, even if you are a greengrocer or a priest.
Bernard C. :lol:
Ivo:
hi guys
just chiming in to agree with the above. I don't know the book in question but it would most liklely be more expensive photography of the same items. I have "Gli Artisti di Venini" (Electa) and "Venetian Glass"(Charta) as well as "Venini Glass Objects"(Venini) - and they all cover the same ground, share the same (factory) photos, contain the same information. It would be quite OK if you specialised in Venini glass - but personally I never see any for sale for love or money. And the unsigned ones you're after do not appear in any book. The good news is that glass books do not go off - they seem to keep their price very well in the long run. Always check for remaindered ones - I ran into 20th century factory glass in Frankfurt the other day...
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