Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World was written by Sharon Waxman and discusses the ongoing debate involving the western museums and the homelands of ancient artifacts.  Architecture, sculptures, pottery and many other forms of ancient art have been “looted” to bring back to museums in the Western world.

The Elgin Marbles are the most known example.  The Earl of Eglin excavated parts of the Parthenon’s Architecture in 1802  and brought it back to house in the British Museum.  Many people belive that because they were purchased at the time, England legally owns them.  They also believe that becuase they are in a museum, they are being preserved much better than they would be if they were still at the original site.  Many, including myself, also believe that the point of a museum is to educate the world about other cultures and customs, so leaving these artifacts in their original locations, limits the amount of information exposed to the rest of the world.

Many of the artifacts that have been scattered over the western museums, however, have been illegally obtained.  People like Zahi Hawass, the secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, have been fighting for years to get these artifacts back into their original countries.  The infamous head of Nefertiti (Egyptian Museum in Berlin), Rosetta Stone (British Museum), the Zodiac Ceiling of Denderah (Louvre), Statue of Hemiunu (Hildesheim, Germany), and the Ankhaf Sculpture (Boston Museum of Fine Arts)  are all objects that Hawass is after.

“For centuries the West had plundered the treasures of the ancient world to fill its great museums, but the countries where ancient civilizations originated have begun to push back, taking museums to court and prosecuting curators.

Sharon Waxman brindgs us inside the high-stakes conflict, as Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Italy face down the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum, the British Museum, and the J.Paul Getty Museum to force the return of these priceless objects.

Waxman shows how a few determined characters may yet strip these museums of some of their most cherished treasures, and she lays bare the stakes for the future of cultural exchange.”

-Sarah Clinton

This month the National Geographic came out with a new collection of great photographs from around the world!  Image Collection reveals images taken from space, under water, and the seven continents as well as a diverse subject matter.  Landscapes, seascapes, animal life and people of varying cultures are pictured.   Action shots of fighting lions in Africa contrast with serene shots of pepper valleys in Peru and chemistry labs giving everyone something to enjoy.  One of my favorite photographs included is a black-and-white of a figure painting class at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1936, and depicts the students as well as their half finished canvases.  The more recent digital photographs show bright colors such as the ones in the 2008 photograph of Stonehenge by Ken Geiger.

“These superb selections, many never before published, represent the very finest of more than 11 million images focused on four major themes of perennial interest to our readers: ‘Exploration,’ ‘Wildlife,’ ‘People and Culture,’ and ‘Science and Climate Change.’  Authoritative text assesses the collection fro a variety of perspectives–historic, artistic, technical, and journalistic alike–but in truth the hundreds of unforgettable images speak fro themselves, and the result is both a colorful cross-section of the world’s many wonders and concise visual history of photography itself, from early, cumbersome black-and-white cameras to the latest in digital equipment” (from the jacket).

-Sarah Clinton

Annie Leibovitz is an accomplished photographer with galleries all over the world. Some of her most famous works are portraits, like the ones in American Music, which focuses on musicians.  She covers a wide range of artists that everyone can enjoy, including The North Mississippi Allstars, Blondie, Johnny Cash, The White Stripes and Beck.  For anyone who likes photography, Annie Leibovitz is an excellent artist, and anyone who likes music will definitely enjoy this wonderful collection of photographs.

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Vanity Fair Portraits is a collection of  photographs that were first featured in the magazine.  Photographers include Herb Ritts, Chuck Close, and Annie Leibovitz, just to name a few, while the subjects include presidents, movie stars, fashion designers, and many more.

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The Travel Book is another great coffee table book.  Along with the intriguing photography from all over the world, there is also information about the best times to visit, what you should eat and drink, the trademarks of the locations, and even interesting bits of info that you may want to know while there.

-Sarah Clinton

A lot of the world’s most recognized art comes from Italy.  From Giotto to Da Vinci to Modigliani, Italy has produced some of the most influential sculptures, paintings, and architecture. Filippo Brunelleschi is one of those artists.

Ross King recounts the events of Brunelleschi’s great feat in his book Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture. Florence had built the Santa Maria del Fiore over a century before, but underestimated the size of the dome.  The gap that was left for the dome proved to be larger than the dome built for the Pantheon in Rome, which until that date was the largest dome constructed.  Unable to figure out a safe way to go about building this structure, the church was left opened and exposed for decades.

King tells multiple stories about the construction of the dome and Brunelleschi’s personality, including how he won the contest for the commission.

“In this parable Filippo suggests to the wardens that whoever can make an egg stand on end on a flat piece of marble should win the commission.  When all of the other contestants fail the test, Filippo simply cracks the egg on the bottom and then stands it upright.”

King also tells of Brunelleschi’s many new inventions that would help the building process become more efficient.  He created an ox-hoist with a secondary set of gears so that the bricks could be pulled up to the workers.  This way the workers didn’t have to carry the supplies up to the dome, which saved time and energy.  Other inventions were made, as well as new plans for the support of the large dome that were unheard of.

King’s national bestseller not only touches on the innovative construction methods used by Brunelleschi, but also the stories and events that made this architect inspiring.  Similar to Leonardo Da Vinci’s love of science and experiments, Brunelleschi takes us into a new way of looking at architecture that still inspires architects and artists around the world.

-Sarah Clinton

Recently, an interior decorator friend of mine mentioned that her business is as busy as ever. Apparently, people are spending more time at home, entertaining at home and putting more money into their homes due to the . . . recession? It surprised me at first but it makes a lot of sense, so I thought I’d highlight a few of the fun decorating books in the architecture and decorating section.

Before I start listing all my favorite decorating books I’ll let you in on how I pick ’em… First off the style must be creative! Even if the room is decorated very traditionally give me a little color or a unique piece of furniture. Secondly, I like the books that picture homes in which people actually live. Bunny Williams and Charlotte Moss have published some beautiful books but give me shabby chic any day over a room that isn’t set up for FLOPPIN’!!

The decorating books that I enjoy most are inspiring. I enjoy books that give me fun ideas and show me how to arrange my furniture… by which I mean my life…. more efficiently… so I often mine apartment books. Even though I don’t live in an apartment, these books are generally a bit more casual and they illustrate functional ways to optimize space. One of my favorite books is called Apartment Therapy and also has an awesome website… check it out: apartmenttherapy.com

Another one of my favorites is an oldie but goodie entitled, Old and New. Although I’m usually not wild about miniature books, this book is so well done and practical that I recommend it to everyone. Old and New gives great examples of  how to combine antiques (aka “hand me downs”) with modern furniture. Since most of us inherit our furniture from relatives, marriages and garage sales, it serves us well to refresh our skills in making different style pieces flow together in a room.

Are you looking for Do It Yourself ideas? The Recycled Home offers lots of inspiration for rethinking uses for materials and objects that are all around us. My favorite is an old shipping pallet that has been mounted on a wall and used to display plates… it is very French country chic! Also, if you have a chance to check out The Recycled Home, notice the super cool runner (aka rug) that was created from an assortment of Oriental Rugs stitched together.

Last but not least, my new favorite decorating book is called Downtown Chic, written by a couple, Robert and Cortney Novogratz, who own Sixx Design and have a fabulous flair for renovating old buildings as well as finding awesome sources for artsy, vintage and otherwise fantastic furniture and architectural detail. The first image on this post is from one of their projects and features a great garage door that opens and allows fresh air to come right in the kitchen. They have a website, Sixx Design, and they will have a show on Bravo that airs in January 2010… also, check out this other cool website recommended in  Downtown Chic: Coco + Kelley

Have fun reading and decorating–Caroline

Lots of people know about Lemuria’s stellar reputation for carrying First Editions and signed books but what some may not realize is that we also have some rare collectibles. If you’re a book collector or a collector of collectibles who likes to collect, you should definitely check out our First Editions room and our Fine First Editions room. Customers are always welcome to browse (AND BUY!) from these special collections. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that both rooms double as offices… just come on in and shop!

It helps to know what you’re getting into before you take on Lemuria’s First Editions Rooms. Our primary First Editions Room consists of both signed and unsigned books including First Editions, Advanced Readers Copies, Uncorrected Proofs and Limited Editions. The books in the First Editions Room start at the retail price and go up to $100-$200, whereas the books in the Fine First Editions Room begin at $100-$200 and higher.

Over the years John has accrued a wide variety of super cool things… everything from signed baseballs, books and posters to signed Bibles. There are lots of cheesy quips I could make about the “signed Bible” but I figure I’ll just explain that in 1999 Barry Moser published the only 20th century edition of the King James Bible that is illustrated by just one artist. Moser’s Holy Bible has an original illustration for every book of the Old and New Testaments. The limited edition of the book is two hand-bound volumes. Each volume is laid into its own linen covered tray case and the bindings are full limp vellum (animal hide) with titles stamped in 24-karat gold on the cover and spine. Only 400 copies of the limited edition were printed and they currently sell for $12,500 a piece… yes, you read that correctly, $12,500! According to Moser, the paper for each book of the Bible is made up of one goat… so you can understand why the limited edition is worth this much.

However, if the limited edition is out of your price range you may want to check out the facsimile of the book, also published in 1999 by Viking Press. Viking’s edition is much more affordable at $175 but needless to say, is not quite as rare. You can find a copy of Viking’s edition of The Holy Bible in the ART CASE…

The Art Case is one of the most neglected treasures in Lemuria. It provides a home for rare and out of print art books as well as oversized books that don’t fit on other shelves and may otherwise be overlooked on displays around the store.

Some other cool books you might find if you browse through the art case include:

Le Corbusier’s Sketchbooks in volumes three and four which are both out of print

Venice: The Grand Canal, by Daniele Resini, a photography book that is made up of one continual page that extends from the book’s case and exhibits each side of the canal in its entirety, one side on the front page and the other side of the canal on the back page.

Later Chinese Painting and Calligraphy: 1800-1950 by Robert Hatfield Ellsworth

If you’re a book collector or a collector of collectibles who likes to collect, you should definitely check out our First Editions Room, Fine First Editions Room and our beautiful selection of books in the art section and particularly, in the Art Case.

Each week, members of MAC’s staff host “The Mississippi Arts Hour,” a radio program broadcast on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s digital radio network, as well as on WLEZ(103.7 FM) in Jackson, Mississippi. The show features interviews with Mississippi artists, musicians, craftspeople, and others involved in arts and culture from around the state.

Broadcast Schedule:

Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Think Radio (statewide FM signal): Sundays, 3:00-4:00pm

Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Music Radio (statewide digital signal): Saturdays, 11:00am-12:00pm
You can also listen online at the MPB Radio page

WLEZ (100.1 FM) in Jackson:
Thursdays, 5:00-6:00pm and Sundays, 8:00-9:00pm

For artists or organizations who are interested in being considered for the show, please visit this page.

“Every culture needs beauty,” American expatriate photographer Miguel Gavin says. “And every culture defines what ‘beauty’ is.”

Jazz Age Beauties: The Lost Collection of Ziegfeld Photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston by Robert Hudovernik is a truly stunning photographic assemblage of the Ziegfeld girls. Indeed, Johnston bewitches, fascinates and enchants the viewer with his subjects- dancers and performers- real beauties of the Jazz Age, trained to reveal a mesmerizing “line of beauty”: chin held high and confident, gaze aloof, posture elevating and long.

In addition to scores of photographs, the book also provides the reader with background on the creation of the Ziegfeld Follies as well as stories and captions about the many girls who were trained to embody Ziegfeld’s vision of beauty. Certainly Ziegfeld had his own formula of beauty which cast aside any woman of “ethnic type” and promoted the Anglo-Saxon woman. Furthermore, Ziegfeld forbade suntans and promoted the “protection of whiteness.”

Despite Ziegfeld’s narrow vision of beauty, one cannot help but admire the craft of these young women. While many of the photographs are nudes, they are not photos exposing skin for the sake of exposing skin. These women were highly trained in their craft, every aspect of the photo–scene drapes, costuming, posture, gaze and poise–designed to present a “cathedral of beauty,” dimming the uncertainty, struggle and pain of World War I.