Synopses & Reviews
Wisconsinandrsquo;s Own tells the story of the considerable contribution Wisconsinandrsquo;s historic homes have made to American residential architecture. It also answers questions youandrsquo;ve likely asked when youandrsquo;ve seen a notable historic home: Who built this house? What brought them here? Why did they select that particular style? How is it that this historic home still stands today, despite development pressures?Authors M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman and the Wisconsin Historical Society researched and carefully considered 1,500 potential houses before narrowing the selection to twenty of the stateandrsquo;s most remarkable residences built between 1854 and 1939. The houses are a mix of public ones you may have visited and private homes youandrsquo;ve been hoping for an invitation to explore. The homes are representative of the varied architectural styles in Wisconsin, from an Italianate along the Mississippi and an interpretation of a sixteenth-century northern Italian villa overlooking Lake Michigan to an Adirondack-style camp in the North Woods and a fourteen-bedroom Georgian Revival mansion on Lake Geneva. The Prairie School is, of course, represented, with examples by Frank Lloyd Wright and his mentor Louis Sullivan.and#160;Richly illustrated with the photography of Zane Williams complemented by historical images and watercolors and line drawings by the authors, Wisconsinandrsquo;s Own offers an intimate tour of residential treasures that have endured the test of time.
Review
"As a journalist who has written about Madison for thirty years now, I am often asked what it is about this city that makes it so special to so many people. There has never been a short answer -- until now. Zane Williams' wonderful new book of photographs captures Madison in all its diversity and vitality and its quiet moments too. He takes us to the Farmers' Market and inside the Capitol and out on the Union Terrace, where for generations young people have sat and dreamed of one day making their mark on the world. Zane Williams has made his as an artist with a camera, and he has never been better than in this ode to his home town. I love this city and this book." - Doug Moe, daily columnist, The Capital Times
Review
andquot;In a very real sense, history is just stories about people. This marvelous book uses stories about peopleandmdash;where they came from, what they believed in, what they dreamed of, and especially what kind of homes they builtandmdash;to present a compelling history of a special part of America. From a quirky octagon of the 1850s to an Art Moderne marvel of the 1930s, the houses on these pages remind us of the richness of Wisconsinandrsquo;s heritageandmdash;and the importance of keeping it intact and alive.andquot; (Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation)and#160;andquot;Wisconsin's Own: Twenty Remarkable Homes is so visually and intellectually stunning that you can forget the iPad or Kindle. You'll want to hold this exhaustively researched book in your hands. It's easy to lose hours savoring the photos, detailed historic images and informative text.and#160;Many people think the state's architectural legacy begins and ends with Frank Lloyd Wright. Milwaukee architects-cum-authors M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman prove them wrong. They studied 1,500 residences to produce this private tour of the state's 20 most architecturally and historically significant homes. The pedigrees of these homesandmdash;built between 1854 and 1939andmdash;derive from the industrial magnates and celebrities who once owned them.and#160;A must-see for lovers of historic homes.andquot; (Mary Van de Kamp Nohl, Milwaukee Magazine)and#160;andquot;The domiciles are artfully yet simply represented with 380 color and black-and-white images. The book is highly readable from cover to cover but will also offer new information and inspiration to readers who wish to browse. Sidebars provide concise answers to questions about architectural styles and architects. Beautiful images of the homes, their rooms, and architectural details can be found on every page.andquot; (Valerie Nye, Library Journal)and#160;andldquo;Each of these indeed remarkable homes is presented in detail with stunning color illustrations, which include Zane Williamsandrsquo;s new photography of each impeccably preserved site, historical photographs of the homes from the time of their first residents, maps, and exquisite full-color elevations and plans handdrawn by Connolly and Wasserman. The drawings are so impressiveandmdash;serving both as nuggets of information and tiny works of artandmdash;that one is grateful for and delighted by the appendix that describes the authorsandrsquo; drawing process in full detail. The images alone that grace Wisconsinandrsquo;s Own are enough to keep this book placed prominently on the coffee table, but the illuminating, well-researched, and pleasantly narrative text will keep readers from simply flipping through it like a picture book.andrdquo; (Kara Mason, ForeWord Reviews)and#160;andldquo;A richly detailed, generously illustrated study of historic, opulent Wisconsin homes. This is not a pretty coffee-table book. With its clear, intelligent essays and color photography, it is the hardbound equivalent of a friendly and knowing docent walk through theses manses.andrdquo; (Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Review
2010 Goldand#160;in the Home and Garden Category from Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Awards
2010 Winnerand#160;in the Total Book Design Category from Midwest Independent Publishers Association Book Awards
2010 Outstanding Achievement from Wisconsin Library Association Literary Awards
2010 Honorable Mention in the Non-fiction Category from the Council of Wisconsin Writers
2011 Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History
2011 Winner in the Architecture Category from National Indie Excellence Awards
2011 Grand Prize Winner in the Best Design Category from Next Generation Book Awards
2011 Silver in the Historical/Biographical Category from PubWest Book Design Awards
Synopsis
Wisconsin s Own tells the story of the considerable contribution Wisconsin s historic homes have made to American residential architecture. It also answers questions you ve likely asked when you ve seen a notable historic home: Who built this house? What brought them here? Why did they select that particular style? How is it that this historic home still stands today, despite development pressures?
Authors M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman and the Wisconsin Historical Society researched and carefully considered 1,500 potential houses before narrowing the selection to twenty of the state s most remarkable residences built between 1854 and 1939. The houses are a mix of public ones you may have visited and private homes you ve been hoping for an invitation to explore. The homes are representative of the varied architectural styles in Wisconsin, from an Italianate along the Mississippi and an interpretation of a sixteenth-century northern Italian villa overlooking Lake Michigan to an Adirondack-style camp in the North Woods and a fourteen-bedroom Georgian Revival mansion on Lake Geneva. The Prairie School is, of course, represented, with examples by Frank Lloyd Wright and his mentor Louis Sullivan.Richly illustrated with the photography of Zane Williams complemented by historical images and watercolors and line drawings by the authors,
Wisconsin s Own offers an intimate tour of residential treasures that have endured the test of time."
Synopsis
Take an intimate journey through the family, history, and architecture of 20 residential treasures in Wisconsin's Own by M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman. Richly illustrated with the photography of Zane Williams and complemented by historical images and watercolors and line drawings, Wisconsin's Own profiles the architectural history of state's most remarkable residences built between 1854 and 1939. The houses are a mix of public and private homes that are representative of varied architectural styles, from an Italianate along the Mississippi River and an interpretation of a sixteenth-century northern Italian villa overlooking Lake Michigan to an Adirondack-style camp in the North Woods and a fourteen-bedroom Georgian Revival mansion on Lake Geneva. Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School is, of course, represented as well with examples by Wright and his mentor Louis Sullivan.
Wisconsin's Own tells the story of the considerable contribution that each of these historic homes have made to American residential architecture. It also answers the questions who built the house, what brought them to Wisconsin, why they selected that particular style, and how it is that this historic home still stands--and shines--today.
Synopsis
Wisconsinandrsquo;s Own tells the story of the considerable contribution Wisconsinandrsquo;s historic homes have made to American residential architecture. Authors M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman and the Wisconsin Historical Society researched and carefully considered 1,500 potential houses before narrowing the selection to twenty of the stateandrsquo;s most remarkable residences built between 1854 and 1939. Richly illustrated with the photography of Zane Williams complemented by historical images and watercolors and line drawings by the authors, Wisconsinandrsquo;s Own offers an intimate tour of residential treasures that have endured the test of time.
Synopsis
Featuring interviews and observations from historians and architects, historic photos and breathtaking video tours of each of the properties, the program reveals the inspiration behind the design of each home, the goals of the original owners and the careful preservation by modern caretakers. Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin complements Wisconsin's Own: 20 Remarkable Homes, a book from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Funding for Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin provided by The Jeffris Family Foundation and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.
Synopsis
Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin
Join host Michael K. Bridgeman for a tour of Wadsworth Hall in Lake Geneva, the Havilah Babcock House in Neenah, Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien, the Island of Happy Days in Birchwood, the Brooks Stevens House in Fox Point and Wingspread in Wind Point.
Highlighting iconic residences that reflect the aspirations, culture and design of their respective eras, Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin takes viewers inside six beautiful houses that span the state's history and geography.
Featuring interviews and observations from historians and architects, historic photos and breathtaking video tours of each of the properties, the program reveals the inspiration behind the design of each home, the goals of the original owners and the careful preservation by modern caretakers. Decades after their construction, these treasured buildings are still a vibrant part of their communities serving as museums, meeting places, vacation destinations or private residences. Venture inside each of these spaces to uncover the splendor of Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin.
Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin complements Wisconsin's Own: 20 Remarkable Homes, a book from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Funding for Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin provided by The Jeffris Family Foundation and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.
About the Author
Wisconsin Public Television celebrates its long history as an innovator in public television every day. One of the earliest educational public television stations in the United States, WPT's roots date back to the inception of Madison-based WHA-TV in 1954. Since then, it has grown into a statewide network of six stations devoted to sharing the stories of the people of Wisconsin through television broadcasts, community events and engagement. Many of these programs, including the celebrated Wisconsin Hometown Stories project, the Wisconsin War Stories series and two recent Jerry Apps farm history programs, have evolved from a strong partnership between WPT and the Wisconsin Historical Society.