Synopses & Reviews
Inspired by a desire to design a new pool for her own Long Island backyard, Kelly Klein sought out and put together the most arresting and iconic photographs of swimming pools in all their various forms to create this unique and stunning book. The photographs are as inspiring as they are moving, revealing an incredible wealth of styles and designs in climates and cultures across the globe, and evoking the sensations of rest and nostalgia, the clarity of water and light, the coexistence of coolness and warmth, and the insinuations of sex and romance that can bring such character to a swimming pool. Included are pools in all shapes, sizes, colors, and settings, from Tangiers and Miami to the ancient magnificence of Hadrian's Villa; from Coney Island to the Côte d'Azur; from the robber baron 1880s through the prosperous 1990s, and captured by great photographers such as Lartigue, Stieglitz, Munkacsi, Weston, Mapplethorpe, and Weber. Republished in its entirety from the original first edition of 1992, including 187 photographs and a note from Esther Williams, Pools is a classic of modern design photography and an inspiration to aesthetes and creative homeowners alike.
About the Author
Kelly Klein is among America's foremost fashion, style, and design photographers. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and went on to work at Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Her iconic images have appeared in numerous magazines and she is also the author of Underworld, Cross, and Emotion. She lives in New York City. Esther Williams is a legendary American actress whose beauty, style, and love for swimming characterized aquatic Hollywood classics such as Neptune's Daughter, Million Dollar Mermaid, and Dangerous When Wet.