Cape Cod Modern wins twenty-first Book Prize

The twenty-first annual Historic New England Book Prize goes to Cape Cod Modern: Midcentury Architecture and Community on the Outer Cape by Peter McMahon and Christine Cipriani.

In addition, Historic New England selected two Honor Books for recognition this year: Bucket Town: Woodenware and Wooden Toys of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1635-1945 by Derin T. Bray and In Plain Sight: Discovering the Furniture of Nathaniel Gould by Kemble Widmer and Joyce King.

• Cape Cod Modern is an in-depth exploration of the residential mid-century Modern architecture that began to appear in the woods and dunes on Cape Cod between 1938 and 1977. The book includes new photography, drawings, and many never-before-published archival images.
• Bucket Town tells the history of the woodenware industry in Hingham and the story of a long-forgotten toy-making and cooper shop on Hersey Farm. It features 150 images of furniture, clocks, needlework, prints, paintings, decoys, woodenware, and wooden toys.
• In Plain Sight presents new scholarship based on the discovery of Nathaniel Gould’s day books and account book, and establishes him as one of the leading eighteenth-century American cabinetmakers. The book includes detailed information about his accounts and work with clients.

The awards will be presented at a public ceremony at the Plymouth Public Library on Sunday, November 15, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The event includes a reception, remarks, and a book signing. Books are available for purchase. Please call 617-994-6678 or e-mail [email protected] to RSVP.

The Historic New England Book Prize recognizes works that advance the understanding of the architecture, landscape, and material culture of New England and the United States from the seventeenth century to the present. This includes works in the decorative arts, archaeology, historic preservation, and the history of photography. To qualify, works need not deal exclusively with New England but must make a significant contribution to our understanding of New England and its relation to the wider world.

Buy a copy of Cape Cod Modern.

See a complete list of past Book Prize winners.