NEWS RELEASE
The twenty-second annual Historic New England Book Prize goes to Suspended Worlds: Historic Theater Scenery in Northern New England by Christine Hadsel.
In addition, Historic New England selected two Honor Books for recognition this year: Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston by Mark Pasnik, Michael Kubo, and Chris Grimley and Rich and Tasty: Vermont Furniture to 1850 by Jean M. Burks and Philip Zea.
Suspended Worlds is a celebration of the many historic theater curtains in northern New England and their part in community activities and entertainment. The curtains were painted between 1890 and 1940 and range from opera house grand drapes depicting faraway lands, country landscapes, and city streets to Grange Hall curtains full of local advertisements.
Heroic is an in-depth exploration of the concrete buildings that transformed Boston during 1960s and 1970s. During this period of enormous growth, Boston served as an urban laboratory with some of that era’s most influential designers and architects studying concrete’s structural and sculptural qualities including Walter Gropius’s TAC; Marcel Breuer; I.M. Pei and Partners; F.A. Stahl & Associates; Kallmann, McKinnell and Knowles; and Paul Rudolph.
Rich and Tasty presents new scholarship that advances the understanding of Vermont high style furniture—from its features, craftsmanship, and economics to its unexpected aesthetic innovations. Furniture makers produced items that were similar to furniture available in New York and Boston, but incorporated a variety of local material and details.
The awards will be presented at a public ceremony at the Newton, New Hampshire, Town Hall on Wednesday, November 16, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event includes a reception, remarks, and a book signing. Books are available for purchase. Please call 617-994-6678 or email [email protected] to RSVP.
Media Contact: Susanna M. Crampton, [email protected]
Sign up to our newsletter for our latest news and events
