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Canadian Folk Art to 1950 John A. Fleming, Michael J. Rowan Photographer James A. Chambers Immerse yourself in more than 425 previously unpublished colour photographs of Canada’s disappearing traditional folk art. The authors’ discovery of distinctive objects from across Canada inspired them to re-classify folk art, and to analyze and interpret their examples in 17 thematic chapters. The “aesthetic of the everyday” of Canada’s material heritage is presented through paintings and carvings, quilts and rugs, tables and trade signs—just to mention a few. These traditional art forms of diverse community groups express a decorative cultural identity, documented through the unique lens of photographer James A. Chambers. Historians, curators, collectors, designers, and dealers, as well as anyone who appreciates material culture, will want to have this collection in their libraries. Copublished with Canadian Museum of Civilization. Format:  Printed Dust Jacket ISBN:  978-0-88864-630-9 Price:  CND$ 75, USD$ 75, £ 62.5 Discount:  Trade Subject:  Art/Canadian Folk Art Publication Date:  October 2012 Reviews "As you approach Canadian Folk Art to 1950, the cover shows a painted detail of a hunter and his dog from a circa-1850 Quebec gameboard. Enticed, you lift the book, fully appreciating its 560-page heft, and then you fan through it, sending off the scent of freshly-printed ink and the near-cinematic frame-flashing of hundreds of vivid examples of Canadian folk art.... the authors and photography have successfully married the structural and visual aspects of Canadian traditional folk art into a coherent whole. Structure and theme and mood are simply a foundation that allows the reader to connect with the illustrated works, to stop and ponder the sublime beauty of folk art...” Larry Thompson, The Upper Canadian Antique Showcase, March-April 2013 "Humor, whimsy, beauty, and imagination abound in the book's pages... The photographs by James A. Chambers beautifully capture color and details. This immense project, six years in the making, was supported by numerous collectors, dealers, auctioneers, curators, historians, and museum staff... Folk art enthusiasts will no doubt respond to this book with the 'enthusiasm and pleasure' that the authors mention in the preface.” Maine Antique Digest, March 2013 # 10 on the Edmonton Journal's Bestsellers list for the week on January 25, 2013. "More than five hundred pages and packed with surprises, this compendium of Canadian folk art will be a revelation to many American collectors and dealers... Many of the objects seem distinctively Canadian and invitingly different from American material, which is what makes the book so refreshing. The stunning photography is by James A. Chambers.” Antiques Magazine, January/February 2013 “Canadian Folk Art to 1950 is a 520 page compendium beautifully showcasing museum quality examples of folk art by Canadian artists and craftsmen. Each example is presented in a full color photograph taken by James A. Chambers and is accompanied by a succinct descriptive comment. A superbly presented overview that is informed and informative, this coffee table paperback edition of Canadian Folk Art to 1950 is highly recommended for personal Folk Art Book collections.” The Midwest Book Review, The Art Shelf "John A. Fleming and Michael J. Rowan take the broad view in their gorgeous new book Canadian Folk Art to 1950, just published by the University of Alberta Press.... To create what must be the largest, most varied catalogue of its kind, Fleming and Rowan scoured public and private collections across the country, sometimes coming across unique examples by accident.... This heavy square book (available in paper or hardcover) isn’t the sort of volume you would want to consume in one or two sittings. Better to return to it over and over again, to ponder the stories of another age that are bound up in its hundreds of artifacts.” Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal, January 10, 2013 [Full review at: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/books/Book+review+Lavish+volume+celebrates+beauty/7803139/story.html]