Stories of House and Home is a social and cultural history of the massive construction campaign that Khrushchev instituted in 1957 to resolve the housing crisis in the Soviet Union and to provide each family its own apartment. Decent housing was deemed the key to a healthy; productive home life; which was essential to the realization of socialist collectivism. Drawing on archival materials; as well as memoirs; fiction; and the Soviet press; Christine Varga-Harris shows how the many aspects of this enormous state initiativemdash;from neighborhood planning to interior designmdash;sought to alleviate crowded; undignified living conditions and sculpt residents into ideal Soviet citizens. She also details how individual interests intersected with official objectives for Soviet society during the Thaw; a period characterized by both liberalization and vigilance in everyday life.Set against the backdrop of the widespread transition from communal to one-family living; Stories of House and Home explores the daily experiences and aspirations of Soviet citizens who were granted new apartments and those who continued to inhabit the old housing stock due to the chronic problems that beset the housing program. Varga-Harris analyzes the contradictions apparent in heroic advances and seemingly inexplicable delays in construction; model apartments boasting modern conveniences and decrepit dwellings; happy housewarmings and disappointing moves; and new residents and individuals requesting to exchange old apartments. She also reveals how Soviet citizens identified with the state and with the broader project of building socialism.
#591621 in eBooks 2016-07-05 2016-07-05File Name: B0176M3Y98
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Great Detail. Structure Is LackingBy Michael E. ComeauThis is required reading for anyone with a serious interest in the history of fashion photography. though at times it seemed to lean way too much towards gossip.For example. I dont know why Gilles Bensimons penis is so prominent in this book.Id have enjoyed more information on how these photographers worked and did business than their sex lives. Mr. Gross should have just put a list up front of the photographers that cheated on their wives (basically all of them except Helmut Newton). which would have left more space for real information.But I still liked this book quite a bit. because what it gets right. it gets really right.In particular. I enjoyed the sections on Irving Penn. Mr. Penn was the King of Kings for 50 years. but there is very little information on him in the public sphere.Also. I liked reading about the business gamesmanship among photographers. magazine editors. and advertisers.Butt my biggest qualm with this book was the structure.At times. it felt more like a series of stories about individual photographers than a series history of fashion photography. It wasnt as cohesive as Model.But its still worth buying if youre interested in the history of fashion photography. because it packs an awful lot of detail in about some of historys greatest photographers. including Richard Avedon. Bert Stern. Bruce Weber. and plenty of others.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Fascinating Glimpse into the Private World of Fashion PhotographyBy AzamieI thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. When I lived in New York in the early 1970s. I met and befriended a couple of the photographers featured in Mr. Gross story. so I had some previous knowledge regarding this less-than-glamorous side of the fashion world. I especially liked reading about Avedon; his larger-than-life ego and his insecurities. I actually admire him and his work even more after reading this book. What I like about Mr. Gross and his writing is that it is well-researched. and I consider his work "historical"---many of the names in this story are all but forgotten today---trendsetting artists such as Bill King and Chris von Waggenheim. to mention just two---I recommend this book to anyone who wonders just what went on at some of the fashion studios of the most well-known and innovative photographers. and how some of the most iconic fashion images of our time came to be.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. I threw this book into my travel kit before boarding ...By F. ConradI threw this book into my travel kit before boarding a plane to Milan. I intended to snooze during the flight but started reading "FOCUS". I didnt sleep the whole trip. This is such an interesting book for me. I spent my career as a photojournalist and knew fashion photographers only by reputation. This book is filled with loads of information for any student of photography. There is information about how different photographers worked. I now know to credit Avedons assistant. Gideon Lewin. for "light on a stick". Even more interesting are the behind the scenes rivalries of photographers and art directors. Michael Gross mentioned an Alexey Brodovitch Workshop Session that was taught by Irving Penn and Richard Avedon together. I never knew such a thing existed. Two masters going toe to toe. I just printed the 54 page transcript from the Penn archive at MOMA. What a treasure! This book is filled with many more gems. Im rereading it now as a photo history book.
