Settlers came to Clarksdale and Coahoma County with dreams of owning land and building a future. Some bought small plots to build a cabin and carve out a living; while others amassed large acreages of the most fertile soil in the world. They found nearly impenetrable forests and cane breaks and were confronted with unbearable hardships as they attempted to tame the land. With perseverance and the labor of African Americans using oxen; mules; and crude tools; Coahoma County made Clarksdale the �Golden Buckle on the Cotton Belt.� From this labor a phenomenon has enveloped the city; and the preservation of the heritage and traditions of Delta blues has made Clarksdale an international destination for those searching for the authentic roots of blues music.
#2092814 in eBooks 2016-03-30 2016-03-30File Name: B01E851UG0
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Accessible and intellectually engagingBy Eugene V. ResnickShapiro has written an accessible and intellectually engaging account of John Vassoss life and career. The work is fascinating in its depiction of a creative. progressive. artistic spirit who navigated his way through corporate America to become the chief in-house designer for RCA. Vassos was able to combine a modernist aesthetic with a deeply-felt humanity. resulting in products that were both stylistically of-the-moment as well as eminently functional (Think Apple in the middle decades of the 20th century). Shapiro captures Vassoss growth. his influences and his impact. This book will especially be of interest to those interested in design. art. and style. cultural history. economic history. and the development and impact of 20th century modernism.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. You cant escape John Vassos importance.By Regina MinnissOne of the best obscure books about a man we all know. Without Danielle Shapiros book we wouldnt have known that we knew John Vassos. This is the only book about him. Certainly a man of his time. but not of ours. even though his designs are still with us. You cant escape his importance.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Vassos as a window into 1930s modernismBy J. CooperI came at this with some trepidation. because I generally dont like biographies. Theyre too detailed. and I get bored. But Im interested in 1930s design. and Shapiro (the author) is a design historian. so I took a chance. Whelp. this is just what a biography should be: a window into history. Shapiro is the guide. Vassos is the path. and were shown a fabulous tour.on modernization in the 1930s"...streamlined objects reflected the utopian social values of the era. particularly a desire to speed effortlessly into the future and away form the Great Depression."on changing gender norms"Following the 1920s. the novel concept of the living room suggested an increasingly unisex home [...] modern design provided a solution to the domesticity-as-feminine problem."on the acculturation of mass media into the American home"There was some confusion about what would actually be on television in the 1930s. One RCA publicity brochure for the TRK-12 showed an elegantly dressed woman gently fondling the dial. On the last page of the brochure. the same woman appeared on a television screen. [...] It is clear that marketing people were unsure..."
