CHECK IT OUT

It’s that festive time of year again. Time to deck the halls and spiff

up the house for holiday visitors. If part of that plan includes setting

out great books to browse, head for a Newport Beach Public Library.

Just about everyone likes to look at lovely photographs, and there are

more than 300 memorable images from the 1840s to the 1950s in Pam

Roberts’ new “PhotoHistorica, Lamdmarks in Photography.” Drawn from the

huge collection of the Royal Photographic Society, the oversized volume

is organized by subject matter and includes superb examples from the

ranks of both the famous and the little known.

The focus is on Los Angeles and its landmarks in Gloria Koenig’s

“Iconic: Stories of LA’s Most Memorable Buildings.” Thirteen recognizable

structures -- from the Watts Towers and Griffith Observatory to the Getty

Center and not-yet-completed Disney Concert Hall -- testify to our urban

neighbor’s power as more than a mass of suburbs.

In this fine conversation-starter, learn how Bradbury Building

architect George Wyman consulted a Ouija board before signing on and how

African American Paul Williams sketched upside down so his clients could

sit opposite him in an era of rampant discrimination.

You can deck your coffee table with works from the finest private

collection of art from the American West with Joan Carpenter Troccoli’s

“Painters and the American West.” While the text is informative, the real

attractions here are dazzling color plates of the Anschutz Collection,

including works by such masters as Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington and

Georgia O’Keeffe.

If you’re a fan of a style that melds Spanish, Mexican and cowboy

influences, consider “Southwest Style” as table decor. In a work that

goes beyond ubiquitous pastel Native American design, stylist Linda Mason

Hunter offers decorating tips, historical notes and shopping advice.

The scope is broader in “American Furniture: Understanding Styles,

Construction and Quality,” craftsman John Kirk’s newest work. Learn about

the distinguishing features of such styles as William and Mary, Queen

Anne, Chippendale and Shaker in this look at the evolution of furniture

from the 17th century to today.

For more outdoor types, “The Shaker Garden” reveals how to bring

pared-down simplicity to paths, flower beds and organic gardens.

Stephanie Donaldson also includes plans for making a birdhouse, compost

bin and wooden seed trays in Shaker style in her attractive tome.

We all know what happens to guests who overstay their welcome, and if

yours fall into that category send a gentle hint with “Palm Springs

Weekend” on the table. In this look at what makes Palm Springs an oasis

of progressive design, Alan Hess reveals how architects have adapted

modernism to suit desert climate, landscape and lifestyle. Hundreds of

vintage photos, along with introductions to some of the city’s best

houses, offices and hotels make for a fine vicarious getaway, if you and

yours are staying home for the holidays.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Susie Lamb. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by

accessing the catalog at o7 https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org.

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