Above, a hardcover first edition of Osa Johnson's 1941, Four Years in Paradise, with the striking and rare giraffe print cover, is currently available through Paris Hotel Boutique. This book was the follow-up to Johnson's earlier title, I Married Adventure.
Recently, Megan, of Beach Bungalow 8, did a great post, You're So Stylin', about accessories and books that have become omnipresent in design mags and catalogs. (Megan creatively offered some alternatives too.) Her post reminded me of something I wrote last summer, on those oft-seen books: Diana Vreeland's Allure,
and Osa Johnson's I Married Adventure. These titles must surely be the top two seen on coffee tables, in homes photographed for shelter magazines. But I see the appeal -- both are interesting books with highly decorative covers. It's an intriguing phenomenon. Maybe there is a collective design unconscious. To find Johnson's book with the original zebra printed cloth binding, try eBay or Paris Hotel Boutique.
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10 comments:
My husband gave me an old copy of "I Married Adventure" for Valentine's day after I saw it on your site. Not only does it look beautifully exotic on our cocktail table, it is fun to take turns reading passages aloud after a wine-enhanced dinner party. Thanks for bringing this lovely little book to my attention.
Anon,
How romantic! I'm so glad you let me know! Thanks for taking time to comment.
Cheers,
Courtney
i have my eagle eye out for this book at the book thing.
powells.com has a few.
Wonderful!
Re: the collective design unconscious- I think you may be right. It reminds me of how fashion designers all seem to present the same trends in their collections, supposedly not aware that others are too!
How about The Cabinet of Natural Curiousities, the Tom Ford book, anything on Basquiat or Warhol, the Marimekko book, The Well-Lived Life, the Ashley Hicks book w/ the two blue shades on the binding...it always makes me smile when I spot these same books in every layout - does the stylist carry them to every shoot or do the homeowners have them?
becky
P.S. Congrats on your mention in Elle Decor! Margaret reads you daily :)
Oh for god's sake, I'm so sorry, ignore my PS re: Elle Decor, that was thepeakofchic, I usually read you two right in a row (I think you are both in Atlanta, and I love both of your blogs!)
SORRY!
becky
Becky,
So true, so true!
Thanks for noticing the Elle Decor thing :)
Becky, you are right, Margaret Russell gave me a kind mention in June, and POC is celebrated in the newest House Beautiful!
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