The Henry Clay Frick Houses: Architecture, Interiors, Landscapes in the Golden Era

very informative

Beautiful record of very controversial "Captain of Industry"

Excellent

This book is a stunning achievement of scholarship that details the homes, their furnishings and gardens of Henry Clay Frick {HCF} and his family.It highlights how money, care, taste and a discerning eye for great art can create architecture/residences that are - each their own right a unique work of art. The homes detailed include Clayton House in Pittsburg, Eagle Rock on Boston's North Shore, One East 70th Street in Manhattan - the seat of the Frick Collection, The Long Island Estate {also called Clayton} of Childs Frick, HCF's son and Westmoreland Farm, the country estate of HCF's strong willed, worshipfull and only surviving daughter, Helen whose presence and influence figures prominently thru-out this book. Helen,{born in 1889 and died in 1985} is HCF's champion, his defender and the main force in maintaining and protecting the integrity and unique "Frick Ambiance" of her fathers and families homes and in this - she was eminently singleminded, ruthless and quite sucessfull. HCF's great grandaughter, Martha Frick Symington Sanger offers unique insights, perspectives,photographs and family stories/history for each of these homes that present a way of living that is akin to a civilzation now "Gone with the Wind". This is a superb "coffee table book" with over 300 photographs, original architectual drawings - a combination of great art, architecture and history. I was particularily taken with the 104 room Eagle Rock Estate which unfortunately was demolished in 1969 due to prohibive taxes and maintainence costs. The size and elegance of it is beyond belief !! If you live in or visit New York City I urge you to visit the Frick Mansion and its magnificent art collection. This book is one for a reader to savor and enjoy over and over - great art and architecture combined with it's two {2] main characthers Henry Clay Frick, ruthless capitalist and art collector of taste/ distinction and Helen Clay Frick, "keeper of the Flame" - devoted to her father's memory, her familly and to the Frick residences and Frick collection. This is a 5 star book in every way - Highly Recommended.

Henry Clay Frick really knew how to live a gilded age life, and you see the evidence in this fantastic book. The images are crisp and well conceived and the text highly informative. I expecially liked the section on Frick's famous mansion on Fifth Avenue in NYC, he was determined to out build Carneige and he suceeded, it is a beaux-art tour de force and the perfect setting today for his singular collection. If you have any interest in Frick, Guilded Age architecture, or fine books in general, then i can't concieve of you being anything but thrilled with this purchase.

a wonderful book with great pictures that tells a very personal story, written from the families' perspective. Nice attention to the details that abound.