Designs and Patterns from Historic Ornament (Dover Pictorial Archive) Paperback – Illustrated, June 1, 1968

This books both illustrates and explains various motifs. Very helpful to know the history behind the motif. This simplifies creating new variations of the motif.

Great for reference.

The illustrations are excellent . However I would like more historical text

Excellent reference material, recommended

In the 20 months I've had this book, it has been one of the most frequently off the shelf and in use, and I have quite a few design reference books. I bring it over to my chair to thumb through while letting my mind rove through knotty problems; I use it as a springboard for new designs; I relax with the many pages of patterns. Just yesterday, I pulled it off the shelf again ... having only put it back a few days ago ... when I was looking for inspiration for a diaper using a hexagonal grid. I found several, and got to work.I noticed the previous reviewer down-graded this book for not being in color, but I supply my own colors in my mind when I view the patterns, so that doesn't bother me. In fact, I rather like the black and white, since it gives me a skeleton which I can then fill out or extrapolate from, or not, as I desire.I am in awe of the talent of these 19th century authors, who did not have a smart phone to digitally capture everything they saw, but they put it all down on paper with their own hands and drawing materials. Because they had to deeply see it, and understand it, to get it down right, their drawings are often more useful than a modern snapshot might be.

Another resource book for my creative juices

I like it

Heaps and heaps of patterns, just a little disappointed that they are all in black and white. As it is a book about pattern, and colour plays a HUGE part of this I expected to see some in colour....

lo original del texto e imágenes es fantástico

Dommage que ce livre numérique n'est riend d'autre que un mauvais scan du livre imprimé. Tout ce qui est blanc dans l'imprimé est gris dans la version scané.Les imprimé de Dover Publications sont très bien, dommage qu'ils n'arrivent pas faire la même qualité pour kindle.

I am disa ppointed with this book as it does not seem to have as many illustrations in it as I remember

Not what I really expected, but it's OK~

Very disappointing. I already have The Grammar of Ornament which is a magnificent resource. This book is very limited unless you want to read all about the designs rather than actually see them. Shame you can't return Kindle books!