Arts and Culture

One of the most infamous of all Waffen-SS formations, the 3rd SS-Panzer-Division “Totenkopf” has always been identified as the very essence of the notorious “Black Order.” Associated with war crimes in official historiography, formed initially with personnel coming from guard units from concentration camps, the unit was nevertheless able to prove itself on the battlefield, distinguishing itself ...

What elevates a house to best-of-class status? Find out in this insider's look at more than fifty award-winning homes designed by nearly three dozen A+ American architects. Regardless of their size or design style, the best new and remodeled homes share common traits. They deliver eminently livable space that can accommodate nearly any lifestyle event.

Does street art exist in spotless Tokyo? Yes! But strict vandalism laws and conservative Japanese culture have suppressed the graffiti scene in Tokyo. This stunning survey by photographer and graffiti artist Lord K2 takes you into the Tokyo neighborhoods exhibiting a colorful array of urban art created on the fly and as low-key as possible.

Way before the advent of social networks, the first, and sometimes only, visual contact you may have had with a movie was its poster. To return to this enlightened approach and escape the hard selling, marketing campaigns of today’s releases, this book pays tribute to the artists who celebrate the era when cinematographic posters made us dream.

Create lovely new "once upon a time" keepsakes with these 44 cross-stitch patterns, blending the traditional style of France with a charming contemporary simplicity. The designs are eye-catchingly lovely with their subtle colors, gentle humor, and delicate lines. They're all here: wily foxes, big bad wolves, city mice and country mice . . .

Social meets fashion history in the tantalizing story of the boot from the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition to online shopping and fashion blogs. Weaving together such unlikely elements as Glam Rock, the martyrdom of Joan of Arc, and the Iran-Contra scandal, it shows how the modern fashion boot plays with our ideas of gender, straddling the line between practical and stylish, between fashion and ...

A unique mix of art and science, this fresh and visually stunning survey celebrates the extraordinary beauty and diversity of the world’s most controversial plant: Cannabis sativa. Cutting-edge scanning electron microscope images, combined with light micrographs and X-rays, bring this captivating plant vividly to life.

Tracing the rise of commercial fetish art from its shadowy beginnings in the 1940s to its acceptance in the 1970s, this illustrated biography explores the unconventional life and art of Eric Stanton, a pioneering sexual fantasist who helped shape the movement.

Tattoos have played an important role in human culture for thousands of years. Ideal for the tattoo artist, anthropologist, or tattoo fan, this visual lexicon covers tattoos from hundreds of different cultures and lists meanings, reasons for wearing, and rites of passage and indicates placement for thousands of individual tattoos.

Most take for granted that a pair of jeans is not considered complete without patches, rivets, buttons, and other trims. The existence of such design elements is not questioned because they are seen as the standard. Nick Williams’s book is exclusively dedicated to denim branding and deconstructs every element that goes into branding a pair of jeans.

This original animal alphabet series with its sophisticated imagery was created to appeal to adults but children delight in it as well. The book explores unusual imagery juxtapositions pairing alphabet letters with animals and unexpected objects beginning with that same letter. The series started when artist Leslie Haines discovered a human-faced walrus in an old engraving book.

COPIC markers are very popular drawing materials used all around the world. This long-awaited book provides techniques for rendering exciting textures using COPIC markers. From basic techniques to entire color sample sheets, this book provides step-by-step visual instructions for rendering textures for a variety of materials, from metals to bricks.

This lavishly photographed and authoritative book presents the secret history of Soviet subminiature spy cameras during the Cold War. It is a history that could only have been written by the veteran KGB technical intelligence officers who created and used the cameras in secret operations.

This guide to printmaking plunges you into dozens of ways to leave your mark on the world—and on your walls, tablecloths, garments, and every other surface imaginable. Emphasizing the joy and energy of printmaking, the 41 projects use everyday materials, and don't require any previous experience.

Part of a series of exciting and luxurious Flame Tree Notebooks. Combining high-quality production with magnificent fine art, the covers are printed on foil in five colours, embossed then foil stamped. And they're powerfully practical: a pocket at the back for receipts and scraps, two bookmarks and a solid magnetic side flap. These are perfect for personal use and make a dazzling gift.

Turn back the calendar pages for a memorable jaunt through the early '70s! The clothing is very wearable, while being sought after by collectors. Drawn from Sears catalogs of the period, this entertaining book is an invaluable help in identifying and pricing vintage clothing and accessories.

Enter a visual smorgasbord of tattoo imagery. Hundreds of photographs, thousands of tattoos. This incredible assembly of historic tattoo images dates back to the invention of the camera and follows the art form's progression through the 1970s. Here is a celebration of tattoo and people who enjoy the art form.