Adobe! Homes and Interiors of Taos, Santa Fe and the Southwest, written by Sandra and Laurel Seth, is an immensely readable and useful book which serves as THE guide to all aspects of traditional adobe homes; is an enjoyable history of Three cultures in the Southwest; and succeeds in personalizing adobe architecture, especially in the chapters titled, "Three Artists, Three Cultures, which focuses on the lives and work from three women artists whose houses and work are intertwined (Virginia Romero, Teresa Archuleta Sagel and Georgia O'Keeffe)
Many have used Adobe! as a guide for building their houses - a reference for choosing which traditional floor (brick, stone, adobe, wood, tile, and variations of each, etc.) to use, which traditional ceiling (herringboned latillas, split cedar, peeled latillas, etc...) to build, which style of fireplace (shepherd's bed, Indian corner fireplace, raised fireplaced, etc...) to construct; and so on for each element in a traditional style adobe home! Each wonderful and varied component is pictured, and detailed illustrations by Valerie Graves add to the wealth of examples within this source book!
The exteriors and interiors of many fine homes and traditional buildings throughout the Southwest are included in Adobe!
Back Cover with montage of photos from Adobe!, including Mariano Mirabal plastering his horno at Taos Pueblo - photo far top right; and the entrance to the patio of Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiu house as viewed from inside - photo bottom far left.
Forward to the Book by Sandra and Laurel Seth
The American Southwest is culturally unique, and architecture is an inseperable and lasting expression of its tri-cultural heritage.
Our family has been in New Mexico for three generations, a short time in comparison with Mrs. Pablo Quintana's and Teresa Archuleta Sagel's Hispanic roots, and shorter yet than Virginia Romero and Mariano Mirabal's Indian heritage, yet we feel somehow deeply connected to each of these cultures. It is as much because of what we live in and see around us- architecture from a long tradition that does not dominate the landscape, but is of the landscape- as it is knowing individuals within all three cultures.
Our motivation in writing this book was twofold; we wanted to explore and share our love for traditional adobe architecture, and also give credit ot each culture's architectural contributions by focusing on representative individuals within each culture. In a special chapter, we feature three artists from the three core cultures of the Southwest, working in three different artistic expressions- a potter, a weaver, and a painter who are an Indian, an Hispanic and an Anglo: Virginia Romero, Teresa Archuleta Sagel and Georgia O'Keeffe. All have responded strongly to the earth, and have made it part of their lives, homes and works. So our book is about more than architecture, it is also about the reason for architecture- people.
We hope to reveal very personal elments inate in earth architecture, and to emphasize the specialness of building with adobe. The traditional styles and adaptations of these styles which we explore in this book are those that maintain a distinct connection with the past, elements with old and distinct characteristics.
Many varieties of each component of an adobe house are shown in historical progression. We felt this order gives clearer credit to the tri-cultural origins of our present-day architecture. We have also tried to simplify the use of this book as a reference tool by placing each ingredient in an adobe home in a seperate chapter.
We hope, for more than just aesthetic reasons, that our Southwest, now confronted by so much potentially alienating architectural change, will maintain and repeat the beautiful and satisfying heritage of its past.
Laurel and Sandy Seth
Adobe! Homes and Interiors of Taos, Santa Fe and the Southwest
ChaptersAdobe In the Southwest
Indians In the Southwest
Hispanics in the Southwest
Anglos in the Southwest
Three Artists - Three Cultures
Virginia Romero
Teresa Archuleta - Sagel
Georgia O'Keeffe
Exteriors
Interiors
Walls, Bancos and Nichos
Ceilings
Floors
Fireplaces
Hornos
Windows and Shutters
Doors and Doorways
Cabinets
Spindles
Tile, Hardware and Lighting
Posts, Corbels and Lintels
Portals
Patios
Fences and Outside Walls
Gates
Other Wonderful Things
Construction Details, Floor Plans
Glossary
Guide to Adobe Public Buildings
Biobiography
Index
Adobe! was first published by Architectural Book Publishing Company, New York, publishers of American Architectural Classics since 1891. Adobe! (7 or 8 printings) and is published by Taylor Trade Publishing and is now available at Amazon.com with a new cover!
Adobe!
All Photos, including book covers copyright 1988-2015 by Laurel Seth and Sandra Seth, All Rights Reserved.
