"In a very real sense, history is just stories about people. This marvelous book uses stories about people—where they came from, what they believed in, what they dreamed of, and especially what kind of homes they built—to present a compelling history of a special part of America. From a quirky octagon of the 1850s to an Art Moderne marvel of the 1930s, the houses on these pages remind us of the richness of Wisconsin’s heritage—and the importance of keeping it intact and alive." (Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation )
"Wisconsin's Own: Twenty Remarkable Homes is so visually and intellectually stunning that you can forget the iPad or Kindle. You'll want to hold this exhaustively researched book in your hands. It's easy to lose hours savoring the photos, detailed historic images and informative text. Many people think the state's architectural legacy begins and ends with Frank Lloyd Wright. Milwaukee architects-cum-authors M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman prove them wrong. They studied 1,500 residences to produce this private tour of the state's 20 most architecturally and historically significant homes. The pedigrees of these homes—built between 1854 and 1939—derive from the industrial magnates and celebrities who once owned them. A must-see for lovers of historic homes." (Mary Van de Kamp Nohl, Milwaukee Magazine Valerie Nye, Library Journal Wisconsin’s Own are enough to keep this book placed prominently on the coffee table, but the illuminating, well-researched, and pleasantly narrative text will keep readers from simply flipping through it like a picture book.” (Kara Mason, ForeWord Reviews Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
2010 Gold in the Home & Garden Category from Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Awards2010 Winner in the Total Book Design Category from Midwest Independent Publishers Association Book Awards2010 Outstanding Achievement from Wisconsin Library Association Literary Awards2010 Honorable Mention in the Non-fiction Category from the Council of Wisconsin Writers2011 Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History2011 Winner in the Architecture Category from National Indie Excellence Awards2011 Grand Prize Winner in the Best Design Category from Next Generation Book Awards2011 Silver in the Historical/Biographical Category from PubWest Book Design Awards2012 Eric Hoffer Award in the Academic Press category
"Wisconsin''s Own: Twenty Remarkable Homes is so visually and intellectually stunning that you can forget the iPad or Kindle. You''ll want to hold this exhaustively researched book in your hands. It''s easy to lose hours savoring the photos, detailed historic images and informative text. Many people think the state''s architectural legacy begins and ends with Frank Lloyd Wright. Milwaukee architects-cum-authors M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman prove them wrong. They studied 1,500 residences to produce this private tour of the state''s 20 most architecturally and historically significant homes. The pedigrees of these homes - built between 1854 and 1939 - derive from the industrial magnates and celebrities who once owned them. A must-see for lovers of historic homes."
— Mary Van de Kamp Nohl
Each of these indeed remarkable homes is presented in detail with stunning color illustrations, which include Zane Williams’s new photography of each impeccably preserved site, historical photographs of the homes from the time of their first residents, maps, and exquisite full-color elevations and plans handdrawn by Connolly and Wasserman. The drawings are so impressive—serving both as nuggets of information and tiny works of art—that one is grateful for and delighted by the appendix that describes the authors’ drawing process in full detail. The images alone that grace Wisconsin’s Own are enough to keep this book placed prominently on the coffee table, but the illuminating, well-researched, and pleasantly narrative text will keep readers from simply flipping through it like a picture book.
— Kara Mason
“A richly detailed, generously illustrated study of historic, opulent Wisconsin homes. This is not a pretty coffee-table book. With its clear, intelligent essays and color photography, it is the hardbound equivalent of a freindly and knowing docent walk through theses manses.”
— Jim Higgins
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Connolly and Wasserman (principals at the Milwaukee architecture firm Louis Wasserman & Associates) have cowritten three books on residential architecture (e.g., Cottage: America's Favorite Home Inside and Out). In preparation for this new volume, they worked with the Wisconsin Historical Society to select 20 beautiful and historically significant homes built in Wisconsin between 1854 and 1939. The homes range from prairie style to Queen Anne to art moderne and represent a diversity of geographical locations throughout the state. The domiciles are artfully yet simply represented with 380 color and black-and- white images. The book is highly readable from cover to cover but will also offer new information and inspiration to readers who wish to browse. Sidebars provide concise answers to questions about architectural styles and architects. Beautiful images of the homes, their rooms, and architectural details can be found on every page. VERDICT Primarily of regional interest, this nonetheless is highly accessible and recommended for art and architecture students from high school through college. The authors have a distinctive manner of adding lively historical context to each home's history, so architecture enthusiasts will also find something new here.—Valerie Nye, Coll. of Santa Fe, NM
