Metals Recommendations - For all ages

BOOKS for ADULTS

back to top

A Garden for Art: Outdoor Sculpture at the Hirschhorn Museum

by Valerie J. Fletcher
Hirschhorn Museum in association with Thames and Hudson,1998

The history of the Hirschhorn Museum’s garden and plaza with an overview of subjects and styles as represented in the collection. Photographs though the seasons of more than sixty sculptures dating from the 1880s to the 1990s.

Alchemy: The Great Secret

by Andrea Aromatico
Abrams, 2000

Who were the alchemists and what did they do? Could they turn lead into gold? Learn about this esoteric craft that reached its peak in the Renaissance. Read about the nature of metals and the formulas that would transform matter.

Creative Casting: Jewelry, Silverware, Sculpture

by Sharr Choate
Crown, 1986

Choate's book covers all the major methods of casting metals that are applicable to many crafts and especially to jewelry making. Includes techniques for lost wax, replica, hollow core, sand, cuttlefish bone, and rubber-mold methods. Photographs and diagrams.

From Clay to Bronze: A Studio Guide to Figurative Sculpture

by Tuck Langland
Watson-Guptill, 1999

Demystifies the complex art of creating figure sculptures in bronze, going beyond theory straight to hands-on practice. Explains how to create a mold to cast the sculpture in wax, pour the molten bronze, and finesse the final bronze sculpture

Love of Gold

by Emily Hahn
Lippincott, 1980

An informal, entertaining, and very readable account that traces the "golden" thread that links together almost all cultures from earliest times to the present.

Old English Silver

by Judith Banister
Putnam, 1965

Traces the evolution of the English style from the end of the Middle Ages until the era of the machine in the 19th century. Photographs of rare silver and an illustrated glossary of articles of domestic silver that explains the terms used in silversmithing and in catalogues of sales

Scythian Gold: Treasures from Ancient Ukraine

by Ellen D. Reeder
Harry Abrams, 1999.

Catalog of an exhibition held at the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Walters Art Gallery, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Combines an analysis of the pieces with an overview of recent advances in the understanding of Scythian culture. Stunning photographs

Silversmithing: A Manual of Design and Technique

by Keith Smith
Crowood Press, 2000

Provides information and advice on the various design and craft techniques of silversmithing for the amateur as well as the professional. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and diagrams

The Art of Jewelry Making: Classic and Original Designs

by Alan Revere
Sterling Publishing, 1999

Revere’s book presents magnificent treasures from inventive, contemporary artisans. Tools and techniques are discussed and beautiful photographs and detailed diagrams are included

KIDS BOOKS

back to top

A Day in the Life of a Sculptor

by Liza N. Burby
PowerKids Press, 1999

A vividly photographed step-by-step account of the making of a metal seahorse. Contains a glossary and an index

From Metal to Music: A Photo Essay

by Wendy Davis
Children’s Press, 1997

Describes the steps in making trumpets, tubas, and other horns, from the mining of the copper ore to the shaping of the finished product.

Iron and Steel: From Thor's Hammer to the Space Shuttle

by by Ruth G. Kassinger
Twenty-First Century Books, 2003.

A discussion of iron and steel which includes a scientific description of these metals, their discovery, and their uses throughout history and in the present. Includes a timeline and excellent color photographs

Metals and Alloys

by Kathryn Whyman
Gloucester, 1988

This book looks at how metals and alloys are made and processed into the products we use. Includes color photographs and diagrams.

The Bronze Zoo

by Shay Rieger
Scribner's, 1970

Sculptor Shay Rieger has created a warmly personal introduction to sculpture for children by telling how she went about making eight bronze animals. Photographs and lively description.

The Glory of Gold: A Contemporary Approach to Gilding

by Sue Trytell,Sally Milner
Milner Publishing, 1995

Detailed instructions for gilding ornamental and functional household items, with traditional surfaces like wood, and the more unusual, like plastic, stainless steel, glass and ceramic.

The Silversmiths

by by Leonard Everett Fisher
Marshall Cavendish, 1997

Examines the art of the silversmith in colonial times. Beautifully illustrated in black and white by the author. Discuses history and technique and includes silversmiths terms and Colonial American marks.

The Story of Gold

by Hal Hellman
Franklin Watts, 1996

Discusses the nature of gold and the value of this metal throughout history, as well as some of its uses and its role in the development of the science of chemistry.

WEBSITES

back to top

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
http://hirshhorn.si.edu/

This is the website for the Smithsonian’s museum of international modern and contemporary art.

National Ornamental Metal Museum
http://www.metalmuseum.org/

The National Ornamental Metal Museum, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is the only museum in the Americas dedicated exclusively to the exhibition and preservation of fine metalwork

The Royal College of Art
http://www.rca.ac.uk

The Royal College of Art is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design. It offers degrees in fine art, applied art, design and communication