Alumni

Frances Elkins: Interior Design
Stephen M. Salny ’77
New York/London: W.W. Norton & Co., 2005
Review by Christopher Reed

Stephen M. Salny’s ’77 lush new book on interior designer Frances Elkins grew out of a senior research project on her brother and frequent collaborator, North Shore architect David Adler. An economics major from Baltimore, Salny grew fascinated by the local mansions Adler designed in Lake Forest. He published The Country Houses of David Adler (W.W. Norton & Co.) in 2001.

Elkins’s story unfolds primarily through pictures of almost 30 interiors from 1918–1951, including the Reed house in Lake Forest, where Salny first saw her work. The house belonged to the grandmother of classmate Peter Reed ’77. It was a fortuitous introduction, as one celebrity designer cited the goatskin-lined library as “the most boldly stylish room I have ever seen in this country.”

As this accolade suggests, Elkins’s career carried her far beyond her brother’s North Shore patrons. Elkins moved to Monterey, California, in 1918, where her interest in both the renovation of historically significant houses and the adaptive reuse of commercial spaces pioneered trends that have become common. Elkins was much more open to new ideas than her conservative architect brother. Where he created coherent compositions in 17th- or 18th-century European styles for his Midwestern business clients, she enlivened displays of old-world antiques with comfortable modern furniture and daring Art Deco pieces, drawing her clientele from the Midwest and (gasp!) garish Hollywood folk.

Elkins’s style was never really “avant-garde,” however, when compared to the chrome and glass furniture against flat white walls proposed by architects like Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. Despite a few boxy leather armchairs and sleek tables, Reed’s interior, for instance, remains a place where, “the avant-garde was done gently,” as Elkins’s daughter put it. 

Remarkably, Elkins—along with Syrie Maugham, Elsie de Wolfe, and other interior designer pioneers—worked in similar eclectic styles, mixing old and new. They proved that their “radical” aesthetic statements could be snuggled in among more traditional styles to create a comfortable domestic environment. In many ways, this synthesis is where the most interesting work of modernization took place as women like Elkins, deprived of the professional education offered to their brothers, figured out how to integrate new design ideas into evolving patterns of everyday life.    
 
Christopher Reed is Professor of Art History, and the author of Bloomsbury Rooms: Modernism, Subculture, and Domesticity (New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 2004), a book about the interiors created by a group of early 20th century British artists.

Sky Carver
Dean Whitlock ’71
New York: Clarion Books, 2005
Review by Bruce Jay Wasser

Inspired by an impromptu story told to his then six-year-old son, Dean Whitlock ’71 has written Sky Carver, an enchanting work of imaginative fiction. Intended for children between the ages of 10 and 14, the novel combines elements of magic, technology, and adventure as its protagonist, Thomas Carver, sets out on a mysterious journey that will transform his life.

A talented wood carver, Thomas resents his given last name, Painter, and the career that name implies. In bold acts of reinvention, he not only changes his name to match the talent he possesses, but, after discovering a magical weather wand, leaves his village to discover his true abilities, ultimately confronting his destiny. Joining him are Raven, a shape-shifting girl trapped in a bird’s body, and Fireboy, a courageous young black escaped slave. The three travel to a city controlled by a powerful duke and his mendacious magician brother Krimm. Sky Carver reaches a powerful conclusion when Thomas confronts Krimm about the magician’s past involvement with Thomas’s family.

The author of more than a dozen short stories, Whitlock invests his characters with depth and dignity. Like many children who read his exploits, Thomas Carver wrestles with issues of identity, loyalty, and purpose. A sensitive and introspective boy, Thomas is a relatively innocent leader. His understated strengths contrast nicely with Raven’s; her tough exterior masks enormous compassion and a quirkily effective means of teaching. Fireboy is resolute in his determination, and his worldly knowledge more than compensates for his lack of magical skills. Through this trio of friends, Whitlock demonstrates how friendship can bring out the best in people. Thomas, Raven, and Fireboy show respect for each other’s unique abilities, avoid the pitfall of jealousy, and enjoy genuine interdependence.

The book also explores themes children in late childhood and early adolescence experience. Issues of identity formation, personal worth, and moral choice receive subtle, but serious, treatment. The author explores the impact of loss of parents, family reformation, and the need for children to break away and establish their own lives. He gracefully examines our need for imagination, the possibilities of magic, and our quest for real living. With its fast-paced fantasy narrative and engaging characters, Sky Carver delights.

Bruce Jay Wasser is a retired public school teacher who writes book reviews for amazon.com and other publications.