Sears House Designs of the Thirties

Proudly promoting itself as "the largest home building organization in the world," Sears, Roebuck and Company advertised in 1932 products in a handsome catalog that also displayed a full-size replica of Mount Vernon, created from Sears materials for a Paris exposition in 1932.

At the heart of this now-rare publication were measured floor plans for 68 Sears homes. Over 200 illustration displayed interiors and exteriors for such handsome residences as the Belmont, a six-room house with vestibule, breakfast alcove, three bedrooms, and one-and-a-half baths; and the Dover, an English-styled cottage with a massive chimney and unusual roof lines. Photographs of some interiors revealed a furnished living room with paneled side walls and hewed oak ceiling beams; a spacious kitchen with contemporary appliances; a 60-foot living room with a huge stone fireplace, built-in bookshelves, a vaulted ceiling, and other designs.

An invaluable sourcebook for restorationists, this handsome volume will also be of use to people interested in preserving homes of the period. It will be welcomed by anyone who relishes a glimpse of America's architectural past.