For 20 years Amy Blakemore has photographed friends, family, and local landscapes using low-tech, medium format cameras. Amy Blakemore Photography is the first published collection of Blakemore’s work. The book coincides with a related exhibition at the Museum of Fine Art Houston, and may be purchased direct from the museum shop.

A bit of inventive design that would make Nicey and Wifey smile. The authors of Nice Cup of Tea and A Sit Down certainly know a thing or two about that perfectly delicious duo - tea and biscuits. With that connection in mind, Dominic Skinner created the dunk mug, minimizing the need for pesky plates and bringing everything together in one gloriously simple object. The Dunk Mug is made by Moca. (via Dwell).

Fred Friendly (1915-1998) was the single most important personality in news and public affairs programming during the first four decades of American television. Portrayed by George Clooney in the film Good Night and Good Luck, Friendly, together with Edward R. Murrow, invented the television documentary format and subsequently oversaw the birth of public television. Juggling the roles of producer, policy maker, and teacher, Friendly had an unprecedented impact on the development of CBS in its heyday, wielded extensive influence at the Ford Foundation under the presidency of McGeorge Bundy, and trained a generation of journalists at Columbia University during a tumultuous period of student revolt.

John Bush Jones’ All-Out For Victory! Magazine Advertising and the World War II Home Front examines hundreds of advertisements designed to boost American morale following Pearl Harbor. Some promote industry, others home efficiency. All combine to help create and sustain a home front that could best support the war effort. The book is richly illustrated with many of the advertisements, and as such serves a valuable role as collection of specific design for a pertinent moment in American history.

All-Out For Victory! comes from the University Press of New England.

One of the latest art edition monographs from Taschen celebrates and dissects the work of Christopher Wool. Owing much to the abstract expressionists and pop artists that proceeded him, Wool’s work pushes beyond those “isms” to further question the role and possibility of painting. Taschen’s art edition comes signed by Wool and includes original art and photographs. A little more on the book -

Exploring Wool’s work in close to 500 pages, this monograph is exhaustive in its scope and depth. All work phases are covered in large-scale reproductions and accompanied by production Polaroids and installation photos by Wool himself. Editor Hans Werner Holzwarth has previously collaborated on several catalogs and artist’s books with Wool. Essays and analyses by Glenn O’Brien, Jim Lewis, Ann Goldstein, Anne Pontégnie, Richard Hell, and Eric Banks make this book a great read as well as a definitive study of the story so far.

Like most of the Art Editions from Taschen, the book will set you back a touch more than the average coffee table ornament.

Select page views follow.

This recommendation is a bit tongue-in-cheek. Lennard J. Davis’ Obsession: A Historytracks the “disease” of obsession from demonic possession to contemporary television addiction. We’ve all got an unusually avid interest in something, perhaps an obsession. Rather than retreat and “fix” it, have a read of Davis’ book. Now out from University of Chicago Press. Available now from Amazon.

All those images our good friend MW keeps putting up from the Life archive have fostered a thirst for knowledge about WWII life. Good Girls, Good Food, Good Service: The Story of the USO Hostess During World War II adds a little sex appeal to the reading list. The author is Megan K. Winchell, associate history professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Her work is published by UNC Press.

Throughout World War II, when Saturday nights came around, servicemen and hostesses happily forgot the war for a little while as they danced together in USO clubs, which served as havens of stability in a time of social, moral, and geographic upheaval. Meghan Winchell demonstrates that in addition to boosting soldier morale, the USO acted as an architect of the gender roles and sexual codes that shaped the “greatest generation.”

The car industry might be at its lowest point of esteem, but there’s still room to celebrate the basics — at times the automobile is a wonder of engineering and design. Design is a monograph intended for internal use at Mercedes-Benz, celebrating an often overlooked aspect of the companies success. Thanks to Wallpaper* a few choice images have emerged for public consumption. Publications that exist to help share a corporate story are often some of the most fascinating branding meets history projects. Most times they are hidden from outsiders view, so this chance at a little preview is rather exciting. (via Wallpaper*).

More from Design follows.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser: born Friedrich Stowasser, he lived and died as Friedensreich (meaning “realm of peace”) Hundertwasser - a name he chose for himself. Architect, ecologist, painter, designer, writer, innovator … his list of talents goes on and on. Hundertwasser reinvented the art of living as an artist 24 hours a day.

The lifework of this prolific creator is brought together for the first time in this limited edition of 10,000 copies. Hundertwasser began to number and catalogue his work in 1954 and had completed the task for his entire oeuvre, including short histories to accompany each work, before his untimely death in February 2000. He worked closely with TASCHEN on this project, designing the layout and the book itself: with rounded edges and a cover with colored velvet on black linen, the Catalogue Raisonné is an exquisite work of art.

The publication is limited to a run of 10,000 copies world wide and includes two volumes contained in a custom slip cover designed by Hundertwasser.

Page views of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1928 - 2000 follow.

We loving coloring books here at the office. Not so much for personal use but there is no better go to gift to keep the young ones happy. The National Gallery of Scotland has a great assortment of coloring books for all ages, including this one from the famous Andy Warhol. “The large format 24 page book of Andy Warhol’s whimsical drawings of animals and various other pictures for colouring. Suitable for children and adults.”