PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3833, 30 August 1927, Page 75

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

We have received from Messrs Allans, music publishers, a copy of “ The Prisoner’s Release,” a song the music of which is by A. Pettitt and the words by Isabel Harpur, two New Zealanders. It is a companion composition to “ The Prisoner's Song,” which has enjoyed much popularity of recent months.

“ Ideal Homes for One and All ” is a book of Australian plans which range from the week-end cottage to elegant suburban homes. In this book there are 30 different plans, all for the price of Is. The author, Mr A. Ikin, was the winner of the Herald Ideal Homes competition, His plan successfully filled the very difficult requirements of the competition, economy, beauty, and convenience.

“ Quayle on Toast ” is the amusing title of a large book of coloured drawings by Jack Quayle, the Australian artist. “ The cream of humour in colours it has been called, and the appellation is apt, for every page is funny, and will strike a laugh somewhere. Quayle is the comedian who designs the covers of Humour, and, like Charlie Chaplin, is a master mirth-maker. The contents of “ Quayle on Toast ” are taken from some of his most successful covers, and. printed full size, one on each page, will make a fresh appeal every time they are seen. The titles are taken from short, wellknown, and pithy sayings—“ Keeping His End Up,” “By Special Request,” “In the Lap of Luxury,” “ Off the Chain,” and so on, but each gives quite a different idea from that generally associated with it. Men, women, and children are all represented in their most amusing aspects, but for ourselves we like the artist’s depiction of the down-and-out tramp, with his clothes in rags and his face unkempt. “ A Spring Fantasy ” and “ Hope ” appeal as two of the most humorous drawings we have seeij for a very long time.

We have received from Messrs Robertson and Mullens, Ltd., a copy of “ Australian Homes,” a splendid book in appearance, priced at 3s (hl. There are eight fine plans, but the real virtue of the book lies in the excellent photographs of interiors, an item much sought by home buyers, also the articles on various phases of home building, from fittings to furnishings. 'The book aims at enabling the average citizen to become the owner of a better home architecturally than would be possible were he without the information it supplies, and, following on this, at pointing the way towards founding an Australasian tradition of domestic architecture. Consequently it endeavours to show those who read it what to look for in their walks abroad, to enable them to discriminate between what is good or bad in the architecture of the present day, and to help them in the different matters of choosing a site and estimating cost with fair approximation. The text explains both photographs and plans. The reader is conducted from the outside of the house right through it, and informed en route the reasons for each design and device. In each of the eight homes selected as examples reproduced and described examples of the gardens have been considered as an integral and inalienable part of the plan (with the house) of the architects.