Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1983 - 32

BOOK REVIEWS
/l'Gn Bilibin by Sergei Golynets, translaled by
Glenys Ann Kozlov, ew York: Harry "
Abrams, Inc" Leningrad: Aurora An Publishers, 1982, ISB 0-8109-0735-6,529,98,

Harry ,Abrams, Inc, in cooperation
wilh Aurora Publishers in the Soviet Union
ha\'e brought fonh a beautiful book detailing the life and career of Russian anist, illustrator and theatrical designer han Bilibin
(1876- 1942), Ivan Bilibin's work has long
been overshadowed in the \Vest by lhe international reputation of such contemporaries
as Leon Bakst and Alexandre Benois, Like
Bakst and Benois, Bilibin was a member of
lhe A1ir/skus{\'o i\]o\'ement that, under lhe
leadership of Serge Diaghilev, introduced
avant-garde forces in Russian an 10 the \Vest
and eventually led to the establishment of lhe
Ballets Russe"
Born in St. Petersburg and educaled for
a career in the law, Bilibin's first Im"e was an,
He st udied drawing under lhe greal Russian
realisl, llya Repin, and began work as a book
illustrator, Bilibin was an excellenl
draughtsman and his work as an illust rator
and designer demonstrates the strong linear
basis of his an, In his an he consciousl\'
restricted his use of color gi\'ing priority 10
line, His subjecls reflected Russian folklore
and history, Bilibin was an expen on Russian
decoralion and ornamentation, de\"eloping
an extensive research collection \\hich he
utilized in his work,
Bilibin execuled his first theatrical design;
in 190-+ for Tile Snow Moiden at the Prague
ational Theatre, The years 190-+-1915 \\ere
dominated by his work in Theatre and
Opera, Bilibin designed sets, properties and
costumes for an impressive series of productions, olable among his designs \\ere the
costumes he designed for the 1908 produclion of Boris Codounol' that Diaghile\ pre,ented in Paris, Bilibin's costumes \\'ere hailed for their rich color and authenlic decQl"alion and sen'ed as an introduction to the
visual splendors of the Ballets Russes \\ hich
followed, Bilibin remained acti\e a,> a
theatrical designer in Europe well into lhe
1930'
The book begins \\ith an essa~ on
Bilibin's an discussing in delail hi, earl\
work as an illustrator and slage designer as
\\'ell as later facets of his career. The es,a\ i,
a lucid presemation of his \\'01'1.., '>lyli')tically
placing il in lhe context of de\'elopment,> in
Russian and European art of the period, The
essay is follo\\"ed by 195 illustratiol1'> co\ering the full range of his work, Appro\imateIy thirty of the plates are de\'oted to hi, thealrical designs, Ninety-eight of the illu,tration;, ,He in full color, reproduced in a large
30

format for easy and detailed examination,
The book concludes with a chronology of
Bilibin's life composed of photographs, selections from correspondences and commentary by his contemporaries on his work, The
book also contains valuable appendices including a bibliography, index, glossary and exhibitions calalogue, This is a
handsomely illustrated and well-documented
book that offers a fascinating view of
Bilibin's life and work,
Robert C. Hansen
Bowling Green Slate University

Uniforms of the World: A Compendium of
Army, NOl'yond Air Force Uniforms /700/937 by Richard Knotel, Herben Knotel,
and Herben Sieg, Translated by Ronald Ball,
ew York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1980,
ISB 0-68-+-16304-7, xii+-+83pp" ill"
530,00, paper,
Uniforllls oj file II 'arId is a classic reference book, Richard Knotel was a military
scholar born in Gcrmany in 1857, whose colleclion of picture books on military subjects
e\entually grew into a reference library of
more than 3,000 works, It was from this collection that he wrote his eighteen \'olume
series Unifol'/nkunde dealing with uniforms,
insignia and weapons, Hondbuell del' Unijorlllkunde was derived from the longer
work by Knolel's son, Herben, a watercolorist and hi,torian \\'ho had completed his
father', \\'ork. and who in 1937 published an
enlarged edition of the shoneI' work in collaboration Wilh Herben Sieg, Sieg was an artist in his own right \\'hose authenlic color
plates of militarv costume ha\'e now become
collector's ilems,
The English text of Hondbuell del'
Uniforlllkunde was translated by Ronald
Ball. a researcher at the Scollish nited Ser\'ices :'\Iuseum, Edinburgh, In light of the
pOSl-1937 military acti\'ity in the \\orld,
amhor Herben Knotel Jr. and Sieg brought
out a ne\\ edit ion in 1956, This currem 1980
edition i') a ')lightly altered \'Crsion of lhe 1956
edition,
Un!lol'/ns o.lflle World span') more lhan
t\\O hundred years of the de\'elopmenl 01
militar\" costume and Ixovides complete information on uniform') in both war and
peace, The book deals \\'ith the armie').
na\ ie'>, and air force uniforms of such di\ erse
coumrie, as Eire, Estonia, Chile, Turkey and
:'\Ie\ico, a,> \\ell as the grealer world power"
Of ,pecial imerest i,> the section de\'oled to
lhe many and often neglecled Slale, of preunified Germany, Perhap, more imponanlI~. Ihe book gi\ e'> a ,1 rang impre,>,>ion of I he

Theatre Design & Technolog) L,SITT SPfll1g 1983

Editor: L. Garren

uniforms of the military personalities of
Louis IV, i\larlborough, Frederick the Great,
Napoleon, and Wellington.
This study of uniforms is made complete
by innumerable chans including detailed information on such items as cuffs, collars,
bUllons, turnbacks, shoulder slraps, lapel
piping, officer's lace, loops, pelisse, sashes,
fur cap bags, rank stripe widths and weights,
shabraques, and busy bags. In addition, a
glossary is appended listing foreign retentions
and explanations of translation together with
technical explanations,
Although the book is textually complete
in terms of descriptive detail, its major
drawback is the accompanying illustrations,
The drawings are all blaek and while; the
groupings are far too crowded to be represemative in terms of time-span; and the
drawings are tOO small (2,5" high) 10 render
del ail on the uniforms comprehensively,
onelheless, the book does substantiate
the enormous contribution of uniforms to
mens' wear in panicular and to cultural hislory in general, as well as pointing to the ob\'ious \"alue of the study of uniforms as a pan
of military history,
Syvalya Eichen
Toromo

Nelle compiled and edited by Sanford Shire,
lext by Sanford Shire, Marjorie Luesebrink
and Rachel Chodoro\'. ew York: Rizzoli
Imernational Publications, 1981. ISBN
0-8478-0328-1, 125 pp., 518,95 paper.

Antony
elk
was a dancer,
choreographer, designer, and graphic an ist
who worked in relative obscurity all of his
life, Follo\\ing his death in 1977 and the
death of his \\'ife founeen momhs later, one
hundred of his scenic renderings were consigned to an amique shop in Buffalo, New
York, for sale where they came 10 the allention of Sanford Shire who was immediately
struck by Iheir originalilY and theatricality,
Wilh Ihe help of friends, Shire disco\'ered
more than twO hundred scenic and costume
rendering" poster desigm. drawings for
militar~ in,tallalions, and a ci\'ic cenler Ihal
Nelle e\eculed, Compiled and edited by Sanford Shire with texl by Shire, :'\Iarjorie
Luesebrink and Rachel Chodoro\', ,Yelle is a
beauliful presemation of lhe Anlon\' Nelle
art, The book is an imponanl comribulion
10 lhe history of twemieth-century theatrical
design and ,>hould be of imeresl 10 ')cholars,
')Iudent,>. and de igners alike,
Nelle, whose father \\'as an orchestra conduclor and mother a former dancer, was
born in \\'ar,>a\\, Poland, in 189-+, He \\a,
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1983
