ICE PALACES.

Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1983. 132 pp, oblong (9 1/8" H x 10 3/4" D). Profusely illustrated with colour and b&w photographs, reproductions, architectural drawings. "The magical buildings illustrated in this pioneer study of a virtually unknown architectural phenomenon were truly built of ice, and they were said to shimmer with color and fire reminiscent of sapphire, topaz, and opal. In style they recalled medieval castles, Gothic cathed-rals, Russian palaces, and Art Deco fantasies. Many were huge, reaching as high as a 14 -story building and extending as long as a football field, but, of course, there's no physical trace of them. Nevertheless, the authors have discovered dozens of historic photographs, lithographs, postcards, paintings, and drawings of these fabulous but ephemeral constructions, as well as mementoes of the winter activities and sports surrounding their creation. (They) relate the history of ice castle building and examine about thirty in detail. This type of architectural tour de fource had its beginning in 18th-century Russia, when the eccentric Empress Anna Ivanova built an icy honeymoon cottage for an out-of-favor prince. In North America, ice palaces were created as centrepieces for the winter carnivals that sprang up in northern cities in the late 19th century. Between 1883 and 1942, grand castles were built of blocks of ice in the Canadian cities of Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa, and also in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Leadville, Colorado. Today the leading centers for construction in ice and snow are at the annual winter festivals held in Quebec, Canada, and Sapporo, Japan. (T)he authors - both architects - examine the theory and practice of building with ice (which under certain conditions has the structural properties of concrete), both for practical and fantastic purposes." Book is clean and bright. Dust jacket has light rubbing - mainly on front panel, minor wrinkling at top of spine.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Very Good.