NEW from ACC Art Books – Limited Edition: Sukita: EternityClick here to order

Despite its trademark transparency, the Corum Golden Bridge is a wristwatch full of mystery. This new book describes the iconic linear timepiece’s fascinating history including the innovative mechanical invention conceived by a nonconformist autodidact and the difficult technical breakthroughs by two like-minded personalities needed to achieve the dream wristwatch. This story, chock-full of narrative substance, begins in Switzerland of the late 1970s, at a time when electronic timekeeping was threatening to overtake the magical mastery of mechanical ticks and tocks. The Golden Bridge, spanning the gap between mechanics and art, is an integral part of this era as luxury watchmaking teetered on the brink of extinction. The Golden Bridge additionally helped usher in the era of the independent watchmaker, as its very creation was rooted in shedding light on the work of the watchmaker in a way that no other timepiece before or after it ever would.

Bike London
is the definitive guide to cycling in the UK’s capital. The cycling culture in London is constantly evolving and this book offers an indispensable resource for the city’s bike users – whether they’re weather-hardened commuters who ride in all conditions or summer daytrippers looking to explore. This book covers all things two-wheeled, from local cycle shops and essential cafe stops, to ideas for routes and events that will appeal to all breeds of bike lover.

More than a mere directory, Bike London
speaks to important players in the city’s cycling community, while also looking back and offering interesting facts and snippets of information from London’s 100-year-plus love affair with the bicycle.

As London embraces a greener future, this book is a timely resource that will help you put words into action.

Each chapter is categorized by theme: Local Bike Shops, Cycling Clubs, Cycling Events, Cycling Locations, Cycling Routes, Cycling Equipment, Cycling Apparel, Cycling Cafes, Cycle Hire and Iconic London Cyclists. Throughout, Bike London will also feature profiles of some of the great and the good of London cycling, from Bradley Wiggins and Paul Smith to Tahnée Seagrave, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Maurice Burton and Jeremy Vine.

Also in the series:
Vinyl London ISBN 9781788840156
London Peculiars ISBN 9781851499182
Art London ISBN 9781788840385
Rock ‘n’ Roll London ISBN 9781788840163

New York City is world-renowned for its skyline, and perched atop its lofty heights is a feast of breathtaking rooftop destinations for every taste and imagination. 111 Rooftops in New York That You Must Not Miss
is the ultimate guide to an urban treasure trove of gems in the sky. It will guide you throughout the city’s five boroughs to rooftop bars and restaurants, urban farms, sports, cultural events, classes, green roofs, parks, and, of course, spectacular views from above.

Rooftops are the final frontier for urban explorers. This complete guide showcases a dazzling array of surprising rooftop escapes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. Once associated with privilege and exclusivity, the city’s highest points are now accessible to anyone with a sense of adventure.

111 Rooftops in New York That You Must Not Miss
is packed with sumptuous photos and brimming with handy insights into the nuance, atmosphere, and clientele of each place, as well as practical information, from hours of operation to the closest subway stop.

“It amazes me that after all these years and countless books, the scope of subject matter on The Beatles is so amazingly large that writers always find a new angle. This book does that in a very unique and clever way. It’s a must for every Beatles fan.” – Billy J. Kramer

“…It’s a magical mystery tour through the band’s life and times.”  —Yahoo Entertainment The It-List

“Part biography and part map to the stars, The Beatles: Fab Four Cities is your “Ticket to Ride” and walk in the footsteps of John, Paul, George and Ringo. It’s the next best thing to actually driving their car…”Nina Violi, Capitol File. and Gotham magazine

“While the book can be used as a handy tour guide filled with addresses, maps and photos, it also makes for great reading.”  —Steve Matteo, The Vinyl District

“But now comes a “magic carpet volume” for Beatles fans that blends travel guide with historical reference in an expanded study of The Beatles’ homes, schools, pubs, venues, and important historic sites…”  —Jude Southerland Kessler, Culture Sonar

John Lennon said: “We were born in Liverpool, but we grew up in Hamburg.”
To paraphrase Lennon, we could say that: “The Beatles were born in Liverpool, grew up in Hamburg, reached maturity in London, and immortality in New York.”
Four cities. Four stars. The Fab Four – the Beatles – are revered the world over, but it is in these urban centres that their legacy shines brightest. Liverpool: where the band graduated from church halls, leaving their initial line-up as ‘The Quarrymen’ far behind. Hamburg: where their raucous stage act was honed; where arrests earned them a more notorious celebrity reputation, but they became a true emblem of rock ‘n’ roll. London: where The Beatles produced Sgt Pepper, and home to the iconic album cover for Abbey Road. And New York: the city that became John Lennon’s home, where their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show announced them to 73 million Americans.
The Beatles: Fab Four Cities invites the reader on a cosmopolitan trek across continents, tracing the Beatles’ rise to fame from one metropolis to the next. Flush with timelines, stories, trivia, the numerous links and connections between the cities and both pop cultural and local history, this is a travel guide like no other.

The new volume in the successful series New Exhibition Design presents and documents in images, text and information the museum and its exhibitions – a fantastic success story. A broad overview of current concepts and trends in exhibition design and scenography from around the world. With more than 110 projects: well-known agencies, designers and curators have their say. There are numerous outstanding presentations with varied themes, content and ground-breaking designs. And more important than ever before: “exhibitions” are reliable places for education, enlightenment and democratisation. In interviews 16 experts explain their take on current discussions and exciting methods. Uwe J. Reinhardt and Philipp Teufel provide an analysis of the current social and political discourse and open up new strategies for poetic spaces.
Text in English and German.

Traveling in a van is emerging as a popular way to see the world. Back to nature, away from mass tourism, you can experience a country in a way that’s fresh, unscheduled, and autonomous. This book on getting the most from your trip to van-friendly Norway answers some important questions and contains a wealth of information, including what to take, how to avoid wasting time looking for an ideal spot to spend the night, and where to find the most breath-taking landscapes.

Also available: Drive Your Adventure Portugal ISBN 9789401467032.

Traveling in a van is emerging as a popular way to see the world. This second title in the series Drive Your Adventure
will help you make the most of touring Portugal in a camper van. This book answers some important questions and contains a wealth of information, including when to go, what to take, how to avoid wasting time looking for an ideal spot to spend the night, and where to find the most scenic landscapes.
Also available: Drive Your Adventure Norway ISBN 9789401467018

Experience Paris from a unique point of view and explore the city through its famous street art. In this handy guide, ten interesting walking tours take you to every important and surprising Parisian street art installation. Pick one of the routes and detailed directions with helpful maps and pictograms will show you the way. Background information on the artists is supplemented by a guide to the best restaurants, cafes, bookshops, museums, galleries and other worthwhile places to visit nearby.

Also available: The Street Art Guide to London ISBN 9789401469845

Bhutan is a country rich in ethnic, cultural, and religious traditions, having moved towards modernization only in the latter half of the 20th century. While some initiatives have been undertaken to understand the history of the land and its people, there is so much that is yet to be discovered. It is this fascination for Bhutan and its people that drove the author to pen The Unexplored Kingdom: People and Folk Cultures of Bhutan. The book reveals the diverse facets of the Land of the Thunder Dragon, exploring its historical background, ethnic lifestyles, and cultural and religious practices.

Raphael arrived in Rome in 1508 and remained there until his death in 1520, working as painter and architect for popes Julius II and Leo X and for the most prestigious patrons. Here the artist changed his painting style several times, looking at the works of Michelangelo, Sebastiano del Piombo and the vast repertoire of ancient painting and sculpture. In the Eternal City Raphael practised architecture for the first time, designing buildings that reflected the models of Antiquity such as the Pantheon, the descriptions deriving from written sources such as Vitruvius’ treaty on architecture, and the examples of modern architects like Donato Bramante.

This guide supplies essential and up to date information on all the civil or religious buildings designed or built by Raphael in Rome, and the frescoes and paintings, housed in churches or museums, whether executed in the city or arrived there at a later stage.

Digital Architecture employs computer modeling, programing, simulation, and imaging to create both virtual forms and physical structures, and it is becoming increasingly popular in today’s architecture landscape the world over.
This book presents the fast-shaping and actively progressing digital architecture scene in China as it discusses the current status and trends in its development, design, and construction, in the different dimensions of digital architecture.
It includes four parts: Theoretical Explorations; Building Practice; Research Projects; and a chronology of digital architecture in China. The first part summarizes the understanding and positioning of digital architecture in China from the perspectives of construction, design techniques, and design concepts. The second and third parts provide readers with a wealth of information and resource through many analytical diagrams, technical drawings, and construction and completion images. This book is not only an academic review, but also a lively account of digital architecture in China. This read will feel like a visit to a vivid Chinese digital architecture exhibition, and will be a welcome addition to any architecture reference collection.

Hibino Sekkei has worked on over 560 design projects in Japan as well as overseas; they include kindergartens and nursery schools, primary and secondary schools, and other spaces where children spend long periods of time at. They think of a space as more than a space. They value all the “contents” in the container called space as significant as the container itself. This book is a collection of selected prominent works by Hibino Sekkei Youji no Shiro and KIDS DESIGN LABO, beginning from spaces to key design elements, furniture design, and visual identity design. The book aims to share Hibino Sekkei’s design concepts in the hope that they inspire the readers in crafting their own unique designs for children’s facilities. What’s more, they have interviewed several of the principles of the kindergartens and nurseries,who would provide valuable information on children’s spaces design from an educator’s point of view.

This issue focuses on the Belgian practice, architecten de vylder vinck taillieu, based in Ghent. Curated by guest editors, Seng Kuan and Angela Pang, it introduces 17 of their mostly recent works. Rather than providing objectives or primary information, a unique characteristic of the practice is that they prefer to emphasize the stories that connect people and things to buildings.

Correspondingly, this issue is relatively sparing with data on scale and orientation, in favor of texts for each project that tell stories with futures. Their work, which can sometimes seem kitsch or surrealistic, is supported by their unique and surprisingly energetic approach, one that gives us the courage to continue trying something different.

Text in English and Japanese.

British flower painting has its own unique, if relatively recent, history, but it can only be judged in the light of the wider history of the subject and by comparison with other, particularly European, countries. The first chapter of A History and Dictionary of British Flower Painters, therefore, sets the scene with a brief introduction to floral art world wide before the next four chapters concentrate on British flower painting in the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The dictionary provides the biographical details of almost 1,000 British flower painters, offering information regarding their specialities, awards and exhibitions.

Many professions are involved directly or indirectly with tropical landscape, yet there are few sources of readily digestible information for the student to turn to. This book gives guidance to the newcomer about tropical landscape design. It describes the work of the professional designer, but is sufficiently down-to-earth to be accessible to the amateur for whom professional consultation is not available.

This book considers how and why people bought, sold, donated, and received works of art during Japan’s Edo period (1600-1868), when opportunities to obtain art increased as audiences for art expanded. Many urbanites enjoyed money in their pockets and access to information, which allowed them to emerge as influential consumers. With this, patronage of art by a small cohort of powerful and wealthy individuals gave way to support of art by a broader audience and, concurrently, exchanges between those making art and those acquiring art developed into new and dynamic interactions. The study of Edo-period art acquisition is comparatively new, but important to those seeking greater knowledge about art objects, as well as many others looking to understand the social life of visual forms. Some contributors to this volume examine broad themes like art and the marketplace, or art and political dissent; others explore cases of ownership by ranking officials, imperial ladies, temple abbots, and business entrepreneurs. As a whole, the book allows for a deeper understanding of Edo-period acquisition practices, as well as a fuller comprehension of the vital connections between Japanese art and its audiences.

The Designline is a 4.5 meter long illustrated history of design, which can either be used as a booklet, or unfolded as a large poster. It includes examples from important epochs and exemplary forms – be it in the shape of a kidney-shaped table designed by Isamu Noguchi as an example for organic design, or the ground plan of Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin, representative of deconstructionism. Numerous photos and information on historical developments, outstanding works and designers from each epoch accompany the design history, making the Designline important both as an example, and in terms of product language. The Designline is interdisciplinary and synoptic, covering industrial and graphic design and architecture. The documented period begins with the industrial revolution.

Text in English and German.

This book offers an up-to-date and comprehensive insight into state-of-the-art design and planning of exhibitions by presenting more than 80 project examples of renowned international designers from Germany to Korea, from Japan to the USA and Canada, from Norway to Italy. The many photos, plans and project data provide in-depth information about these projects, all of them extraordinary in terms of design and content and on the cutting edge of technological and social innovation.

Professional design has never been as important and par for the course as today. Pioneering and exceptional design achievements are at the centre of Focus Open 2020, one of the most renowned German design competitions with an international orientation. For many years, the competition has been an exclusive platform for companies and professional designers from all around the world – from industrial heavyweights to small companies.

The yearbook presents all the prize-winning products of 2020. The award winners come from, for example, the sectors of investment goods, healthcare, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, consumer electronics, leisure, building technology, public design, mobility, service design and materials and surfaces. Focus Open, the state prize of the Baden-Württemberg state, shows what is state-of-the-art in terms of design, innovation and sustainability.

Text in English and German.

On numerous trips from the top to the very south of the country, the photographer Bernhard C. Hartmann has set out to catch scenes of Italian life. For this book B.C. Hartmann has assembled and arrayed a wide range of photos from still-life-like compositions to recording the crucial moment of an action. The author just discloses the most basic textual information. He intends to encourage the beholder to scrutinize the pictures so as to decode the various compositions and scenarios.

Text in English and German.

Magritte in 400 images offers a selection of the most iconic paintings from the master Surrealist, René Magritte, along with a multitude of perhaps less well-known, but no less exciting jewels from his expansive oeuvre. The novel choice of works will surprise and delight the reader as they continue to uncover ever more facets of the celebrated painter, from his gouaches to his painted bottles and much more. Spanning seven chapters, this book brings together the myriad aspects of Magritte’s pictorial vision. Beginning with his first forays into abstract painting in the 1920s, navigating his search for solace in his Sunlit Period, as well as his brittle période vache and moving on to his Surrealist masterpieces of the 1950s and 1960s, it gently guides the reader through Magritte’s world. Each chapter opens with a summary of the artistic stakes at play during that period and Magritte’s place in them, immersing the reader in the contemporary artistic milieu. The 400 reproductions of Magritte’s work are complemented by a unique selection of historical photographs. Alive with images and information, this compact gem is a must-have for all art enthusiasts and connoisseurs.

“Understanding Jewellery is a love letter to glorious pieces from the last hundred years.” —M. J. Rose, The Adventurine

“An enjoyably scholarly romp through the past and a feast for the eyes for the novice and the consummate jewelry fan and collector.”Beth Bernstein, Forbes

“A must-have coffee table book for jewellery aficionados…”Elisa Vallata, Departures International

“As with stocks, education is the way to begin. There are many excellent books on the jewelry market, but start with Understanding Jewellery, the industry bible by two former Sotheby’s jewelry executives, David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti.”Bloomberg

Understanding Jewellery, by authors David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, is often described as the must-have jewelry book of our time – a ‘Bible’ in the jewelry trade. First published in 1989, it has remained in print ever since, amassing a loyal following of devotees who admire its detailed information and stunning imagery.
In this new work, Bennett and Mascetti have taken the original concept of Understanding Jewellery a stage further. Now, with the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, they have concentrated on the 20th century alone by conducting a detailed survey of each decade, identifying the key players, trends and movements. The book is an encyclopaedic history of the various forms, techniques and materials employed by the companies and individuals who defined jewelry in the 20th century.
Most significantly, this book includes a new set of photographs, which make Understanding Jewellery: The Twentieth Century one of the most dazzling, absorbing and varied collections of jewelry images ever assembled in a book. This large format hardback volume is a perfect gift for all lovers of jewellery and the definitive guide for those who desire a deeper understanding of the subject. 

This book immediately becomes the reference on how to create exhibitions in modern museums and how to work through the complexities of the exhibition development process, and it does so with humour, flair, and great understanding of the hard work involved.” – Russell Briggs, Director Engagement, Exhibitions & Cultural Connection, Australian Museum

This method is an indispensable tool for all museum professionals: from director and curator to project manager and marketeer.” – Wim van der Weiden Founder of EMA

Developing Exhibitions describes an extensive in-depth methodology and practical framework on the development and production of exhibitions. It is a manual, with schemes and systems and a focus on the processes, and on the practice of developing content and storylines. As there is no other such clear-cut manual at present, it is already clear it will be used by several courses and programmes.