Arcana:

(CHILDS RESTAURANT). Pruitt & Brown Architects. New York: Pruitt & Brown Architects, 1930. First Editions. Folio. Gilt-Stamped Buckram. Architecture Monographs. Near Fine/No Jackets - As Issued. 36pp + 48pp + 72pp, each profusely illustrated with original 7 ¼ x 9 ½" photographs and contemporary publication clippings. In protective clear acetate dustwrappers. This is a group of three unique, lavishly hand-assembled 14 x 12 ½" project documentation books produced in 1930 by Pruitt & Brown Architects to showcase their design work for recently opened showpieces for the Childs Restaurant chain. Founded in New York in the 1880s, Childs became one of the first national dining chains, with over one hundred venues at its height. The firm's ownership changed hands just as the US slipped into the Great Depression, and Childs optimistically opened a series of elegant Manhattan dining establishments each differentiated by a distinct architectural theme presented as if one were stepping onto a glamorous Hollywood back lot set. These hefty volumes have been produced in the manner of a scrapbook with original sepia-toned silver gelatin photographs by the Peyser & Patzig firm affixed to thick linen-hinged pages throughout liberally supplemented by menus, correspondence, and newspaper, magazine, and press coverage of the projects. The first is devoted to the Childs Restaurant at 425 Lexington Avenue which was a jaw-dropping showpiece of Art Deco elegance. The second covers Childs "Old England" at 9 East 40th Street, which presented a Robin Hood-like décor. The third - and most comprehensive of these books - details William Child's "Old Algiers" at 102nd Street and Broadway, which simulated an exotic night at the Kasbah. The three are bound in differing hues of buckram over boards with still-bright gilt-stamped titles on their front covers and spines. Each is internally in Fine condition, and bears a typed label on the inside front board noting that the volume was issued by the Pruitt & Brown Architects office at 342 Madison Avenue for use at the firm's Charlottesville, VA office. The exteriors show varying degrees of wear, rubbing, and some light discoloration, but are still sound and in no way detract from the remarkable contents. These are stunning, near-unique documents of another time, place, and dining experience that must be seen in hand to be fully appreciated. Inventory Number: 026957