Okay, so we plugged Brock Jobe's new book a few days ago, but we finally got our grubby little paws on a copy and holy cow! This is a book you really need on your shelf. It's a great combination of an object-focused catalog AND an object-driven history. That is, Jobe, along with co-authors Gary Sullivan and Jack O'Brien, as well as a slew of contributors, have put forth over 100 objects with detailed information related to form, decoration, construction, provenance, etc. Many have never been seen before by the public in any meaningful way. And the essays for each catalog entry not only discuss each object, but also their makers and users, and then draw connections between the various shops, families, and communities in which these objects played a role. But more than that, the authors also fill in the historical context of this understudied region and are thus able to tell the story of southeastern Massachusetts using these objects not just as props or decoration, but as characters. Bravo!
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