the 20th century's greatest contribution would probably be seen as the rise of mass gardening in the suburban garden. Although such gardens are unlikely to produce designs of lasting distinction this book would perhaps have been better balanced by sacrificing one of the chapters on the work of Geoffrey Jellicoe (notwithstanding his eminence) for a greater consideration of this popular cultural mainstream of the late century. Herein lies the key to Jane Brown's book; that it is an idiosyncratic and personal view of the 20th century garden. Alan Taylor Documenting modernism The Modern Movement in Architecture: Selections from the DOCMOMO Registers Edited by Dennis Sharp & Catherine Cooke. English text. Uitgeverij 010 Publishers, Watertorenweg 180, Rotterdam. 2000. 280pp. 550 b+w illus. Softback. 27 x 22 cm. ISBN 906450-405-9. Price 65.00 Dutch Guilders. Two recurring themes for conservation professionals are the establishment of context and significance for buildings. Nowhere does this seem more problematical than in the architecture of the 20th century and particularly For the modern movement. Not only do those concerned with traditional buildings find the issues of protection and management difficult, the process of protection is in danger of equating urgency with priority, and proceeding ahead of general public acceptability. Since its foundation in Eindhoven in 1988, DOCOMOMO has been valiantly striving to alter perceptions and educate a largely unwilling or uninformed audience, especially in the face of social, technical and aesthetic innovations. The modern movement is, of course, truly international and DOCOMOMO has consequently spread its influence and activities globally. This guide provided an immensely helpful overview to the uninitiated as well as to the convert. It takes 600 hundred examples compiled over the last eight years from 32 national and regional groups (out of a total inventory of 1500 examples and 40 groups). The introductory essay by HubertJ an Henk et, founding chairman of DOCOMOMO reminds us of the Dutch government's inspired decision to 46 develop an evaluation methodology for such buildings, of the like-minded but isolated initiatives in other countries and the emphasis on documentation ahead of conservation so as to inform the process for posterity. Maristella Casciato, chair of the International Specialist Committee on Registers, goes further by stating that "conservation receives its authority and acquires its successes from detailed knowledge of the historical, economic, aesthetic, social and constructive motivations which guide the architectural process. This is no small matter when the objective is to create a methodology for safeguarding the heritage of modern architecture". Dennis Sharp concludes with a commentary on the century-long intellectual crusade of modernism which revolutionised the built environment "from Chicago to Letchworth and from Canberra to Tel Aviv". He reminds us that the revolutionary ferment extended across the visual arts, citing Picasso and Gris in painting, to Berg and Shoen berg in music. He also identifies the collapse of communism as stimulating a new impetus for documentation. Each subsequent section has an identical format of short introduction by the national group, a succinct description of each building entry and a photo (and occasionally a plan) and a selective bibliography. Each has been limited to 20 entries, but the size of county does not limit the number: Iceland has 20, Germany 13, all pre-dating 1933. Furthermore the geographical grouping are not always what might be expected: British Columbia and Quebec (not Canada); Scotland and the United Kingdom (meaning England & Wales); Iberia and Russia West and Siberia. Two small quibbles are that when the aim is illumination, it would have been helpful to know the date of the photos, particularly if they were contemporary, and to have a symbol indicating if the building merited a protective national designation. Bob Kindred MEE, conservation officer, Ipswich Borough Council. Modern questions Preserving Post-war Heritage: the Care and Conservation of MidTwentieth Century Architecture. Edited by Su.san Macdonald. Donliead for English Heritage, Shaftesbury, 2001. xx+ 235 pp 64 illustrations. £37.50. Preserving Post-war Heritage brings together papers presented at an English Heritage conference in 1998. The published collection of these papers provides an overview of the subject combining a philosophical and historical framework with a compendium of technical information. Alan Powers' opening essay sets out a philosophical basis for the conservation of post-1945 buildings in his a call for a balance between substance and essence. This is followed by a historical overview by Elain Harwood and a statement of conservation principles by Susan Macdonald. This scene-setting is followed by a series of chapters examining technical issues: services, plastics, concrete and framed construction and glass and metal cladding systems. Anthony Walker's analysis of the types and properties of plastics is especially useful. And among the detailed analyses of the use of concrete and the remedies for its failures, Kevin Davies' tabular analysis of concrete repair methods will provide a valuable key to understanding and selection. The two chapters on framed structures and cladding underline the fast-moving nature of building technology, and the problems of obtaining and matching proprietary products in conservation. The case studies which follow examine the practical application of the preceding chapters. Martin O'Rourke's examination of local authority housing schemes in London underlines the strong sense of social purpose of much post-1945 architecture and shows how this value can inform their conservation. A study of Fallingwater by Robert Silman shows that problems can affect even a classic by one of the twentieth century's greatest architects. John Allan of Avanti provides a thoughtful post-script. His notion of 'conservation with a small c involves exploiting the range of social, economic and technical tools available rather than simply revering buildings as cultural objects. This may offer a useful conceptual framework for further thinking about viable futures for mid-twentieth century buildings. Many conservation professionals may find the subject matter of the Preserving Post-war Heritage difficult to approach. But the challenges are there. Cycles of repair and renewal and pressure for replacement force us to confront and evaluate mid-twentieth century buildings. Preserving Post-war Heritage should prove an invaluable source book. Michael Taylor, historic areas adviser, English Heritage, West Midlands Region CONTEXT 71 SEPTEMBER 2001
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