Rubber: Fun, Fashion, Fetish

By Janet Bloor and John D. Sinclair

Here is a comprehensive survey of the history of this much used but often overlooked material, which has paved the way for a multitude of advances in design, technology and lifestyle. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0500284903
• ISBN13: 9780500284902
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Rubber: More Fun Than Silly-Putty

This book just blew me away starting with the incredible binding. Made out of orange rubber with tactile surfaces and a cutout. Rare in the world of decorative bindings but very original in concept. What do you call it? Hardback(it is not hard, rather flexible) or paperback(well it can't be a paperback if it is made out of rubber!). How it will weather the ages is another matter. Best to keep the air and sun from it, as with any rubber product. The book is full of fine examples of how rubber was used in the 20th century for all manor of articles, quite a few being highly collectable these days. I enjoyed the reproductions of early posters advertising rubber and rubber products. Anyone with a collector mentality will find something inside this book to collect just for the fun of it. My favorite is the rubber lady who wiggles when you turn a small crank! This was one of those books I HAD to own once I had a copy in my hands. Enjoy.

Who Knew Rubber Could be So Much Fun!

If you are looking for a dry, scientific tome on the properties of rubber or a book for the kiddies, this is not your book--definitely not a book for children because of the connection between rubber and sexual activities. If, however, you want a photo-packed, fun exploration of how rubber impacts our daily lives, this is the book for you. Personally, I prefer natural materials to synthetics but I found the scope of Ms. Bloor's collection of rubber objects and the visual variety to be truly impressive. Categories include rubber toys (showcasing my favorite of Rubber Ducky), balls, clothing, bathing caps and masks, welcome mats (including a wonderful one made of little green people), vases, water bottles, kitchen utensils, fake food, movie prosthetics (wounds, severed hands, etc.), condoms and erotica, fashion, and the recycling of tires into other useful objects. To illustrate the author's thoroughness, even the cover of this book is made of rubber. The rubber objects, beautifully photgraphed, are the star of the book but there is enough text to give you an appreciation of this versatile substance and its history. My only quibble is that I would like to have seen more work by artists who use rubber, but maybe that will show up in a second book.