Corrado Parducci - The Field Guide

**carptrash** · December-25-19, 07:45 PM

Sometime in the mid 1980s I started researching the life and work of Corrado Parducci. I posted about it here in subsequent years but then around 2000 I moved to New Mexico, and later Arizona, and pretty much left all things Detroit behind. Then perhaps half a dozen years ago I was contacted by Dale Carlson who had some basic questions about CP’s work. What happened next was that Dale caught the Parducci bug, which is highly contagious, and he proceeded to spend the next half a decade in an aggressive pursuit of the man and his commissions. He traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Superior and many many places in between and now his book, which he has kindly put my name on next to his, so it is “our” book, is about to come out. I have not seen it yet, but I have been witness to Dale’s meticulous research and spot on photographs so it will be well worth the under $20 cost. Available in maybe the second week in January. If this is considered to be blatant advertising or product pushing or something and thus crosses some site prohibition I can rewrite this, but when I heard that it was off to the printers Detroit YES was the one place that I wanted to alert about it. [[to be cont.)

**MikeM** · December-25-19, 08:24 PM

Thanks for the advance notice Carp. Looking forward to its release!

**carptrash** · December-31-19, 06:52 PM

I think it is out now, I'll find the web site where it can be ordered from. Mention my name and get 0% off!

**Kathleen** · January-03-20, 12:00 PM

Hi Carpy! Good to hear from you! Thanks for sharing this news! Looking forward to seeing this new book on Parducci!

**carptrash** · January-05-20, 12:19 AM

Me too Kathleen, I have not seen the final, bookstand ready edition yet.

**renf** · January-06-20, 01:11 PM

Just ordered a copy from Amazon: $17.99.

**Kathleen** · January-06-20, 03:21 PM

Thanks, Renf! Here's the link to the Amazon webpage: https://www.amazon.com/Corrado-Pardu.../dp/0578619822

**Gistok** · January-06-20, 03:23 PM

Parducci was amazing... I love his plasterwork ceiling to the Meadowbrook Hall Christopher Wren dining room, and his Art Deco entrance reliefs at the Guardian Building....

**gnome** · January-06-20, 04:11 PM

Gosh, any thread with forum luminaries like Carptrash, MikeM, Gistok, Renf and the sainted Kathleen is bound for the Hall of Fame. I know I’m a smartass most of the time, but truly, just to see those names warms my heart.

i can’t wait to order a copy of the book.

There are several Parducci carvings on our church [[St. Cecilia) but no one there seems to know anything about the guy. I can’t wait to present a copy to our priest.

**Lowell** · January-06-20, 06:10 PM

Thanks Carp, this will be a great addition to the Detroit story. I'm sure there will be lot of "Gee, he did that too?" remarks once his story is told.

What a shame that his studio didn't survive the wilderness years of the lower Cass Corridor. It would have made a great museum to his accomplishments.

The person who introduced me to Parducci is seen in the first picture, Gregg Sutter, who was Elmore Leonard's researcher.

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**carptrash** · January-10-20, 12:41 PM

Looking forward to your review.

**carptrash** · January-10-20, 12:44 PM

There were rumors that Gregg Sutte might have salvaged some materials, drawings perhaps, from the building after CP's death. Any ideas?

**carptrash** · January-10-20, 12:46 PM

I have not yet seen the finished book, hopefully St. Cecilia made the final cut. With something like 600 or 700 commissions decisions had to be made.

**Gistok** · January-10-20, 03:56 PM

Parducci Youtube video....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtCi208LKWQ

**Kathleen** · January-15-20, 04:13 PM

Got my copy in yesterday's mail. Lots to digest! It is a field guide listing some 600 Parducci sites/works in chronological order. So it will take time to go through. Includes two indexes: Person and Site. Already wishing there was a Geographic Index by State and then by City.

Gnome: Good to hear from you!! And yes, St. Cecilia's is listed, both church and school.

**renf** · January-16-20, 12:02 PM

My copy of this book arrived yesterday. It is an excellent volume with clear pictures of Parducci's accomplishments from all over the country.

**carptrash** · January-21-20, 01:04 AM

One of the major problems we faced was getting, or rather using just one picture per commission. Many of the sites features one, two, or three dozen individual pieces and we allotted ourselves just one per. One of the main purpose of the book was to create something that would allow you to go out and discover some of your own. Happy hunting.

**Neilr** · January-21-20, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by carptrash

One of the major problems we faced was getting, or rather using just one picture per commission. Many of the sites features one, two, or three dozen individual pieces and we allotted ourselves just one per. ...

My copy arrived last week. On one hand, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't contain numerous color pictures but that's the nature of a "field guide." What you give up is more than made up by the fact that it's small enough to be convenient to carry with you as you go out and about to the listed sites. I'm delighted to have my copy.

**carptrash** · January-22-20, 01:53 AM

A bunch of color pictures is also what you give up when you are self-published. WSUPress was not interested in our project, they may have another CP in the works, and yes, this is a field guide. And tracking down 350, or whatever of his sites was a huge task. Trying to get it published was another tryingone, this is where we ended up.

**Lowell** · January-23-20, 12:38 PM

Got my copy a few days ago and sent one to the above-mentioned Gregg Sutter who mentioned his trove of Parducci items.

**carptrash** · January-24-20, 12:06 AM

I would very much like to chat with him about that trove. We are planning a 2nd eddition, the first was 200 copies and may not last that long and we are still looking for new information. I would like to find some drawings or sketches by CP, who did a lot and whose sketch books have not been fond by me.

**carptrash** · February-23-20, 12:38 AM

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/en...AZFPi_1T2T75bA

**Kathleen** · March-03-21, 11:13 AM

Dale has been giving talks on Parducci via Zoom for local libraries.
I've attended two of them in the past several weeks: Baldwin Public Library and Ferndale Area District Library. Same basic talk but with portions specific to the host library's location.

He has a talk via Zoom scheduled for April 14 through the Livonia Public Library. Registration not yet open, but here is the link:
https://livonia.libcal.com/event/7366646