Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes by Jeffrey Milstein


Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes
Title : Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0764352474
ISBN-10 : 9780764352478
Language : English
Format Type : Hardcover
Number of Pages : 72
Publication : Published December 28, 2016

Jeffrey Milstein is fascinated with how similar forms repeat themselves in distinctive ways. Here, he examines classic Palm Springs trailer park homes, each composed of the same basic units—the box-like "house," the flanking carport, and the patio shelter. Photographing each one from exactly the same viewpoint, he shows how the owners have personalized their dwellings in a delightful range of architectural styles from Chinese to early Egyptian to Desert Modern. Parked on small plots with their narrow ends facing the street, these tiny homes were originally made of surplus sheet metal using technology developed in aircraft factories during WWII. Over time, people remodeled them, creating decorative facades and in some cases adding elements of architectural styles found in more affluent neighborhoods. In documenting these older mobile homes, including the Blue Skies Village Trailer Park founded in 1955 by Bing Crosby, Milstein reveals how we shape our world to reflect our dreams and aspirations.

Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes Reviews

  • Ryan

    Right now the hot housing trend is tiny homes. Personally I have a standard house that is only 625 square feet, and I do not want to get any tinier. But years ago, a different type of tiny home was the fad: trailer homes. This coffee table book expressly looks at one mobile home community in California. Each home is the same, but entirely different. It all starts with a trailer, and two covered areas, what each becomes is its owner's ideas and dreams. An interesting book, with a glimpse into a community not many get to see.

  • Frances

    This was a lovely “coffee table” style photography book. With the digital edition, I was able to view the photographs on my largish TV screen instead of my iPad screen. Even blown up, the photographs were beautifully vibrant and crisp. I haven’t spent much time reviewing these types of books because I’m really not anywhere near being an authority of photography, visual composition, etc. I like it or I don’t and can usually tell you why on a level of a normal 5 year-old. I liked the book because the photos are brilliant. I’ve never been out West, so I don’t know if the colors are really that saturated or if that is how Milstein edited his photos. Bright Tim Burton-esque color contrast (ex. Alice in Wonderland) is how I see the world before the pain of a migraine hits and it truly is the only good thing about getting them. Experiencing the world in that way makes even the most drab moments seem fantastic. This effectively made the subjects of Milstein’s photographs also seem fantastic. I also loved seeing how people have modified their trailers or left them the same over time and that they all seemed to be in great shape. To me, this was a testament to both good craftsmanship and taking care of something you love.

  • Kristine

    Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes by Jeffrey Milstein is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late December, just before Christmas.

    Of each of these steady, horizontally balanced casas veritas, my favorites were the ones taken in Rancho Mirage, because Graumann's Egyptian Theatre motif, shabby chic aqua pickup? Yes, please!