Mel Shakespeare’s legacy book chronicling a lifetime love of all things antique.
With over 325 beautiful pictures of his work and collections, amassed over six decades, this 300-page book contains 26 stories of the masterful reclamation of some of Ontario’s earliest homes—many, literally saved from the wrecking ball from 1965 to the present day. This compendium is the culmination of one man’s years of dedication to antiques and vintage architecture—a book every antique enthusiast will be thrilled to own—but only 300 first-edition copies are available.
Scroll to the page bottom to see where you can purchase yours!
Over 325
Colour Photos!
Over 300
Pages!
NEW! Read a Review from Canadian Antiques & Folk Art Magazine!
Some pages from the book
Click on pictures to enlarge them.
Here’s what they’re already saying about “A Dedication to Beauty”
“Among his many creative accomplishments as an artist, designer, writer, and poet, Mel Shakespeare has an outstanding reputation in the identification and restoration of early houses in Canada and the US. In his new book ‘A Dedication to Beauty’, he shares the background stories of many projects and their owners. As well, his own photography delights with views of the buildings and their interiors. It is a ‘must-have’ book for those who love early houses and furnishings.”
Howard Pain
Author of The Heritage of Upper Canadian Furniture
A study in the Survival of Formal and vernacular Styles from Britain, America, and Europe, 1780-1900
The Heritage
of Upper Canadian
Furniture
Folk Furniture of
Canada’s Doukhobors,
Hutterites, Mennonites,
and Ukrainians
“In ‘A Dedication to Beauty’ Mel Shakespeare writes about the many nineteenth-century homes that have been abandoned, torn down, and replaced by modern duplexes. His quest in life has been to change this attitude by restoring buildings, many of which were originally constructed of logs, by dismantling and moving them to new locations, if necessary, then designing additions and finding appropriate country furniture. This became his life.
Anyone interested in finding a nineteenth-century building, even one that seems to be past the restoration stage, be it log, post & Beam, stone, etc., or those seeking guidance about good country furniture, should read this well-illustrated book.”
Michael Rowan
Author of Folk Furniture of Canada’s Doukhobors, Hutterites, Mennonites, and Ukrainians
Mel Shakespeare — Antiquarian and Author
When asked “What do you do?” Mel Shakespeare has a plethora of vocations to choose from art director, antiquarian, builder, architectural designer, period home restorationist, photographer, painter, poet, songwriter, musician, magazine writer, book designer, and the author of six books.
An artist from childhood, Mel graduated with a degree in commercial art at age seventeen, joining Canadian advertising giant MacLaren to become a full-fledged art director in a career spanning decades.
In 1995, Mel took a side segue into Hollywood where he served as art director for the Oscar-nominated film Fly Away Home. Along the way, Mel’s passion for vintage log homes led him to establish his company Tradition Home which has restored and preserved scores of Canada’s heritage dwellings. This passion has now culminated in the photographic collection “A Dedication to Beauty: An Antiquarian’s Life With Antiques and Old Houses” which showcases twenty-six of Mel’s period home rescues and includes the unique story of each in Mel’s words.
Endowed with a seemingly boundless imagination, Mel’s forays into the realm of fiction have also produced “The Magician’s Nine Lives And How He Lost Them”, a nine-part series merging the detective noir genre, fantastical felines, and the imaginary world of Caterra.
Mel lives in Cobourg, Ontario with his faithful dog Blondie.
Mel Shakespeare
If you missed the Bowmanville Antique Show, you’ll be relieved to know that there are still copies available! Copies are available for $85 at:
Legacy Vintage, Division Street, Cobourg
Smith’s Creek Antiques, John Street, Port Hope
Lana Taylor Antiques, Walton Street, Port Hope
Sanctuary Antiques, Hwy. 28, Ballieboro
…or by emailing Mel Shakespeare or call 905-786-2619.
Interested in a vintage log home? See: Traditionhome.