A painting wouldn"t be the same without its frame. In fact, a frame can be as important as the art it surrounds. Yet the picture frame is the Cinderella of the art world, beautiful, hardworking, and frequently overlooked. The Secret Lives of Frames, inspired by the hundred-year history of Lowy, the premier fine arts services atelier in the country, celebrates the extraordinary art and artistry of the frame. In chapters such as "The Making of a Framer and a Frame," "The Lure of Antique Frames," and "New Designs for the New Millennium," magnificent edges of all kinds come to life in vivid detail. Their history, so colorful and varied, is interwoven with the history of Lowy, an old-world company started by the legendary New York framer Julius Lowy, that marries the finest of traditional craftsmanship with new and inventive framing, restoration, and conservation techniques. Fascinating stories about frames, a lively historical survey of their evolution, and behind-the-scenes views of Lowy will transform readers into knowledgeable insiders who understand how to make their own framing choices. The Secret Lives of Frames includes vintage photographs illustrating Lowy"s colorful history, reproductions of unique paintings of the Lowy workshops created by School-of-Paris artist Arbit Blatas, and extensive photographs of frames and framed works of art in splendid real-life settings.