Documentary-collections Books

I came across some of the still photos from this book in a video on Youtube -- of a song called "Who's Gonna Build Your Wall?" Mr. Burckhalter is a magician with a camera. He has captured truly incredible portraits of Mexicans/Sonorans -- some of the most proficient, touching photos I've ever seen. These are photos of TRUTH and BEAUTY. I am highly recommending the book based on my viewing of the Youtube video.

Beautiful tribute to ordinary people of Sonora. I came across it while doing research on my family at the time of the Mexican Revolution and it didn't help for that paper, but it was a great viewing nonetheless. The photographs are incredible.

Superb black and white photographs, with accompanying essays, concentrate on ordinary people. The result transcends its geographic region; this is about people who just happen to live in Sonora. Winner, Border Regional Library Association's 1998 Southwest Book Award.

This book is incredible -- an honest and sensitive portrait of life in the changing Sonoran desert. I picked it up yesterday and haven't been able to stop looking at it since. Apart from the photography, there are two wonderful essays. In the second, "Another Country", Thomas E. Sheridan tells of falling in love with a place in a way that speaks intimately to my own experience of and passion for Mexico. But I'd better stop before I give a whole dissertation... Buy this book! You won't regret it.

The sixty-five photographs in this book are probably the best of the thousand Lewis Hine took during the construction of the Empire State Building. Several are now the standard image used to depict industrial output during the Depression and rightly so. Hine concentrates on the workers rather than the actual building and you can see just how precarious some of their activity is. Years before hardhats and workman's comp hundreds of seasoned craftsmen managed to erect a building nearly a quarter of a mile high in 410 days and weighing 365,000 tons.

Author Freddy Langer writes an interesting short essay about Lewis Hine explaining how he became interested in using photography to expose the exploitation of child labor during the early years of the last century. These photos were used in his book 'Kids at Work' (ISBN 0395797268). His interest in photographing the workplace got him the commission to record the building of the Empire State and some of these images also appeared in his 1932 book 'Men at Work' (ISBN 0486234754).

It is a shame that the book does not give more explanation to what the craftsmen are doing in the photos. A book that does have photos (though not by Hine) and detailed captions is 'Building the Empire State' (ISBN 0393730301) edited by Carol White, it reproduces seventy-seven pages of typewritten description, some of it quite technical, that someone at Starrett Brothers, the builders, produced as a record of the construction.

The Empire State was in competition with the Chrysler Building and a book by David Stravitz, 'The Chrysler Building' (ISBN 1568983549) is a week-by-week photographic construction record of Van Allen's Art Deco masterpiece with detailed captions to the pictures. Strangely many of Hine's photos clearly show the Chrysler Building in the background.

All three books celebrate the building of two stunning New York skyscrapers.

This book is wonderful. The pictures bring back a time in our country's history that was hopeful and expansive - a nice antidote to today's closed attitudes. Anyone with an interest in American history and the story of one our momumental achievements should have this book. P.S. Children love this book too -- my two sons take it off the shelf almost every night!

I like architecture. I like buildings. And I adore The Empire State building in New York City. (as if I need to mention location) This is an informative book by Mr. Doherty and others giving us a detailed view into dreams coming to life of the then tallest building in the world. How it was built, human drama behind the scenes, how fast it went up---4 stories a week, the limestone that was only brought in from Indiana, and other fascinating information.

With a glossary, index, photo's of helmeted men in 1930---daringly straddling beams above a floor of cement doom, one can relive visiting this icon or enjoy true anticipation of using one of its 73 elevators to reach for the heavens on an open aired viewing floor where everything from weddings to arm wrestling competitions take place.

Did you know they began using outdoor lights due to an aircraft bomber, lost in the fog and crashing into her 79th floor back in the 40's? And now, one can see it adorned with special lit colors--Blue was done as a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Blue & White for Churchill, and Gold for the Pope.

Yes, the building that may now not be the tallest, will forever hold a special place in our hearts. As seen in many movies, from King Kong to Sleepless In Seattle, we can step back and wonder who is behind those 6,000 windows ( you might spot Donald Trump, he owns part of her now ) and wistfully sigh at the romance of it all.

other reading suggestions: "The Majesty of the French Quarter" by Kerri McCaffety

--CDS--

Pictures that are not well known, but warm the heart

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in plantation homes. It has over 80 wonderful photographs, and tells the story of each home shown. There are even two or three victorian style homes, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Very interesting and informative. I would recommend this book to anyone, wether your buying it for the information or the photographs!

This book is hands-down one of the most beautiful picture books on Louisiana's remaining plantation homes. While most are in exquisite condition, there are a very few which aren't. The short story of each plantation home is interesting and the photographs are gorgeous! It makes one want to go out, find a plantation home, buy it and restore it! The reader will be amazed at the wealth these planters accumulated, manifested in these awesome homes. Not all of the homes are huge antebelllum mansions, though. I personally found the Creole plantations wonderful examples of a simple albeit beautiful home. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves old homes, Southern architecture or photography in general.

the book has lovely photos and briefly tells about each home. It would have been nice if there were more photos of the interior of homes. But the book has beautiful photography and is overall: GREAT!

A well done book on Louisiana's spectacular plantations. The state is blessed with the best of these old homes and this book captures the essense of these structures quite well. All of the famous plantations are given several images and the text though not indepth is revealing. This is not quite as good as Gleasons book on the same subject, but it is close and makes a great companion book to it. If you have any interest in these singular buildings then i highly recommend this book along with Gleasons.

Jon Ortner takes exceptional photographs. For New York City lovers, it truly doesn't get any better than this. Though I live about 70 miles from Manhattan (Long Island, NY), I rarely get the opportunity to visit, making this book perfect for me. This book truly brings the best of Manhattan right to you.
Mr. Ortner covers all aspects of the city, including climbing to the top of the famous Verrazano Narrows Bridge (Brooklyn- Staten Island, NY) and taking exceptional view photos.
This book is a wonderful buy. $42 is worth it. You won't be sorry you purchased it!

If you're looking for just one volume of photographs of The Big Apple, you've found the one to buy. I've just completed my 6th visit to New York since 1997, and I'm so glad I found this book. Believe me -- I'm really picky about this sort of thing, and each one of Jon Ortner's photographs is breathtaking. All the other New York books don't even begin to compare with this one. Looking through this book is like being back in New York again. All the major sites of Manhattan are there -- The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, Central Park and more.

Don't hesitate to buy this book.

An excellent book for your coffee table.

The photography is superb. Many well known structures and locations are photographed from angles that provide the reader a new and interesting perspective. Starting from the New York Harbor and working north, Mr. Ortner covers all the important locations, from the Financial Distict and Soho through Midtown and Central Park to the upper East and West sides of the island known as Manhattan.

Accompanying the photos are captions that permit the reader to discover interesting new facts about the Big Apple.

The double gatefolds and glorious full color prints are an excellent choice as a gift, as a souvenir or just as a relaxing book. Whether you reside in the city, desire to visit someday or just enjoy beautiful pictures, it is a book that you and your family will truly enjoy.

I found this book by chance in a 2nd hand bookstore the day when the towers of the WTC collapsed. It brought tears to my eyes to see how impressive and beautiful the skyline and these buildings were.

The pictures in this book are excellent and show the city in the mellow light of early morning and evening. My favorite is the one showing the Statue of Liberty with the WTC towers behind it, almost dwarfing it. For me this picture captures the essence of NYC.

I did not buy this book because MBW was an inspirational female or other, but because her photos are simply superb. They capture a feeling, a time and space with a clarity that is both sparse and yet detailed. This is a book to savour and reflect on.

This large format hard-backed book is a magnificent tribute to one of the world's most renowned women photographers. Published by Pavilion, this landmark retrospective (with a UK street price of 40 pounds) contains 160 pages of some of her most remarkable monochrome images, together with some rarely seen work from her personal archives.

Reproduction is quite literally superb, with the pictures jumping from the page; most images are placed one to a page while some spread the gutter. Those who aspire to create the very best black and white prints should study Bourke-White's work carefully. As fine art photographs they would hang well in any gallery. As documentary images they are as good as any I have seen.

From the 1920s to the 1950s Bourke-White fearlessly recorded objects, people and events that shaped history. First famed as an industrial photographer, she then became on the first staff photographers at Life magazine.

This book is the most complete collection of her work to date and includes photographs from her early days. Images of industrialised America, through to war-torn Korea and the Nazi bombing of Moscow, all show life as it really was, and photographed in such an accomplished way, that the reader can't help but be drawn into them as though it was yesterday.

Few photo books impress me as much as this one. A worthy addition to anyone's collection.

For several years, I would stop in the photography section of whatever bookstore I was in to see if there were any monographs about Margaret Bourke-White's photography. Alas, there were none. Margaret Bourke-White was a remarkable photo-journalist who has given us many remarkable and lasting images of industry, war and society. She joined Life magazine at its founding and died at the time of the magazine's demise in 1972.

This book provides a comprehensive look at her work decade by decade with the best of her best work included with an introduction to each section by Sean Callahan. The appearance of this book is long overdue. A perfect companion to this volume is the biography by Vicki Goldberg.

This book illustrates why Margaret Bourke-White should be recognized as one of the 20th century's top photographers. Her ability to capture a moment during war and destruction or an enternity in marble and stone, is awe inspiring. She was not limited by her feminity. She moved easily into the world of machines and factories, capturing molten metal and shiny blades. Again and again, I return to the book and study all aspects of her photographs. The depth of field, the rhythm, the harmony and the life seen in all her photos takes my breath away. Within a few days of purchasing the book, I had the joy of visiting the National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa where there are two Margaret Bourke-White photos in their collection. The soft creamy paper used in these pictures counters the hard metal of the image itself. These are the third and fourth Margaret Bourke-White's I have had the pleasure to see in person. The other two was a copy of the original cover for LIFE magazine and a single rose bud. Both of these photos are owned by Margaret Bourke-White's sorority and are featured in their archival collection. The photographic reproductions in this book, although lacking the soft creams of the Art Gallery's copies, do capture the integrity of her photos. I will treasure this book.

Matt's work in the early and mid 90's served as one of the stronger inspirational forces for my career in photography. This book is masterful in every way. The printing is incredible. The imagery is strong, mysterious and absolutely brilliant. Beautifully crafted by Twin Palms as well with impeccable reproduction and buttery paper stock.

Wow, I heard about him from a friend and bought the book. I love it every photografer needs a copy.

one of the most talented artists in america. a must have for anyone interested in art that blurs the line between order and chaos, reality and fantasy, heaven and hell. a genius in the subtle manipulation of point-of-view.

I originally bought it because I went to high school with Matt - who was then known for being an awesome artist. His artistic abilities are incredibly broad spectrum. He's demonstrated how talented he is with photography - as well as drawing & painting.
You won't be disappointed. There is so much emotion displayed on each page. Every picture truly tells a story! You're still awesome Matt! Your talents continue to amaze us!

This is Greg Friedler's fourth book of photography. Like the first three: Naked New York, Naked Los Angeles, and Naked London, he assumes a restrictive setting in which to create his art. In this publication, he poses his nude subjects, all female in this case, upon an equally naked and unadorned mattress. As a photographer, Friedler has created a wonderful series of razor sharp, color portraits, but as an artist he has created an exciting study where each subject allowed herself to be photographed totally naked, lying or sitting on the designated mattress. Each presents herself as she wishes us to see her. Some wear make-up, many are tattooed, some are obviously beautiful while others are more plain. It is a body of portraiture that finds its strength in an amazing sense of honesty on both the part of the model and the photographer. Admittedly, few could pull this off as well as Freidler and in less capable hands would very likely be just a boring exposé of naked chicks. But this is just the sort of book project the Greg Friedler was meant for, and is one that all savvy collectors will want to procure.

MATTRESS circumscribes in an extremely objective terrain in order to transmit an intrinsic aspect of the female gender: courage. Defying and sincere stares, in an environment stripped from ruses in which a humble flowered mattress renders itself as support for earthly goddesses in repose, captured through the vision of the author. These are the images offered by Friedler to remind us of the insistence of women in declaring themselves as who they really are. In my opinion, many viewers from my own Latin culture may strike them as "provocative", a culture in which chastity is confused with annihilating the essence of women and a continuous attempt prevails to destroy the mystical nature of femininity: courage. In my humble opinion, this book is a revelation, an extreme experience into our own insecurities. You will not find the MAJA DESNUDA with her soft curves and gentle face, you will find in this book a raw nature, you will transcend from the nakedness of these bodies captured through the lens and sensitivity of Friedler to fully understand through his intense curiosity, the simplicity of our own human nature. I would recommend this book not only as an artful but also as a learning experience. I profoundly and sincerely thank Greg Friedler for portraying magnificent evidence of feminine potential, and for allowing me to come in contact with my own demons and vulnerability.

MATTRESS transverses an extremely objective terrain -- that of the female form and yet transmits an intrinsically subjective aspect of the female gender: courage. In an environment stripped of ruses, defiant and sincere stares peer out from a humble flowered mattress, which renders itself as support for earthly goddesses in repose, captured through the vision of the author. These are the images offered by Friedler to remind us of female insistence on self-definition. Friedler's images may strike many viewers from my own Latin culture as "provocative", a culture that has confused the glorification of chastity with the annihilation of the essence of women through a continuous attempt to destroy the mystical nature of femininity: valor. However, in my humble opinion, his book is a revelation, an extreme investigation of our own insecurities. You will not find the MAJA DESNUDA with her soft curves and gentle face; you will find in this book a raw nature. Through Friedler's sensitive lens and intense curiosity you will transcend the nakedness of these bodies and come to understand the simplicity of our own human nature. I would recommend this book not only as aesthetic, but also as a learning experience. I profoundly and sincerely thank Greg Friedler for portraying magnificent evidence of feminine potential, and for allowing me to come in contact with my own demons and vulnerability.

These women are not professional models,and look more like someone you might see walking down the street, but they all look great laying on the mattress. They are all nude, but not explicit, still everything is there for the camera.

The photos included in Sklenar's first published collection of his work represent nearly 30 years of output, and what the photographer calls the "the weigh stations" of his life: Prague, Montreal, New York, Los Angeles, Thompson, Mexico, and Gallup. What the photos show, according to Sklenar, is that "life is the same everywhere, people suffer and are happy in much the same way." His assessment is correct. However, the extraordinary gift he has for revealing the extraordinary cannot go without mention. -- Belinda Acosta, for The Austin Chronicle.

Opening this book you step into the world and life of photographer Milan Sklenar. He shows the viewer the places he has been, and the faces he has seen. The range of faces and emotions - fear, hope, despair, joy, boredom, suspicion - are matched by the diversity of locations - Mexico, New York, Thompson, Los Angeles, Montreal, Prague. Although each viewer will undoubtably bring his own experiences to the book and form his own interpretations, no one will be unmoved by these powerful images.

Over 100 photos of this Czech-American artist are presented for the first time in Milan Sklenar: Photographs, a volume which captures urban and street life in stark black and white photos. The artist lived in the streets - his photos of street life in different cultural settings from Mexico to Montreal provide intriguing contrasts and similarities.

Over 100 photos of this Czech-American artist are presented for the first time in a volume which captures urban and street life in stark black and white photos. The artist lived in the streets - his photos of street life in different cultural settings from Mexico to Montreal provide intriguing contrasts and similarities.

The photographs make this book. I have never visited a ranch, but I now feel like I have. "The Montana Cowboy" shows the real working life of the American cowboy, not the fluffy romantic stuff that comes out of Hollywood. This book offered me the chance to experience the realities of ranching first-hand. It holds a prominent place on my bookshelf, and it is well worth the buy.

I thought that this book really captures the aura of Montana. I believe that only the truth is seen when looking at these pictures. Coming from a ranch here in Montana, I only see a lifestyle and a way of living and I think that many people that don't have the same oppurtunities to see what I see everyday, can see it in the pictures of this book.

Having lived in Montana and grown up on a ranch, this book was like going home. If you have never been on a working ranch to experience the wonder of the cattle and horses there is no place better than one in Montana. The Big Sky country is indeed the "last best place" and David Stoecklien has photographed it beautifully. It amazed me how an outsider could come in and really capture the essence of ranch life and the country around it. He truly depicts the struggle of working nature in all it's elements, even at 40 below zero. That is what cattle ranching is all about.

Along with the pictures are wonderful biographies about the ranches. History is the romance of a cowboy's life and many people don't know they still exist today. History in the making!

I for one,am very excited that these ranches have been now captured in history to show and tell to everyone interested the way of life these families have built. I grew up in the Milk River Valley next to the Cornwell Ranch, one of the many depicted in this book, and to see the pictures and share them with my family and friends was exciting.

The cowboy ways in moving cattle, putting up hay and rounding up horses are so excellently photographed by Mr. Stoecklein. No one has his talents to zero in on the boots, dogs, ropes, calves and other details that you know are authentic to their equipment and hardwork. It explains the life without the needs for words. You can experience the moments in the breathtaking scenery of the Big Sky country. In the cold, clear water, the mountains and the valleys all have a personallity of their own to share with us. We have purchased these books to give out at Christmas to our family in Montana to have a record of what they have been a part of.

Stoecklein's use of shading and shadow in his photography in this book really capture the Montana spirit. My wife, a born and bread Montana gal, really loved this book. She was really moved by some of the pictures. This is really a great book for the die-hard Montana resident (and you know who you are...) and anyone who likes the spirit of the northwest.

this book made me cry. The pictures he captures, especially of the textiles are poetic and seriously moving. I am definately buying a copy of this book for my mom.

Jonathon B. Wittenberg's book does a wonderful job of capturing life as it is in Navajo culture through a Navajo-centered lens as opposed to a Western-lens. I think Tony Hillerman's quote on the back of the book does a wonderful job of capturing my feeling for the Navajo people after reading this book: " What I saw there [the Big Rez] sparked my love affair with The Navajos, their enduring culture of love, good humor and harmony, and the high, dry, dramatic landscape in which they endure. This is a beautiful and valuable book." I certainly fell in love with the Navajos after reading this remarkable book, and I encourage others to read this book to gain further understanding and appreciation for the incredible Navajos.

This is a beautiful, heart warming collection of images, outstanding for the quality of the photographs and above all for the choice of subjects, made with great sensitivity and an obvious love and admiration for the culture it portrays. Viewing Jonathan Wittenberg's photographs will be a memorable experience, especially for Tony Hillerman fans.

Navajo Nation 1950: Traditional Life In Photographs is a compilation of 100 black-and-white duotone-printed photographs taken by Jonathan B. Wittenberg to record and illustrate life on the Navajo reservation in 1950. Truly capturing with an artist's eye the dignity and beauty of an ancient Native American culture surviving in the midst of the broader mid-20th century American nation, Navajo Nation 1950 is a showcase of photographic excellence taken with a bulky, twin-lens reflex camera enabling the preservation through a photographic record of the Navajo people and culture that includes images from the Monument Valley, Black Mesa, Navajo Mountain, Lukachukai (a high bench between the Chuska mountains to the east and the desert plain to the west), Teas Toh (close to the old Highway 66), the Window Rock Navajo Tribal Fair, and the Canyon de Chelley. Enhanced for scholars as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in Navajo culture with an index to the photographs, and appendix (Progress of a Shootings Chant), and a Navajo reservation map, Navajo Nation 1950 is a welcome addition to personal and academic Photography and Native American Studies collections.