5 comments about Mutter Museum Historic Medical Photographs.

1. The truth is this books is in between two worlds, that of the scientific and that of the freakshow. I could say I'd prefer the former being a person with a disability myself (some of the photos here of people with "afflictions" like cerebral palsy would today lead normal lives) but also like any human being can understand your Malady of the Month curiousity about the whole thing and for that I'd reccomend the book "Death Scenes" (if you can stomach it and frankly the intro to that book has far more informative analysis of the photos than anything in this book). But the Mutter Museum although a sort of "odditorium" is also a scientific museum to inform people so I want facts. Obviously, the photos taken at the time and their captions don't depict current scientific knowledge. Many say "unknown disease" although a current scientist or medical provider could make a good guesstimate from the photo alone. What was the treatment at the time? What would the people have gone through? What would happen now? One photo particulary striking (among many though I'll choose one) says "meningitis, injected with serum, discharged 5 days later". The photo (striking to me because I have a neurological disability as well and after recovery from this disease people have long term after effects and disabilities that are neurological) unconsciously reminisant of the famous Victorian era photo "Fading Away" shows a girl in what appears to be a coma from that disease and one would assume she died after. But when it says she was "discharged five days later" she recovered, at least enough to be released. What happenend? A good "update" might read "the antitoxin available at the time would stop the progress of the disease and enable people to live though not nearly as effective as antibiotics did save some lives. But with the long term after effects of the disease people would often develop mental retardation or mental illness and in those times eventually end up in institutions which would not occur today". But that infomation (scientifically correct) is missing. The museum promises to be "shockingly informative". Good enough. Shock value I'll grant you but its a little lacking in the "informative" department.



2. This is a good source of interest for human oddities, and of history for conditions that are routinely corrected now.



3. oh my my my... i've seen a few programs on television that spotlighted the mutter museum, and one day i should so love to visit. but this book has given me more insight into the history of medicine and such. i was smitten by the pictures, and it makes me want to visit the museum even more! beautiful photographs. i poured over each one intently before turning the pages.
   i would have liked just a little bit more information about the subjects, otherwise it is a beautifully edited book!



4. This book is very interesting if you are intrigued by medical history. but I wouldn't necessarily call it fascinating, like I was thinking it might be. it does, however, provide an insight to 19th century medicine that I had no idea existed. pioneering lifesaving medical techniques and even astoundingly advanced corrective procedures that I had no idea were even possible during this period are shown.



5. I got this as a gift for my sister and having previously been to the museum, she was thrilled to have a book about it to look at whenever. It is packed with eerie pictures and information and is definitley worth giving it a look. If you or someone you know is interested in strange things, this is a perfect book for you. She said more than once that this was her favorite Christmas gift. Enjoy!

No comments about Unmonumental.

4 comments about The Artist-Gallery Partnership: A Practical Guide to Consigning Art.

1. I have a small space for a gallery. This book taught me that running the gallery myself was more involved than I had thought. I will leave the operation itself to a lessee. Essential first step for people who think it would be simple fun to open an art gallery.



2. Whether you are a gallery owner or artist, I suggest finding a book that goes much more in depth. The Artist-Gallery relationship is much more complex and has many nuances not covered. The artist once again gets the short end of the "stick."



3. This book is regarded by many as the "bible" for artists who consign work to galleries. All the pitfalls and potential problems you can imagine are cited here, along with practical, simple advice for making the most of an artist's relationship with a gallery.
   
   Tad Crawford, who has written extensively on the legal and other business aspects of artist practice, has scored again with this great work.



4. I own a small gallery because I love art and artists, but I was not prepared for the variety of business and legal headaches that this field could produce. During yet another frantic call to my attorney, she recommended this book to me and life has been considerably calmer ever since.

   Let's face it: art is a business and if you are an artist or a gallery owner, you can't afford to be without this information. I use this book to maintain records; I check paperwork against it before visiting my accountant; I use its sample forms and agreements every time I get the place ready for a new exhibit; and I follow this book's advice with every sale and display we make. This book should be required reading for everyone who has anything to do with art consignment...

1 comments about The Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks.

1. This is my kind of art book, filled with truly awful paintings, all with an explanatory text in the finest critical doubletalk. I laughed out loud several times reading this, and that makes it invaluable in these grim days. Why doesn't Frank Gehry build a museum for these guys?

5 comments about Amano: The Complete Prints of Yoshitaka Amano.

1. The book is well put together and has great image quality, but unless your a big Amano fan than this book is probably not for you. Honestly I wish I could truly give this book 5 stars because I love his ink designs but some of his fairy concepts is not my cup of tea. As for range this book delivers like few art books do and you truly get a feel for his style and what he's about.
   If you got the change to spend and love art books than this will make a great addition to your collection. Otherwise I would go to a store and flip through it a bit to see if it is for you.



2. I've seen his work on the Arts channel and am impressed, but when I looked at this book I was disappointed. I hadn't realized he did violent, prurient comic books for adults, and much of this book is devoted to those examples. However, his line and color and the flowing mystic quality are what attract me, but I am turned away by his subject matter.



3. This is an amazing item! The art work is simply stunning. Since words are inadequate to describe this book, you must buy it immediately!



4. The book is wonderful but keep in mind half of the book is a catalog of his work (for other words ton of pictures that are inch and a half by an inch).



5. This book is a perfect artbook, an wonderful edition, with an excellent paper, and high quality images. Some pages can unfold and form large and amazing images.
   This book has a complete collection of the drawings and paintings more remarkable of the author,and reflects the influence of the traditional Japan and the modern occidental arts.
   It is an artbook that you cannot let have if you really admire Amano's works.

2 comments about What is Exhibition Design? (Essential Design Handbooks).

1. As a graduate student studying Exhibition Design and totally new to the field, this book gives a fantastic overview of what the practice really is. I find myself going back to the book a lot to find inspiration for projects. The best part of the book is the list of companies and and examples of work they have created. It gives you an idea of who you may want to work with in the future. I also met all 3 authors and Mr. Berger and Mr. Skolnick frequently visit my classes and they are great down to earth guys. They have a genuine interest in meeting with students and helping us to develop our ideas since we are the future designers in this industry. Whether you are a designer or not this book is great read, and has lots of pretty pictures. It provides a foundation of what the practice is about; past, present and future.



2. This is a great introductory book to exhibition design. I keep it at work and my co-workers always want to borrow the "pink book". I was primarily intersted in seeing the way that other firms produce design documents. Since only 6 pages of the book are dedicated to this, it gets 4 out of 5 stars. The book is divided into three sections: Issues (such as "What is exhibition design?", "Who do we design for?", "But is it art?"), Anatomy (types of exhibition design from museums to trade shows to visitor centers), and Portfolios (16 leading firms are covered). The photographs of existing exhibition design are what make this book a must buy if you are interested in the subject. You'll come back to it over and over again when brainstorming to generate ideas for your projects. Happy reading!

5 comments about AirCraft: The Jet as Art.

1. This book has the very best set of aircraft photographs I have ever seen. The precision the photographer used in perfectly focusing, exposing and framing the subjects is astonishing. You can literally see the rivets on the aircraft, and as an aviation photographer, I can tell you that is a very difficult accuracy to achieve.
   
   I was reluctant to buy a book containing pictures of only the underside of airplanes. I thought "There must be other photos, too. Who would ever shoot only the bottom of an airplane?" Well, the bottoms are all you'll see, but wow, are they interesting. I love this book.
   
   This book is for you if you want to see:
   1. Astonishing photography. The exposure is wonderful. You can easily make out detail in the wheel wells, as well as the underside of the fuselage and wings
   2. A very detailed look at the underside of 100 commercial aircraft (and maybe 3 front views) revealing all of the seams, doors, probes, slats, flaps, and landing gear (all the pictures are in the full landing configuration, shot on final approach)
   
   However, this book has absolutely no text, other than the name of the aircraft on each page. So, if you want to read about the features of the aircraft or get information about the airline industry, this book won't do that for you. Also, if you want pictures of the "livery" of airliners, you won't see that here, either, except for the little bit that is on the underside of the jets.



2. How refreshing to come across a technology art book. Artists, of course, have realized the beauty of the machine for decades, especially with the Modernist movement in Europe during the Twenties and Thirties. Charles Sheeler was perhaps the leading American photographer to appreciate the exciting visual form of technology. Now photographer (and designer because he did the book's layout) Jeffrey Milstein brings it bang up to date with these stunning photos of jet bottoms.
   
   I thinks it's worth saying that if you like the technical detail aspect of aircraft maybe this book isn't for you but if you want to see crisp, precise photos of contemporary jets from a very unusual angle you'll enjoy the forty-two shown in these pages. There are some profile shots and seven front-on ones but neither of these can capture the fascination of the undersides.
   
   The book is a treat to look through thanks to the square twelve inch by twelve format with the jets handsomely printed (in 250dpi) on good paper. There is a visual extravaganza of a double foldout (to forty-six inches across) of the 'Indian Princess' Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600 so if you ever sat in the window seat on the right-hand side of this particular jet here's a rather unusual flight memento for you. My only criticism is that the list of aircraft on a spread in the back is alphabetical rather than page number sequence and some spreads, amazingly, have no numbers.
   
   A second volume Jeffrey?
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
   
   



3. I like this book because it presents something we always see but never take the time to really look at. It transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. By omitting everything except the orthogonal view of the plane, we are able to see new aspects of its design. Get a copy.



4. For the passenger aircraft enthusiast, this is an amazing book. The author/photographer has captured, from a very consistent angle, the landing configuration of passenger aircraft that are flying today. The excellent photographs of each plane have been set against a white background that eliminates the distraction of any other surrounding elements and focuses one's view on the plane itself. A very interesting study of passenger aircraft, each photograph reveals details and the differences in wing shape, flaps in landing configuration, nacelle shape, landing gear, navigation lights, etc. that are otherwise only seen in fleeting moments when one is lucky enough to have a plane fly directly overhead just seconds before touchdown. Again, an amazing book!



5. The book provided an interesting perspective, but I guess I expected a mixture of interiors and exteriors.

1 comments about Alec Soth: Dog Days Bogota.

1. I am so clearly biased, as my wife and i adopted a baby girl from Bogota, Colombia in February of 2007. These images were part of our journey, adn speak to us on a very personal level. But, having shared the book with many non-adoptive friends and aquaintences, I know they speak to them as as well.
   
   An amazing project I highly recommend!

No comments about Museum Administration: An Introduction (American Association for State and Local History Book Series).

No comments about Maria Sibylla Merian and Daughters: Women of Art and Science.