5 comments about Dear Friends: American Photographs of Men Together 1840-1918.

1. If this were just a book of "photographs of men together" without the heavy-handed, ponderous stretches of the author's awkward, long-winded prose between photos, it would be an enormous improvement. Deitcher's text reads like a proposal for selling the book to a publisher - I lost count how many times he states things like, "this book is..." and then describes the book you are holding in your hand.
   
   Newsflash: We're already reading the book. Stop describing what you intend to accomplish with it and just do it, already.
   
   I liked when he used quotes and excerpts that were contemporary to the times the photos were taken, which give the reader a better idea of what life and society was like then. But there was too little of this, and too much conjecture on his part, and, yes, I know it's his book, but too much personalizing. I wasn't interested in knowing that the author, as a young man, fantasized about the photos of swimmers he saw in American Red Cross "Junior Lifesaving" manuals (page 50). Rather, I was a little creeped out, and unsure why this very personal anecdote is included in his book.
   
   Here's a passage that kind of sums up my problem with his writing - also from page 50:
   
   "Today we can swim in seas of homoerotica and X-rated porn. It should not be taken as a detraction from the pleasures of porn to underscore the guilelessness and ingenuity with which image-starved gay men and lesbians once perused everyday representations for sexual excitement; nor to admit to mourning the passage of such creative strategies for (homo)sexual survival as one of the costs we have had to pay for replacing gay subcultural ingenuity with gay culture, tout court. There are, of course, other related trade-offs in which one thing is lost at the price of another being gained. Ultimately, this book provides evidence of a parallel trade-off that results from the historical transformation of the social meaning of same-sex affection from a nineteenth-century tradition of romantic friendship and comradely love, and its physical expression among men who posed for photographers holding hands, entwining limbs, or resting in the shelter of each other's accomodating bodies, innocent of the suspicion that such behavior would later arouse."
   
   And he goes ON like this! I defy anyone to get any sort of cognizable meaning out of all this academic double-talk. I'm left wondering if the photos came up short and he had a larger page-count to fill because he says basically the same thing over and over throughout the course of the book, and it never gets any more straight-forward or lucid than what you just read above.
   
   So - in short: Liked the concept, loved the photos, was NOT a fan of the text.



2. An excellent gift for a gay male friend.



3. Alas - I wish I could have given this book a top mark, but it is not to be. What kept me from doing so were not the pictures, but the limply connotating articles that accompany them. In this day and age of multiple choice selections the author may be forgiven to think that readers (or viewers alike) would be unable to detect what matters in the details of an image.

   However I found it annoying to have a visual sensation reproduced (and that means interpreted) by often sensually inept words. Inept, because these saccharine follies detract from what should have really mattered: a distinction in time and culture.

   The age which produced the spirit of these pictures has been edited out of our consciousness - the fact that no man's and no woman's sexuality has to be pre-defined is what interests now. The fact that things were different once( but how so?)also interests now.

   This book is very much a child of the spirit of its times, ours. As such it contrasts what we have come to struggle with: the rigidly stereotypical images we have created of our senses and genders. In the same vein it also does what has become 'de rigueur', drown those things which speak for themselves, instead of understatedly enhancing them.

   The yearning for acceptance; the proof to show that things were not always as we have them now is, I think, the main missile behind this book. Looking at the other reviews, it is clear that such a search is on, now. For bringing those images to mind, letting people know tha no-one is an island, even over the centuries, the book should be lauded.
   
   However - I should recommend that Mr Deitcher begin work forthwith on a book showing us picture of soldierly love from the two world wars, a field that has not been explored to depth.




4. I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but I am grateful to the author for writing it. The photographs Deitcher describes and provides for us are beyond words. They provide such a wonderful insight into male friendships/relationships in the 19th Century and are very interesting to look at and ponder. This book is of particular interest to me as I'm currently writing a novel about a great uncle of mine and I have several photographs of him with other men, some more defined than others. But it isn't just the photographs that makes the book so excellent, it is Deitcher's words that bring everything to life. I was interested in his analyses of the relationships and that he is honest and forthcoming with the fact that we can never really know for certain what these photos represent, particularly when examined within the context of 19th Century social constructions.



5. I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but I am grateful to the author for writing it. The photographs Deitcher describes and provides for us are beyond words. They provide such a wonderful insight into male friendships/relationships in the 19th Century and are very interesting to look at and ponder. This book is of particular interest to me as I'm currently writing a novel about a great uncle of mine and I have several photographs of him with other men, some more defined than others. But it isn't just the photographs that makes the book so excellent, it is Deitcher's words that bring everything to life. I was interested in his analyses of the relationships and that he is honest and forthcoming with the fact that we can never really know for certain what these photos represent, particularly when examined within the context of 19th Century social constructions.

5 comments about Shoot!: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about 35mm Photography.

1. This book is well researched and well written. Each chapter covers everything that you need to know from lenses to film. Giving examples of shots taken with a particular lens to film speeds and types. When to use a slower film or when to use a filter.



2. After a nice camera if you have any money to spend on photography - this is it! With more than a dozen pros guiding you on most vital of things in photography what else can you ask for!!!

   It makes a very easy read, even fine things are explained in very simple way, with excellent pix as examples. Best thing is that experts talk abt all the things like lens basics, depth of feild, metering, filters, B&W pix, fashion photography and even abt business side of photography.

   After going thru various topices of this book quality of my pix has improved many-folds. If you go thru a topic and try it on the field, results would be IMMED!!

   I have a digital camera and before reading this book I always relied on the camera and operated it in all auto mode! Not anymore, now I'm deciding everything abt the picture. Feels great.

   Great compilation, worth its price. A MUST.

   Cheers




3. This book will inspire you to THINK as you look through the viewfinder. All too often, books in this category spend far too much time on the basics and go no further than that. This book not only covers most of the basics, it prods you to do more than just get the exposure right or the focus sharp. Chapters are titled "Film" or "Exposure" to let you know they cover basic topics, and then chapters like "Composition" or "Outdoor Photography" challenge you to do more with the camera.

   The drawbacks? The book has a couple. If you're not into B&W photography or slide film several of the books sections and photographs will leave you cold. The other main "distraction" is also a benefit; it's written by multiple authors with multiple (and sometimes conflicting) points of view. Be prepared to read a "do this" suggestion on one page and then five pages later read a "don't do this" suggestion for the same thing!

   All in all, a worthy addition to your bookshelf.




4. I found this book to be a great balance between technical and visual content! If you're tired of "point the camera at the subject" primers and bored with "see how good my pictures are" albums, this one might be for you.

   It covers the basics thoroughly, but goes beyond the basics. Did you know one brand of slide film gets better saturation in red-yellow while another gets better saturation in green-blue?

   The pictures are fascinating, and the aurthor explains the specific applications of basic principles that went into them!




5. This book is the book you want to read for the best handling of all topics relating to photography. Here I found great descriptions of terminology that I have puzzled about for months, but could not get answers to. This book will improve your photography whether you are just starting or have been shooting for years.

5 comments about Swift as a Shadow.

1. I'm afraid I was dissapointed in the book. Either it was a lame attempt at an artsy style or there was a decision to try and keep costs down by limiting the number of photographs. In way too many cases the photographer seemed to be obsessed with dramatic lighting of extreme closeups. Although the photos were well done, in very few cases were there full body pictures. In other cases the head would be brightly lit while the rest of the body (of what there was included) would be in deep shadow. The most dissapointing were the Cuban Macaw, and the Cape and Barbary Lions. The text, although well written, was also very sparce, and could have used some map diagrams to show population ranges. In short, there was a lot of empty space that could have been filled with photographs and information. The only reason I would reccomend the book is that as far as I know its the only one of its kind. I sincerely hope someday another book will be made with more descriptive text, and several photographs of various angles for a more "scientific" and comprehensive coverage. Those stuffed animals will not last forever and there is definitly a need for a well documented record.



2. I heard about this book in a magazine before it came out, and I just had to own it. The combination of rare photographs and case studies on each animal were irresistable. Such animals would be forgotten without the artistic eye of Purcell and the efforts of naturalists to complile their stories.The photographs of the museum specimens are haunting, but with a clear purpose. It shows the importance of conserving the species we have left, so that we do not have to depend upon mishapen skins to remember them. I hope those who read this book recognize the human error in the past so that we cannot make the same mistakes in the future.



3. Each photograph of Swift as a Shadow greets the reader as a quick slap in the face. The range of 'grotesquely beautiful' images leaves the reader with a sense of helplessness when the initial awe of beauty turns to the realisation that in most cases the creatures displayed are gone forever. The multitude of animals, birds and even fish represented is an amazing array seldom found in one volume. Some animals represented are quagga, barbary lion, thyacine, javan tiger. The birds are an extensive collection (usually more than one example) representing most of the infamous and unfortunate extinctions of our time; Carolina Parakeets, Passenger Pigeons, Great Auk, Pink Headed Duck, Labrador Duck, Paradise Parrots (amazing!) Huias plus Dodo bones and Elephant Bird eggs to name a few!

   Text is sparse, and given the stark, sometimes ghoulish photgraphic reality, this is not a detraction from the books theme. All photographs are high gloss quality, if a little detail restricted by 'photographing for arts' sake' eg; back neck view only of the quagga, skin pattern only of the Balinese Tiger. I'm sure that enthusiasts of endangered animals will now strongly consider a visit to the Natuurhistorisch Museum of Leiden, Netherlands, once in their lifetime.




4. The photos in this book are not images you want to put in your child's nusery, but they tell the story of animal extinction better than any post-card shot could. This book highlights the finality of extinction as well as the importance of natural history museums.



5. The Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis of Leiden, Netherlands, exhibits a collection of extinct and near extinct animals. Photography on this part of the museum collection is done by Rosamond Purcell. Texts are written by Lars v.d. Hoek Ostende, Martien van Oijen, Rinus Hoogmoed, René Dekker and Chris Smeenk. Editing was done by educational officer Lars. So the bibliographic refernce best should read: Swift as a Shadow, ed. Hoek Ostende (Lars v.d.) Photography Rosamond (Wolff) Purcell. Being a museum employee I may not appear to be an objective reviewer but the collection is famous. Photography and text are fully worth buying it!

No comments about Namibia Space.

1 comments about Uta Barth (Contemporary Artists).

1. This splendid monograph on the work of Uta Barth lays out in lavish detail how she deconstructs vision into a series of sensations and effects. She began making pictures of the backgrounds of snapshots, and then photos of the backgrounds of action film stills. Her aim was the periphery of conscious sight, and the results have been dazzlingly effective. She has progressed in this investigation of vision by adding the effects of the passage of time, and investigating the visual collapse that occurs from an extended stare. Her pictures are always rigorously composed and stunningly beautiful, and they are accurately illustrated in this superb book. The essays are smart and insightful, and the interviews are enlightening. Well worth the cost.

1 comments about Drawing & Painting Flowers - Problems & Solutions.

1. Very good book. Excellent instruction on what not to do as well as how to do it correctly. highly recommended.

1 comments about Joyce Tenneson: A Life in Photography: 1968-2008.

1. Joyce Tenneson is a superb photographer/artist. This book covers the breadth of her work, starting from the beginning of her career. It includes excerpts from her other books, including "Wise Women", "Light Warriors", "Transformations" and "Illuminations". Well worth it.

2 comments about Do Not Give Way To Evil: Photographs of the South Bronx, 1979-1987.

1. As an aficionado of New York in the 70's and 80's, as well as being a lifelong New Yorker I found this book to be wonderful. It gives a glimpse of the creative scene contrasting with the culture of the South Bronx during a tumultuous time in the city's history.I find myself looking at it over and over.



2. The book documents the decay of the Bronx in the late 60s
   through the early 80s. Both Presidents Carter and Reagan
   visited the Bronx. I'm certain that President Clinton
   has done the same. Page after page documents the run-down
   buildings which were once proud edifices around the turn
   of the previous century.
   
   After a number of decades, the South Bronx has seen
   a considerable restoration. The Bronx Land Reclamation
   Project is put forth as a success story
   in the continuing revival of the Bronx. Many pages have
   actual pictures of local residents. Some of the pictures
   are familiar to me. The presentation is an important
   contribution to the continuing restoration of NYC and
   the Bronx in particular. The author should have stressed
   the role of "enterprise zones" in the restoration of
   inner city neighborhoods.

4 comments about Anonymous: Enigmatic Images from Unknown Photographers.

1. Not for the fainted-heart though : images can be shocking, but always reflect some kind of humanity. Buy it, share it.



2. I purchased this book after reading a glowing newspaper article about it and I couldn't be more pleased. Besides being beautiful it is a very thought provoking book with splendid comments by the author.



3. The answer to the question posed by William Boyd, who with Robert Flynn Johnson has gathered and commented on this portfolio of fascinating photographs, lies between the covers of this enthralling book. None of the photographers represented herein are known for their artistry: actually they are not known at all and hence the title. But the images in this book touch nearly every human emotion and do so all the more powerfully because their are 'incidental' glimpses at the human condition and the planet earth.
   
   Photographs of the footprints of love, birth, war, death, joy, celebration, fantasy, surrealism, faith - all are here among the 200 odd images that fill these pages. Reading this volume is akin to revisiting childhood (both the good and the evil vantages) or rummaging around trunks of forgotten moments someone captured for posterity on film, moments that can bring chuckles as easily as gasps, memories that are both extremely personal and universally participatory.
   
   But as with all fine photographic volumes, viewing the images is far stronger in impact than lumpy words, especially comments from an isolated observer. Read this book for the personal reasons that initiated these pictures and open your mind to the myriad experiences that constitute life. Grady Harp, January 2004



4. This is a handsomely produced tome with some wonderful pictures. But sorting out images by theme robs the viewer of an element of surprise - the start one gets when discovering an oddly arresting image at a flea market, or tucked away in an old paperback. A more successful collection of such elusive images is Other Pictures, put out by Twin Palms. It is one of my favorite photography books, period; serendipitous, like the best street photography; mysterious; totally unexpected.

No comments about The Carlyle.