1 comments about Down the Ocean: Postcards from Maryland and Delaware Beaches.

1. A thoroughly enjoyable book, especially for those familiar with Ocean City, MD and the Delaware beaches. Every summer these beaches swell to the sizes of large cities with visitors looking for sun and relaxation by the Atlantic. "Down the Ocean" takes you back, in picture postcards, to a time when these beaches were just gaining their popularity. Early hotels are shown in their heyday. There are views of the Boardwalks and of people in the sun bathing outfits of the early 1900's. I had so much fun with this book I finished it in one sitting and would highly recommend it to others!

2 comments about The Dog Album: Studio Portraits of Dogs and Their People: 30 Postcards.

1. Although this book does have some interesting information about the art of photography, I was disappointed that the photography itself seemed to be the focus of the book and not the dogs. There are some captivating photos included in the book which any dog lover would enjoy, but I would have preferred that the author had not included the captions below each photo as I felt that they only distracted from the images. Also, many of the photographs appeared to be reduced in size. If you want a wonderful book of studio photographs of dogs check out the book "Prince and Other Dogs 1850-1940" by Libby Hall.



2. In this era of specialization, it is most refreshing to be exposed to a book which stimulates interest in multiple, seemingly unrelated subjects. Such a book is The Dog Album, authored by Gary E. Eichhorn and Scott B. Jones. First of all, the book presents a brief but fascinating, especially for the novice, overview of the history of photography. It also provides some interesting background pertaining to the development of modern canine breeds. But most of all, it reflects a profound, sincere love of dogs, and a illuminating historical manifestation of the relationship of dogs and their owners. Certainly, these latter two qualities give The Dog Album its lasting value. I believe the astute and sensitive reader will be drawn to this book looking both forwards and backwards. Backwards, as one cannot help but relate to the mutual love and respect between owner and dog reflected in these wonderful photos. And forwards, as we are better able to understand our current relationship to a favorite dog in an historical context. In conclusion, The Dog Album is not a book one buys, reads a single time, and places on the shelf to gather dust. It is a book one will return to over and over again, to help remember past friends (i.e., dogs) and to more fully appreciate current friends (i.e., dogs).

No comments about Yosemite National Park (CA) (Postcard History Series).

No comments about Vintage Bungalow Postcards (Vintage Postcard).

No comments about Women Of Polynesia: 50 Years Of Postcard Views 1898-1948.

No comments about Raggedy Ann and Andy Postcard Book.

No comments about Jacksonville Revisited (FL) (Postcard History Series).

No comments about Lighthouse Views: North America's Best Beacons Captured on Postcards.

1 comments about American Architecture: A Vintage Postcard Collection.

1. This wonderful book, beautifully designed and printed, has 625 postcards of American buildings selected from six thousand in the author's collection. He chose these for their relevance and graphic rendering. Most of them probably originated from the Curt Teich company based in Chicago (they printed 360,000 different cards over the years). Van Malderen writes a short informative introduction about his collection and the architectural postcard. The majority show multi-storied buildings, especially skyscrapers but there are plenty of factories, docks, bridges, churches, street scenes and more. The buildings were photographed and then drawn (some artist drew the short straw and had to put all the windows in) to bring out the best of the structure, frequently removing nearby buildings so the original was left in all its glory.
   
   The cards are arranged alphabetically by city, from Atlanta to Washington DC, New York, naturally, has the most, over 150. A nice touch is that some cards have stamps and cancellation marks on them and a few have the sender's handwriting, telling the folks back home that the building shown really is as big as it looks!
   
   For such a lovely book I am surprised that the publishers did not include an index. Two other architectural postcard books worth checking out are `Wish You Were Here' by Barry Zaid, full of hotels (and their interiors) from the thirties and forties and like 'American Architecture' beautifully produced. `Not Only Building: New York' by Italo Rota, a 480 page paperback with 300 postcards. I thought it was rather badly produced, too many enlargements of the cards which unfortunately only emphasise the mass printing quality of the originals.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

No comments about New Orleans & the River Road: 30 Postcards.