Book Description

American artist and writer Allan Sekula spent seven years photographing harbors and port cities around the world. Starting out in Los Angeles and San Diego, he traveled as far as Korea, Scotland, and Poland, photographing the prosperity, poverty, and political powers that continue to play out in major port cities across the world. The result was Fish Story, a seven-chapter illustrated tomb with more than 900 color photographs, that questions what remains of our port cities in the wake of a globalized economy.

Essay by Benjamin H.D. Buchloh. Reprint of the 1995 edition from Richter Verlag. ... Read more

Book Description

Edited by Helene Binet & Lars Muller. Essay by Hubertus von Ameluxen.

7.5 x 11.75 in.
98 duotone, illustrations ... Read more

Book Description

Lewis W. Hine's famous photographs document the construction of the Empire State Building, the world's tallest building at that time.In the brilliant black-and-white photographs collected in this volume, Hine pays tribute to the human spirit by dramatically contrasting the workers with the mammoth scale of the structure. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Craftsmen in the air.
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.

Beautiful Memories
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!

Reaching Towards Heaven--An Empire of a Feat
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--

Unsung hero of American photography
Pictures that are not well known, but warm the heart ... Read more

Book Description

A quirky trend of building designs inspired by bizarre animals has emerged in the last few years. Why and how has this happened? Is it because of new technical possibilities in materials and structural engineering? Or is the answer to be found in new social preoccupations in science? After a brief look at the historical precedents, the book focuses on contemporary examples from around the world and shows the various ways in which the organic/animal forms inform the architectural ones. Featured architects include Frank Gehry, Michael Sorkin, and Greg Lynn. ... Read more

Book Description

From the giant topiary of an airplane in the Queens Botanical Garden to the mannered space of the Frick Collection, this book tells the stories of more than 100 gardens in New York City. In addition to describing a variety of flora and fauna, it chronicles the events and personalities behind the green spaces visited by generations of New Yorkers. Also included are 50 color photos and complete visitor information for each garden. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Garden Guide: A Gem
This book is filled with beautiful photos and short descriptons of gardens from all five boroughs of New York City. Leafing through it, once again I realized how special this city is. Garden Guide: New York City is a must for anyone who wants to know the city better; for those of us who live here and for those who are just visiting.

Small enough to carry in one's purse, it is concise and well researched. It is pleasure to read and makes you want to explore the city through its gardens. Be careful, if you are not already a garden lover it might make you one. From the Chinese Scholar's Garden in Staten Island to the Botanical Garden in Queens; from Rincon Criollo in the Bronx to The Conservatory Garden on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, even in its gardens the diverstiy and creativity of New Yorkers is evident and that makes New Yorkers like me burst with pride. ... Read more

Book Description

Over 100 vivid color images by architectural photographer Robert Berger record the spectacular, sumptuous, and often inspirational interiors of forty of Los Angeles' most historic religious structures. A melting pot of immigrants from the world over, LA reflects in its religious buildings the diversity of its ethnic groups. Known as a mecca to the offbeat, LA is also home to a wide variety of spiritual groups whose buildings add flavor to the architectural landscape including many by wellknown architects such as Rudolph Schindler and Wallace Neff. ... Read more

Book Description

Southern Lighthouses is the classic guide to the most significant lighthouses in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Through stirring historic accounts and stunning color and archival photographs, the stories of more than thirty-five lighthouses come alive in vivid detail.

Each light - from Bodie Island Light on the Outer Banks to the Cape Florida Light outside Miami tells its own engrossing tale of survival. Not to be overlooked is the authors' special full-color section on Fresnel lenses.

Discover the rich history behind these majestic sentinels, and learn more about visiting them. Inside you'll find practical information including: a regional map showing the location of each light; directions to the lights; details on access and visiting hours; advice on the best vantage points for viewing and picture taking. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A wonderful, useful giude
First, this book is chocked full of Bruce Roberts' beautiful photographs of the lighthouses in this region. The photographs are nothing less than SPECTACULAR! Combined with the revised and updated information on each makes this regional lighthouse guide a requirement you won't want to be without whether you're visiting the region or a life-long resident. The text contains full, rich descriptions of each lighthouse, too.

I have many lighthouse books and all of Bruce Roberts' and Ray Jones' regional guides. I've read them all and used most of them while traveling. I've found them to be first rate, an excellent choice for people who want everything lighthouse between two covers. A joy to look at and informative to read.

A wonderful, useful giude
First, this book is chocked full of Bruce Roberts' beautiful photographs of the lighthouses in this region. The photographs are nothing less than SPECTACULAR! Combined with the revised and updated information on each makes this regional lighthouse guide a requirement you won't want to be without whether you're visiting the region or a life-long resident. The text contains full, rich descriptions of each lighthouse, too.

I have many lighthouse books and all of Bruce Roberts' and Ray Jones' regional guides. I've read them all and used most of them while traveling. I've found them to be first rate, an excellent choice for people who want everything lighthouse between two covers. A joy to look at and informative to read. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The ONE Book Every Camera Collector MUST Have!
I have owned the last three editions of Jim McKeown's classic price guide, and each is better than the last. It will not take much of a book to include anything Jim has left out! This is, without a doubt, THE reference book every true camera collector has on the shelf!

definitive camera price guide
This is the best all in one camera identification and price guide, bar none.It has been expanded each new edition and this one is no exception.It has many new photos and a ton of improved ones as well.Well worth the money if you have a collection to sell or you want to start one.It will pay for itself for sure. ... Read more

Book Description

In this exciting, large-format volume, hundreds of photographs and illustrations document a major shift from the building as structure to the building as image.

This exploration of the use and significance of two-dimensional images in contemporary architecture looks at the works of major designers such as Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, Rem Koolhaas, MVRDV, and Sauerbruch & Hutton. It shows how certain architectural principles such as color and ornament––which nearly disappeared in modern twentieth century architecture––are making a strong comeback. Drawing connections to the rise of globalization and current media trends, this examination uses an abundance of thematically arranged photographs to illustrate what is unmistakably a major contemporary development in architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

As an architectural aesthetic, minimalism has influenced not only homeowners' residential designs, but also commercial spaces.By expressing fewer ideas, it is possible to emphasize them more strongly. The admirer's attention is not divided among secondary and tertiary distraction, but remains focused on the fundamental role of the space itself, be it a residential living room, an expansive sports center, a homeowner's private study, a multi-purpose educational space, or anything else. New Minimalist Architecture looks at 21 such spaces from around the world, each of which reflects the most inspired uses of minimalism in architecture today.

Book Description

Few cities in the world evoke for Americans the kind of mystery and exotic appeal of Havana.Always enigmatic, and hidden for forty years behind a veil of political intrigue, it is hard to believe that few Americans have visited this city just a day's boat ride away from our own shores.In Havana (Prestel), award-winning photographer Hans Engels applies a keen eye and ahnost two decades of experience to capture a city that mixes ebullience with decay, modemity with colonialism.It is a city of sad and breathtaking beauty, and one whose brilliantly diverse architecture says much about its social and political history. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Cuba as she really is!
This is a superb book! The photos are excellent, showing Cuba as it truly is today, with whatever still stands after four decades of inattention. Anyone who has not seen Cuba in 40 years should pereuse this book. The photographer does not make a political statement of any sort -- he merely records the beauty that is there. One of the few books about Cuba that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of political sympathies.

Stunning photography of ghostly beauty
My boss gave me this book for Christmas. Boy, did he pick the right gift. Engels' architectural photography is breathtaking. Even thought the splendid colonial buildings depicted in this book appear to be falling apart, one can't help but be mesmerized by the ghostly beauty of it all. Through these photos it appears as if Havana has been become frozen in another, more prosperous era, but has never been maintained since. What you take away from the book is a city that is eerily beautiful precisely because it seems as if it is only a skeleton of what once was. If you are, like me, a lover of architecture, these photographs will make you feel terribly sad because so much grandeur is rapidly vanishing. At the same time, there are more than enough traces of splendid architectural details seen in this book, albeit in crumbling pieces, to make any fan of architecture want to see more of Havana. I gained much from this book, especially seeing, with my sometimes too-American eyes, how a very close and small Caribbean neighbor has architecture that at times seems to rival that of European capitals. I highly recommend this book.

Architectural richness in photography
This books presents the beautiful and rich architecture found throughout Havana. Through his pictures Engels lets the architecture speak for itself. Beth Dunlop's 5 page introduction is concise and to the point; a great compliment. Great pictures, a treasure collection. ... Read more

Book Description

"I look at horses as improbable art." --Keith Carter Haunting in their mystery and beauty, Keith Carter's horses fill the frame like spirits in a dream--but without ever ceasing to be real horses. Whether he's photographing thoroughbreds preparing for the elaborate maneuvers of dressage or a farm nag grazing in a field, Carter meets horses on their terms, not his. Looking into their enigmatic eyes in these photographs, you wonder, "What are these creatures thinking?" until you realize that Keith Carter's horses never really give up their secrets.This volume collects some 75 duotone images of horses and riders, most of them never before published. Accompanying the pictures is a photographer's statement, in which Keith Carter describes the genesis of this project and muses on what it is about horses that draws him to them as photographic subjects. Distinguished art and photography critic John Wood places Carter's equine photos within the wider Western tradition of painting and photographing animals, while praising Carter's rare ability to portray animal subjects without producing kitsch. In his words, "Carter is probably photography's first truly great master of the animal photograph, and none of his other animal photographs are more powerful than his photographs of horses." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Five stars x two (maybe three)
Whoa! No one can begin to describe Keith Carter's style and vision. You have to experience it. It's not just what he sees, it's how he renders it, making it new and timeless too. This is a book you'll want to open often.

Smart design and great images together at last!
I appreciate a good horse as much as the next guy. Looking at horses through Keith's eyes makes me love them. I'm not going to run out and buy tight pants and a helmet because of this book, but you get the idea. The images are well made and seen. Not all of the pictures have the tilt-shift look which has been overdone so that's good. The layout is great. A square book for a square image. Keith's little ditty about Ezekiel's Horse is a warm piece of writing. If you're a Keith Carter fan, buy the book. If you like horses, buy the book. If your interested in photography, buy the book. If your name is Mr. Ed, look for your portrait on page 29, then call your lawyer.

a stunning new collection from keith carter
i admit i was skeptic when i first heard about this book, and i had no intentions of buying it. i'm not that crazy about horses. but i got a look at an advanced copy, and i saw the the work was just beautiful and i had to have it. be sure to look at orange tree and nude and arabian, which are my two favorite pictures. ... Read more

Book Description

An unusual compilation of sumptuous color photographs detailing striking underground constructions of all types: subways, sewers, crypts, cellars, vaults, bars, mines and prisons, to name a few. Long a favorite of art directors, this book will also appeal to architects, artists and anyone else interested in a unique view of the world below us. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great reference book!
As a concept designer in the entertainment industry, I found this book to be a wonderful resource for all the underground hideaways that you rarely see. I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Blue Universe presents the collaboration between architectural photographer Gerald Zugmann and the architectural group COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Gerald Zugmann is an internationally recognized architectural photographer who has worked for over 30 years with architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Scarpa, Louis I. Kahn, and Rudolph M. Schindler. With his precise and individual style, he helped establish a new generation of architectural photographers. Eschewing the functional aspects of the buildings and models he photographs, Zugmann focuses on the play of light and shadow. His photographs are dramatic, yet faithful representations, able to highlight essential details while maintaining the integrity of the structural unit. COOP HIMMELB(L)AU emerged in 1968 as one of the most innovative of new architectural groups in Europe. Founded in Vienna by Wolf Dieter Prix and Helmut Swiczinsky, COOP HIMMELB(L)AU is known for its increasingly experimental structures. Each project starts as a series of discussions, ultimately yielding a fully formed model. For Blue Universe, Zugmann photographed a selection of these resulting models. Bringing together the expertise and innovation of a leading architectural firm and a well-known architectural photographer, Blue Universe provides a unique glimpse into the future of experimental architecture.

Edited by Peter Noever.
Essay by Christian Reder.

Paperback, 9.75 x 11 in., 160 pages, 60 color & 83 b/w illustrations ... Read more

Book Description

Cool Hotels: The Americas is an extensive compilation of the most contemporary hotels in North, Central, and South America, all of which have been chosen because they represent the best in innovative design. Copiously illustrated with hundreds of color photographs of hotels designed by renowned figures such as Todd Oldham, Ernesto Goranski, and David Rockwell and accompanied by illuminating sketches as well as explanatory texts and captions, this book is a colorful tour of lodging at the cutting edge. ... Read more

Book Description

Le Thoronet Abbey, one of the wonders of twelfth-century Cistercian architecture and still revered by architects today, nestles in a wooded valley in Provence, south of France.This book is a pictorial appreciation of the abbey, photographed by Lucien Hervé in the mid-1950s and introduced by Le Corbusier. 'The pictures in this book are witnesses to the truth', is how he describes Hervé's photographs of the Romanesque abbey. Hervé's exquisite study presents the building throughout the course of a day, depicting the changing play of light and shadow on its stone vaulted exterior and interior. Highly textured and almost abstract in quality, his photographs reveal how the abbey is defined as much by light as by the conventions of Romanesque architecture, as well as conveying the intense spirituality of the Cistercian monastic order.Arranged according to the canonical hours of prayer, Hervé's photographs are complemented by quotations from the psalms and the saints. An essay byFather Samuel ofthe Abbey of Notre-Dame de Sept-Fons provides an insight into the Cistercian monastic order, while architect John Pawson contributes a personal appreciation of this fine example of Cistercian architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

informative and well done
I bought this book because Professor Oggins was a favorite of mine at SUNY-Binghamton. I was certainly not let down by this book. The text is clear and concise. It is laid out into introductory chapters explaning the evolution of the cathedral and its place in the life of the population of the times. This is followed by chapters reviewing prominent cathedrals, grouped geographically. These descriptions note historic as well as contemporary items of interest, for example the English cathedrals damaged by the Nazi blitz. Very well written and easy to read. The photography is exceptional, with both external and internal views, along with items of architectural interest. All in all an asset to anyone interested in medieval history, cathedrals, architecture, or just a well written book with good pictures. A plus is the geographic maps and the internal floor plans supplied with some of the cathedral descriptions. ... Read more

Book Description

Using a digital camera, an electronic tripod, and digital imaging technology, photographer Nick Wood has developed a new way to photograph landscapes and cityscapes, placing the viewer in the center of dramatic 360º panoramas. In 360º Paris, the follow-up to 360º New York and 360º London, Wood uses this revolutionary process to shed new light on one of the world's most beautiful cities.

Including images of well-known landmarks seen with fresh eyes (Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Champs-Elysées), as well as the singular and distinctive locales visitors love to discover (the home of Godiva chocolates, a market for exotic birds, the "Paris Plage" along the banks of the Seine), 360º Paris is the perfect souvenir of the City of Light. The accompanying CD-ROM includes all of the photographs as QuickTime movies. AUTHOR BIO: Nick Wood is a London-based photographer whose work spans a broad range of subjects, from portraiture to architecture. His particular fascination with 360º photography led to this series of books. ... Read more