Image Galleries Books

"You know how much I go to church."

"'How little' you mean. Still, you must know that, as craftsmanship, paintings and sculpture of the Crucifixion are usually atrocious-and the painted, realistic ones often used in churches are the worst of all...the blood looks like catsup and that ex-carpenter is usually portrayed as if he were a pansy...which He certainly was not if there is any truth in the four Gospels at all. He was a hearty man, probably muscular and of rugged health. Buy despite the almost uniformly poor portrayal in representations of the Crucifixion, a poor one is about as effective as a good one for most people. They don't see the defects; what they see is a symbol which inspires their deepest emotions; it recalls to them the Agony and Sacrifice of God."

Robert A. Hienlein-"Stranger in a Strange Land"

This book is equivalently the catalog of an art exhibit at the National Gallery London from February to May, 2000 on how Christ has been portrayed in art from a fourth century Good Shepherd statue to Stanley Spencer's 1926 Resurrection, Cookham. The magnificently illustrated 79 items in the show are supplemented with photographs of 52 additional pieces of art that develop the theology out of which each set of images arose. It is a thing of beauty and pleasure, useful for prayer and theology, and the sort of thing needed in today. Too many postmodern art students have lost contact with the Christian symbols of the western world and are unaware of the depths of their own cultural heritage. This book will be very informative for them and even for the already theologically educated.

I have noticed that Christian Art books have been growing in popularity. Many of these are cheap opportunities to jump on a commercial bandwagon in an attempt to make a quick buck. This book is the REAL THING. It is outstanding. The pictures are large and sharp. The articles are informative and written well. This book values its subject and covers a wide spectrum of Christ centered art. I found this book both thoughtful and moving.

The focus of this book is the Collection in Trafalgar Square but is not exclusive to it. It contains works of art that either picture a representation of Christ or allude to Him. I found my reading to be a delightful and awe-inspiring theological journey. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of how Christ is perceived. Several authors have compiled brief descriptions of the works that explain their significance and meaning. The book traces it course through predominately Catholic art. This may have been done mostly out of necesity because the plethera of art from the 13th to 20th centuries is largely by Catholics. However, it would have been nice to see some more Protestant imagery to complete the respesentation of Christ in art.

The Image of Christ provides an overview of the heritage of Christian art, from paintings and prints to sculptures from the early Christian era to modern times, examining the purposes for each and exploring their meaning to viewers. Depictions of Christ via symbol and image are examined in a treatise recommended for art libraries and religious holdings alike.

Persian Images, are fascinating to begin with right? However, what brings more interest to this book, is that most of these pictures come from a collection that was purposely destroyed in the early 1900's,by the Iranian government. The stories shared in reference to each photo are as interesting as the pictures themselves. There happens to be a much larger collection both in Iran, and in the states, but sadly they did not make an appearance in this particular book.

If the area of your study or/and interest involves Art,Photography,History of Asia and Near East this is a must have book. Sevruguin went to Iran and stayed there for almost all of his life. This book is a collection of the first photographs from Iran (that of course he took). Through Sevruguin's eyes the reader/viewer is able to discover a new world. Not only this world is new to you if you are a western viewer, but also these photographs reveal yet another angle for a native viewer, such as myself, since many of these photographs have never displayed back in Iran. I think, in a broader sense, as long as one keeps in mind that these are representations of one culture through the eyes of an outsider, this book is useful and interesting.

One of my favorite photo essays on the old middle east. Wonderful collection of photographs and fascinating history.

"Sevruguin and the Persian Image" presents the Smithsonian's collection of one of Qajar Iran's preeminent photographers. In addition to the photographs, the volume contains valuable histories of early photography in Iran, the career of Antoin Sevruguin, and how the collection itself came about. The double entendre of the title refers to how Sevruguin's art was informed by and catered to the Orientalist tastes of a Europe in which he was educated. Yet as an Armenian Christian who was born, lived, died and was buried in Tehran, he presented a different image of Iran than the typical Orientalist photographers of the day. "Sevruguin and the Persian Image" is both a solid examination of a photographer's art as well as a thoughtful analysis of the Western image of Iran in the late nineteenth century.

this is a great collection of some excellent photos of iran at the turn of the last century - it chronicles everyday life, including peasants, and the aristocracy and monarchy - there is a great picture of tehran's bustling main street, with horse-drawn, rail carriages, and the throngs of crowds, some of whom are temporairly mesmerized by the photographer perched on some rooftop. A must-have for iran-history-nastalgic buffs. Only wish there was more...

This is a terrific book! There is a huge selection of art, and all of it is very high quality. I love the colors and there are wonderful ideas in the beginning of the book. This is a perfect companion to their first book The Decoupage Gallery.

If you like decoupage, get this book! I have already made two projects inspired by the pages. I am thinking about getting another copy of the book because I forgot to make color copies of the prints I used before I glued them down and I want to use them again.

Originally I bought this book for scrapbooking ý great images. Then I realized why not personal greeting cards for birthdays and holidays?! And when a friend wanted a theme for a party, I used the images from the book for invitations, placemats, centerpieces, coasters etc. And Iýve only just begun.

Im into card making and decoupage and this book is a treasure.nothing like it in the books or craft stores.pages are very well made.pictures are wonderful along with the colors.many uses for all imagies..B.W.

Exactly what I needed for craft work. Very fine quality and a good buy.

Mark Neely, Harold Holzer, and Gabor S. Boritt effectively collaborate to present a pioneering and seminal examination of the popular lithographs and engravings cherished by Southerners during and after the Civil War in The Confederate Image: Prints Of A Lost Cause. These were the images in southern popular culture that helped to sustain and revive a post-confederacy identity following the collapse of the Confederacy at the end of the war. It is one of history's ironies that these images were actually crafted by Northern artisans. The principle focus of The Confederate Image is on the prints of three prominent southern Civil War figures (Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson) as well as offering informative discussions on prints of other significant Confederates as well as the contributions of the short-lived "Southern Illustrated News". The Confederate Image is a highly recommended and unique addition to Civil War studies and of considerable interest to students of American popular culture and art history.

Meticulous scholarship, but the text remains readable and interesting to the rest of us. Produced by leading experts, skillfully edited by Peter Barnet, the text is as exquisitely done as an ivory carving itself. The book is generously illustrated throughout with many photographs of the ivories. This book belongs in your collection if you admire fine art and craftsmanship from the medeival period.

Memories And Images: The World Of Donald Vogel And Valley House Gallery is the story of Donald Vogel who arrived in Dallas at the beginning of World War II after a sojourn at the Art Institute of Chicago and began a successful and explosive career in the arts. This is the story of the wealth that came with East Coast art dealers following the oil field trails throughout Oklahoma and Texas. During a tumultuous time of dubious art and fake old masters, Vogel was able to be a part of bringing fine art works to Dallas, beginning with the Betty McLean Gallery, and later to his own Valley House Gallery. Already established as a painter, Vogel became a critical and important outlet in Dallas for art dealers in the United States and Europe. An honor that has endured for the past fifty-eight years at the heart of the Dallas art scene. Memories And Images is an autobiography that is very highly recommended and informative reading for students of American art history in general, and the work and contributions of Donald Vogel and his Valley House Gallery in particular.

Our Town: Images and Stories from the Museum of the City of New York presents--in the highest quality four-color and duotone reproductions--an amazing range of New York City images, from urban scene paintings, to the renowned Stettheimer Dollhouse, to the phenomenal 20th c. photography of such artists as Berenice Abbott and Edward Steichen. The essays capture glimpses of the City and its history from the widest range of noted authors--Robert A.M. Stern, Oscar Hijuelos, Hilton Als, Louis Auchincloss, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, etc. Don't miss it!

If you like Mark Klett, then you will like Skeet McAuley. Mark Klett's photography has focused on the deserts of the American Southwest, using techniques such as wry humor and also 1-second exposures to accent the difference between stable and moving objects. In the book being reviewed, Mr.McAuley depicts a Navajo window washer, perched on a stone wall washing windows of the visitor centr at Monument Valley. The camera, situated inside the center, views three majestic buttes, one in each of three windows, a similarly aligned window washer, a sponge pressed against the first window, and the shadow of the sponge residing on the interior ceiling. The window washer wears glasses, is neatly dressed, and has a spiffy "Indian" belt. Perhaps he is the manager of the visitor center, or perhaps he is also the webmaster of the local community. There is no attempt in this, or other photographs, to portray the Navajos as victims of their technological shortcomings, and of the Europeans' overrunning of their land. The three buttes, featured in this picture, are amongst the greatest of our cherished emblems of the American land, along with, e.g., Yosemite Valley, the Grand Canyon, Mt.Rushmore, and Niagara Falls. The vertical motifs of the three buttes, window struts, upright figure of the window washer, and (don't neglect this), the yellow arrow pointing downwards to a dinosaur track, are excellent, and contrast beautifully with the angles of the walls of the visitor center. Another excellent picture features a cattle trap, that array of metal grooves embedded in the road, so familiar to those who drive the backroads of any agricultural community. To the side of the metal cattle trap is a triangular fence post, where the triangular motif of the fence post is mirrored in distant teepees, situated out in the remote desert. Something makes this an even more interesting photo. A sign near the teepees reads, "Going out of business." This is funny. How could there be a business of any kind in this remote wasteland? And so, how could there be any "going out of business" in the remote wasteland!?! Another memorable photograph depicts an ancient Spanish church ruin (ancient by North American standards, anyway), while in the foreground is a modern lawn sprinkler, dispersing an array of dainty spurts of water over the meager, green lawn. This is an amusing contrast, an amusing situation, easily recognizable as "photo-ready" by any amateur with a passing interest in photography. Another subtle picture, also melding ancient motifs with a contemporary addition, is Skeet McAuley's picture of an eroded mesa, taking the form of a repeated array of pointy outcroppings. This pattern, this design, is mirrored by a line of tractor treads, embedded in some foreground soil. Again, most people would not care about this type of photograph, but many amateur (or professional) photographers would stop to take the picture.

I bought this book sight unseen, after becoming hooked on the Bibliodessey site. I was very disappointed in the rather dull, uninteresting pieces that were chosen. Very few were of the 'wow' nature that the site often displays. A few were interesting, and I am always interested in illustrative art from any age, so I'm glad to have seen the ones chosen. But I'm very sorry I spent my money, and plan to just stick with daily perusing the site instead.

I've been a faithful fan of PK's intriguing website BibliOdyssey for a number of years so I was delighted to learn a selection of his wonderful treasures would be published in book form. The book now has a special place in my art library - that is, when I can keep it on the shelf. I've lent it to friends and family a half dozen times and being reluctant to pull it away from someone who is enjoying it, I've replaced my original copy a few times now.

BibliOdyssey carries on in the fine tradition of a "cabinet of curiosities" or a "Kunstkammer" - a wondrous collection of arts and curiosities. It includes images of obscure drawings, diagrams, prints, maps, broadsides, and illustrations carefully culled from dusty corners of the world's libraries, museums, and archives. Turning each page is like pulling open a new cabinet drawer, each filled with a display to entice curiosity, amusement, wonder, or awe.

The collection gives us a glimpse of the science, medicine, learning, and industry of yesterday, as well as window into the imagination, amusements and pop-culture of the past - from the sublime and the fantastic to the quirky and ribald. There are anthropomorphic vegetables, maps, and serpents; bestiaries of fantastic or fearful creatures; ingenious medical and scientific devices; amusing cartoons and caricatures; and much, much more. Each entry is accompanied by PK's thoughtful and well-written explanatory text, which feeds you just enough but leaves you wanting more. And for those who want more, each entry offers a website to the source to whet your need for further explorations.

The book is also a sensory delight - it's a finely crafted book that feels good in the hand. The matte cover is de-embossed with sample imagery; the pages within are of quality paper and the coloration of the ancient texts handled artfully. Kudos to author and publisher alike for a job well done - and to the original artists, philosophers, inventors, and dreamers as well, who would no doubt be delighted to know that their work lives on. I hope there will be a follow-on collection at some later date!

this book is fun...could use a little more description of each link or site to make it more useful

This book is such a beautiful visual journey. I received it for Christmas and have not had enough time to sit down and read it cover to cover yet. Though the time I have spent perusing the book is all the encouragement I need to make the time. PK's commentary is both informative and accessible throughout. The author's love and passion for this work shines through, and makes it a captivating book.

The images are amazing, whether you see them in their original setting, on BibliOdyssey, or in this great book.

I've loved to explore the stacks of great libraries ever since I was assigned a carrell at the UW many years ago. It wasn't just the books that enchanted me. It was the ads in bound periodicals, the maps in atlases, and the photographs and drawings in books. Good relations with librarians have given me similar access in a number of libraries around the world, most notably in London, New York and Washington -- and even here in Franklin Lakes.

Several years ago the New York Public Library started the NYPL Digital Gallery which "provides access to over 600,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more." I've explored those images, and many more collections of images from other libraries, with great pleasure.

I've also enjoyed websites of those who download images that strike their fancy and post them on their websites. Some of my favorites include "Luminous Lint" (photography), "strange maps" (maps), "Futility Closet" (Miscellany), and " BibliOdyssey ".

PK, the webmaster writes: "You can expect everything from astronomy to zoology and from Art Nouveau to the Renaissance...I like to think that the trajectory of the book aims somewhere roughly between our internet users' penchant for a concentrated package of beguiling ephemera and as an introductory overview of the cultural wealth accessible from web archives for Luddites."

Fair enough. And fair enough that it's odd to think of images being converted from paper to electronics and then back again to paper. The printing and paper are high quality, and the reproductions seem true to the online images. Their larger size in the book makes them even more impressive.

One point is clear, though, PK has generally chosen images with a dark quality -- the falling man in the three piece suit on the cover speaks for the collection. I might have chosen an entirely different set from the stacks. Nonetheless, this book is a suggestive and informing journey through the treasures contained in the world's great libraries.

I gave it as a gift to a friend of mine who loves nature photography. He loved it.

This is a wonderful book filled with breathtaking photographs taken by the late and well-respected Ansel Adams. Each of the photographs contained is a unique masterpiece with a life of its own. Looking at these splendid photographs, one feels drawn right in to the specific location and year. Some of my favorites include, "The Golden Gate Before the Bridge" (1932), "Barn, Cape Cod, Massachusetts" (ca. 1937), "Clearing Storm, Sonoma County Hills, California" (1951) and "Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona" (1942). This book will definitely hold your attention and keep you captivated if not mesmerized. With so many minute and beautiful details in these photographs, it's easy to see why Ansel Adams was one of the most respected and popular photographers of our time. He didn't just take a picture; he ceased moments in time and captured the beauty of the subjects being photographed. This is an excellent book that will make a fine addition to any library. This book would make a great gift for photographers and art connoisseurs alike!

Ansel Adams: Classic Images

This book provides high quality representations of Ansel Adams' photography in examples of 75 of his best images. The text, written by James Alinder along with a preface by John Szarkowski, portrays the story of Adams' life and his philosophy regarding art and existence. The text starts the reader off at his birth and takes you through Adams' childhood and the decisions he makes as he searches for an outlet for his creativity and a strong career path. Having also been a professional pianist, Adams' later discovers his passion for photography and nature, and spends the rest of his life a successful artist and activist.
This book takes you through major events in his life and references prints in the book to give visual examples of his ever-evolving photographic style. I would definitely recommend this book, if not as a successful biography, but as a stage for some beautiful, high quality reproductions of Adams' work.

This collection can be seen at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona, through July 7, 2002. This book is the catalogue of the exibition! If you like the book you should see the originals! They will blow you away.

Ansel Adams was very concerned that his work always be reproduced in a high quality way. I fear that he gave too much attention to fidelity of reproduction, and not enough to size of image in the reproduction. This otherwise valuable book is seriously marred by the designer having chosen page and print sizes much too small for Adams' work. I suggest you avoid this book.

I would like to compliment James Alinder on an outstanding biographical essay concerning Adams' life and photographic techniques. This essay will add useful knowledge to anyone who wants to better understand Adams' work and life, and their effects on us all. I would also like to compliment the selection of the images. These are clearly among Adams' best work.

Adams' technique used the very stark light of dawn and dusk to create vivid detail that echoed across the image from figure to figure. The result was to help the eye capture the connectedness of nature, the oneness of creation. So when the details become too small, it is like rubbing out whole chapters in a book. I was very disappointed in the publishing decision for this book's page size. In fact, only one of my favorite images still held most of its power for me in these large postcard sizes, Moon with Half Dome, Yosemite, 1960.

Without Mr. Alinder's essay, I would have graded this book as a two star effort.

Some of the lesser works which have less fine detail still show well. Here were my favorites of this small-sized collection:

Self-Portrait, Monument Valley, Utah, 1958

Monlith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite, 1927

Winnowing Grain, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1928

Rock and Grass, Moraine Lake, Sequoia National Park, 1982

Georgia O'Keefe and Orville Cox, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1937

Mormon Temple, Manti, Utah, 1948

Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico 1941

White House Ruin, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1942

Monument Valley, 1958

Cypress and Fog, Pebble Beach, California, 1967

Sand Dunes, Oceano, California, 1950

If you are like me and love Ansel Adams' work, I suggest you look into Ansel Adams, The American Wilderness, which does feature large enough reproductions.

Sometimes we learn more from mistakes than from successes. Where are your efforts being undertaken on too small a scale to be fully effective? What can you do to change that?

Enjoy the beauty of nature in its full scale brilliance (outdoors and in larger-sized photographic books)!