Themes Books

The book is a telling glimpse into the lives of some of the women of the Vancouver Downtown Eastside.
As a community worker with hard-to-house ex-psychiatric residents in the area, in the 1980s I ran a Women's Group to address the risk of AIDS in relation to prostitution.
The dying wish of a long term dear friend of mine was that I remain in contact with his two daughters. This book available at the Vancouver Public Library--and the excellent video of the same name that aired on TV available at Douglas College that includes an interview with her--give me a means to follow the career of his youngest daughter. I hope to hear from her again soon, and hope she is alright.
Now I'll go ahead and buy the book. If only I could discover whether the video is available for sale to the public.

'Heroines' is a book that is so much more and so much deeper than most photographic books. The images that are presented in this book are, on the one hand, beautiful, thoughtful images and on the other hand, deeply touching and challenging, because of the subject matter. This book humanizes an element of human nature which we often just refer to as the 'drug problem' or 'the addicts,' this reminds us that these are people just like you and I, who have chosen a darker path. This is an important photographic work which has value far greater than just a nice collection of images. The print quality is excellent and the text is interesting, well writen and thought provoking. Overall a fascinating look into Vancouver'e downtown Eastside Heroin and drug Culture. Money very well spent. Great work Lincoln Clarkes!

I grew up in this neighborhood, knew a lot of these women so I may be a little biased, but I LOVE THIS BOOK.
In Vancouver, people try to hard to ignore this part of town, to ignore the people in this part of town, make believe that this problem does not exist in their "perfect" city.
Vancouver is beautiful, but obviously there's a problem.
This book makes it impossible to ignore that fact.
You see the girls as people, as beautiful women, as someones sister, daughter or mother.
They're vulnerable and hurting and you can't ignore them anymore..

These photographs by Lincoln Clarkes in this amazing book will change the way people look at Canada in general and Vancouver in particular. These are friendly and exquisite black and white photographs of drug-addicted women who live and work (usually as prostitutes) in Vancouver's downtown eastside neighborhood, a neighborhood unique in all the world for bearing the majority of an entire nation's overdose deaths, if not drug traffic as well. Clarkes captures the humanity and the artistry, as well as the desperation, of these women ... and of the city, too, which now must look at itself in different way. Heroines really is an epic work of photography and of social documentary.

Both books serve as the focal point of our coffee table. I find myself thumbing through one whenever I need a 5 minute vacation! Thanks for the therapy!

As a fourth generation Coloradan, I admit to having a natural skepticism whenever I initially feast my eyes upon a photography book that, by its title, is intended to 'capture' the beauty, majesty and unique qualities of the Rockies. My close attachment to the Rocky Mountains makes me sometimes feel that most photographers will fall short. WRONG assumption! I'm delighted to report that Sue Neider has successfully captured the heart and soul of the Colorado Rockies in her latest book in honest, forthright, unique and spectacular images. 'High Country: Touring he Colorado Rockies' absolutely affected me as I moved from page to page---and made me feel as though Ms. Neider must have spent her life out here, which I've learned is not the case. Her latest book was like having a personalized guided tour of the Rockies and I recommend it 100% to readers living anywhere---including others like me who have spent their entire lives embracing mountains and scenery in the Rocky Mountains region. Terrific viewing, excellent text, and an experience I will revisit over and over. This is a book that I am proud to own!

Three years ago, Susan Neider's photographic and literary guide to the Colorado Plateau, Color Country, moved me to write a review on this site in the hope that others would discover her work as well. Her new guide to the Colorado Rockies, High Country, proves that Color Country was no quirk. If there could remain any doubt from the choice and intensity of her photographs that Neider's accomplishment is to understand the landscape and what that means to the human experience, here's how she, in a few words, shows that she gets it: "The peaks are here," she says of the surroundings, "so are the valleys. So is the range of vision that draws me away from an intense and restless inner self." And that's it. Neider's descriptions, advice, and photos all reflect a passion rarely found in guidebooks. Those who want more than a passingly pleasant experience with the places Neider visits would take her, or at least her books, along.

I tend to carry a lot of books when I travel, so I'm careful about what I pack. But Neider's guides are essential travel gear and take the place of a lot of other books I might have to take along. I learned this when she published Color Country a few years ago and wore out my first copy traipsing around Utah with it, planning trips and choosing places to visit. Now she's done the same thing, in spades, for Colorado with High Country and it's a welcome addition to my travel library, too. I'm a nut about geology, but a lot of what is written is hard to read. But Neider's a first-rate explainer and provides just what you need to understand the landscape. And then there are her pictures. Direct, clean and engaging, the same clarity evident in her writing shines through in her photographs. If they weren't so inspirational I'd be tempted to put my own camera away, knowing I'll never get the same feeling of a place she manages to capture so well. Her photo tips keep me shooting, though. I think, as with her first book, I'll be giving a lot of copies of this one to friends who are traveling west.
Brava, Neider, once again!
Alex Connor
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

I grew up in Memphis in the late 40's, 50's and 60's and now live in Phoenix. It was such a pleasure to view these photographs and read about places and events in Memphis that happened (most before my time). A lot of the old buildings still stand. Memphis is so much more than Elvis, "The Birthplace of Rock n' Roll, and Home of the Blues". This book is a testament to that fact. Yesterday, I returned from a visit back there to see my Mother and many other relatives, and took this book to show my brother. He loved it so much that I had to give it to him, so I'm ordering another one for me!

Absolutely a spectacular book for those interested in a piece of history. I don't even live in Memphis and enjoyed seeing the photo's and comments. Some photo's are of then and now, very sad to see great structures destroyed and pathetic ones put in there place, someone should have been held accountable for this poor judgement, even as it goes on now!

Often when I purchase a volume of photographs I feel that I have wasted my money on a book that took me all of two minutes to 'read.' Mind you I like looking at photographs, particularly historic ones, but most photographic books leave me a bit dissatisfied.

Not so this book. It is not an exaggeration to say that "Historic Photos of Memphis" is so much more than a conventional book of old photographs. Cordell and O'Daniel have done a excellent job of choosing images that illustrate the growth and development of Memphis,Tennessee.

Equally significant are the chapter introductions and detailed captions which provide a wealth of information on the history of the Bluff City.

Taken together, the photos and text included in "Historic Photos of Memphis" are a major contribution to our understanding of urban history in the American South.

You'd think it would be easy to put together a book of historic photographs, especially since you don't even have to take the pictures. I mean, don't you just grab up some old snapshots and slap them together into a book? Well, not quite. Actually, there's a lot more that goes into it, as this well-thought volume of historic images aptly demonstrates.

The best photography books tell a story, the way this one does. The pictures run together thematically, and there's a logical progression to the way the book is laid out. The process is anything but willy-nilly, as I learned while watching Gina and Patrick comb through the Memphis Room's 16,000-odd historical images. It was intimidating to watch, to say the least. The two of them ran back and forth with bundles and bundles of photographs, selecting this one, rejecting that one, changing their minds and then changing them back again. Everytime I walked through the processing room the two of them would be huddled over some photograph or other, giving it the once-over and deciding its fate.

Once they had their photographs in order, then they had to go back and write captions for them, as well as introductions to the various sections. That was yet another Herculean task. Gina and Patrick had definite things they wanted to say about the pictures, and the stories that they tell, but they also had to research each image in order to get their facts straight. A snapshot for the Business Men's Club, for instance, tells us that "the organization was founded in 1900 and moved to 81 Monroe in 1907. Beginning in 1913, the building (they had occupied became) the headquarters for the Memphis Chamber of Commerce." It takes a lot of work to find all of that out. A lot of digging and poking through dusty old books and half-readable microfilm reels. Now imagine doing that 198 times. Sounds daunting, huh? I can tell you from the looks I sometimes saw on their faces that it definitely was.

But about the book itself. There have been numerous Memphis photograph books, but this is easily the best. Not only does it have a pleasing size and shape, but the paper and the ink settings are of very high quality. In short, it's a coffee-table book that you can hold in your hands. But the thing that really makes this book special is the thoughtful photograph selection and sequencing that lies behind it. Naturally the book follows a historical progression, but there are thematic ones as well. The opposing images on pages 32 and 33, for instance, both show us the uglier side of industrialization in 19th-century America. Other photographs stress the beauty of the landscape, the majesty of the river, and the ebb and flow of social change. Sometimes the images capture the hustle and bustle of everyday life in a growing city, and sometimes they catch a private moment that would otherwise be lost forever. In my personal favorite, a scene from Court Square in 1932, an off-duty railcar conductor feeds the pigeons that alight at his feet. Some of the birds are captured in mid-air, their wings a flapping blur of motion.

The photographs also give us a chance to learn things we never knew. I was shocked, for instance, to learn that a lonely country road, passing through a grove of trees, was actually Union Avenue. I was also taken aback by the enormity of the trees that lumbermen felled in days gone by. Who knew that such tall giants once stood watch over Memphis? And all that flooding? I never dreamed that water could rise so high. Thank God for levees, I say.

But the very best thing about this book is that it includes everyone. The Memphis that emerges from these pages is a melting-pot in its brewing stage. Sure, there's an elite upper-crust, but there's also a throng of working class people, male and female, black and white. we see them in crowds, but we also get glimpses of their individual faces. They stare boldly from the pages, asserting their rightful place in our collective memory. There are snapshots of mule drivers, cotton loaders, beauty queens, gamblers, motorcyclists, gossiping women, policemen with tommy guns, schoolchildren, and even a rare shot of a jug band. The list goes on, but why should I spoil it? This is an everyman's Memphis, as the book makes plainly clear. As such, its a tribute not only to what Memphis once was, but what it is today and what it someday might become.

"A gorgeous book, these photographs of one of the world's most interesting cities makes this book a real joy for the photography collector."

I bought this book for my fathers 80th birthday gift.
It arrived in perfect condition and on time and we
even discussed it last night. He is a native nashvillian
and my sister gave him a television set and he hasn't taken
that out of the box but carries the book around all day,
every day enjoying photos of the past.
I and my family love, love it and I appreciate the great service
that I get when I order from Amazon. I work for the library
and can order here with an employees discount but prefer ordering
from Amazon instead. Thanks, Vickie L. Jones

I recently received "Historic Photos of Nashville" -- what a top quality book throughout! Over 200 beautifully printed pages, depicting scenes from Nashville history since the mid-1800's. These extraordinary old photographs have been found in various archives, and provide a great historical representation of the people, places, and events that have occurred in Nashville. This book was intended as a gift for a friend -- but looks like I'll have to order another one, because this one has become MINE!!

We just received Historic Photos of Nashville and who knew that Nashville had such a rich history. This book has hundreds of photographs of Nashville covering nearly 200 years and is just the right coffee table book size.
Historic Photos of Nashville is well-made, educational, and just subtle enough to make a real an elegant statement no matter where it's placed. This is a must have for anyone who loves Nashville History.
We're ordering more copies to give as holiday gifts to all of our friends.
Joe

It's amazing that the following mistakes appear in this book:

1) A reference to Cecil B. DeMille's "Sunset Boulevard".
It's Billy Wilder's and Leigh Brackett's picture. DeMille had
a cameo in it.

2) Donna Douglas (of "Beverly Hillbillies" fame) is referred to
in a caption as "Donna Dixon" and in the accompanying text as
"Joey Heatherton".

3) Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, in English riding clothes,
are described as wearing "Western gear".

4) Sammy Davis Jr's ex-wife, Mai Britt, is twice referred to as
"May Britt".

Did anybody edit this book, or were Garrett's reminiscences taken
on faith because he, of all people, should know?

I have had the priveledge of knowing Murray Garrett for over 25 years as a business associate and friend. I was completely blown away by his incredible talent as a photographer and writer. This book captures a Hollywood that I remember as my home town and really was the entertainment capitol of the world. The pictures are unique, and definitely candid. Murray's comments about the stars shed new insights into the personalities and quirks of some of the most loved and famous celebrities of the era. A beautiful collection of memorys from a man who approaches Hollywood from an honest, compasionate and humorous point of view. Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful compilation of photographs and text taken throughout the years by Murray Garrett. All of the Hollywood golden age stars are featured: Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Simmons, Natalie Wood, Ava Gardner. The photos catch the personal side of the stars, such as the photo of Richard Burton strapped into an airline seat along with his daughter's doll, as well as their entrances into glamourous events. He also adds his personal recollections such as Ava Gardner's love of jokes, off color or not, Eve Arden's love of her daughter, the secrecy of Natalie Wood's 21st birthday party. The stories are fascinating. The pictures are beautiful and unique. I am glad Murray decided to share them with us.

I had the privilege of seeing much of this book in pre-press form and knew it had to be a knockout. The pics are all exceptional but Murray's anecdotes and insight make this much more than a celebrity puff-piece. The finished book is even better than my early predictions. Great stuff!!!

Paul Jasmin is one of my favorite photographers so maybe I am biased in his favor. I even began a Flickr group "Inspired by Paul Jasmin" ([..])

Paul Jasmin is a photographer of the young and beautiful in Hollywood and Southern California. His work is characterized by rich tones, deep shadows, gorgeous hues and with an emphasis on people portraits and naturalism.... not things.

What is the photograph inspired by Jasmin?

It is a romantic and a melancholic artist.
It is the lone person in the lens.
It is late afternoon or early morning when the sun is gentle and the indoor light is dim and golden.
Its the lovely young woman on the unmade bed with the light peeking through the Venetian blinds.
It can be anywhere in the world where love and loneliness coexist.

This is a beautiful book! I was so anxious to see Paul Jasmin's long-awaited first book, having recently heard so much about this remarkable photographer. Over the years, I have researched many photographers, but wasn't familiar with Paul's work at all. Well, I now have another favorite photographer. These are stunningly seductive, moody, romantic, and erotic images, to name only a few feelings that came to me while viewing this sampling of his work. These images are taken from the 1950's right up to 2001. A great selection that covers male and female nudes, portraits of friends, people of the entertainment & art world, fashion shoots and peaceful travel images.

Jasmin states, "I still dream in the 1950's", well, lucky for us. You get a feeling from these photographs that you don't get from the current photographers images, and that's a feeling of innocence. A time when sex was more innocent and much more sensual. A long time friend of Bruce Weber, you can see the influence in a few of these photos. Paul Jasmin have appeared in many leading fashion magazines such as Arena, Vogue, W, and L'uomo Vogue. There are three informative and touching essays by Sofia Coppola, Grazia D'Annunzio, and critic Nicolai Ouroussoff. They help to highlight & explain Jasmin's life and career. Arena Editions has again published another striking book on quality paper, that is handsomely designed.

This is a rare opportunity to enjoy a photographer who exposes us to a time that is now lost, a time of innocence and youthful carefree ways. I really enjoyed this collection of his images. Highly Recommended!

If you like this book , his new book (Lost Angeles) is going to blow your mind. Trust me.

HOLLYWOOD COWBOY is a perfect companion work to Paul Jasmin's LOST ANGELES. Jasmin is a sensitive observer whose camera seems to gravitate toward romantically inclined casual portraits of beautiful people in enchanted environs. Here is a full mixture of males and females, nude and clothed, all seeming to have that intransigence of the private or public desire to 'become' in Hollywood. There are actors and actresses, models, hustlers, loners, and crowd leaners captured by Jasmin's dramatic focus in moments of ultimate vulnerability.

Though not all of the subjects for these photographs are what we would consider 'beautiful', there is an innocence that is beguiling. Whether captured inside decorous or smarmy rooms or out on the streets and parks, these people find their way into our own dream factories, whether or not those dreams ever were realized or not. A beautiful collection with excellent color and black and white reproduction. Grady Harp, March 05

While we watch Charlottesville grow into a small cosmopolitan city, it's great to know there's ONE book of photographs that really tells the story of Charlottesville, Virginia in the beginning of the early 20th century.

There are other superb books on Charlottesville & the surrounding county of Albemarle like Kenneth Lay's but this is your best source for "early downtown" photos.

Those of us in Virginia know that Charlottesville is a national treasure, and always has been. Rufus Holsinger was able to capture on film the beauty, uniqueness, and significance of this wonderful city. Now anyone in the world can see how Charlottesville looked during this time period. Rufus Holsinger made that possible for all of us.

Rufus Holsinger was a traveling photographer who settled in Charlottesville in the late 1880s and spent the next forty years as the city's preeminent portrait photographer. In 1910 a fire destroyed a good portion of his original plates, and then following his death, the remainder sat unprotected in the studio basement until their rediscovery in the 1970s. The "Holsinger Collection" was then archived at the University of Virginia library, and comprises some 9,000 plates, of which about 7,500 are studio portraits. The authors have carefully selected 75 of the non-portraits and assembled them in this handsomely produced volume to try and create a sense of old Charlottesville.

Because the original plates are huge format (8" x 10") and have been very nicely restored, the resulting prints in the book are visually stunning, with beautiful gradations, highlights, shadows, and detail. Subject matter includes a number of intersections and streets that now form major arteries in Charlottesville. Alas, many of the buildings shows have since been razed or substantially altered. Each photo has been well researched and is nicely captioned from a historical standpoint. The one weakness to the text is an overabundance of naming various eminent figures and grandees from the city's past in long lists that are unlikely to have any meaning for modern readers. There's a fair amount of attention given to the University of Virginia, though not perhaps, as much as one might expect.

The book's one major annoyance is a lack of a map of contemporary Charlottesville indicating just where each photo is and in what direction it faces. As someone who lived in Charlottesville for two years, I had a great deal of trouble trying to figure out where each picture was sited. I had to sit down with a city map next to me as I went through the book, and it would have been so much nicer if the publishers had done this work for me. Still, it's a nice gift for someone moving to the city (which was recently ranked the top city in America for quality of living). Be sure to get the most recent edition (1995), as it corrects a few errors in fact.

Wonderful book! I'm new to the area and learned so much about the history of Charlotetsville and UVA. Very Very Interesting and HIGHLY recommended!

I am a re-creator of medieval illuminations for modern use. This reference contains some very interesting illustrations in the borders, scenes of people working, and charming little references to tools and such. I'm enjoying this book as a source of inspiration for my artwork.

considering this small book is printed at the orignal scale, the details are astonishing. the printing quality delievers the art work right to your hands. it is a superb full color reproduction. the introdution is an indepth study of the history of the two original copies and the process of reconstruction of the book. the related history, manuscript making of the time are well studied.

however, the published book does not translate the Latin text in to any language i can understand. but, i guess, the text is just explaining what the picture is, which the editor always gave a longer explaination paragraph for every picture in the book, in modern eyes.

this is one of the best reproduced manuscript available today.

One doesn't need to be Christian to fall in love with this book. Each tiny painting is rich in detail and imagination. There is not one careless or unnecessary brushstroke. The artists who produced this work did the very best in their power and each image glows with their intention. There is a wonderful awkwardness in many of the human figures, but the natural and imaginal worlds are depicted with loving fidelity. This is religious art that stands with miniatures from India and Persia as some of the greatest art ever created for an intimate scale.

First published in 1966, The Hours Of Catherine Of Cleves is a wonderfully beautiful work that reproduces a fifteenth-century illuminated manuscript featuring unforgettably beautiful Bible illustrations of scenes from the Old and New testaments. These artworks were originally created for Catherine of Cleves on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of Guelders. Each page of this splendidly illustrated book is accompanied by the commentary of John Plummer, who offers insight and a descriptive vibrancy to the splendor of the illustrations. A treasure to read, view, and absorb, The Hours Of Catherine Of Cleves is recommended for Christian Studies and Christian Art History collections.

I have been a casual fan of Giger for some time, but never actually got around to buying any of his work, aside from his calendars. This book serves as a fantastic summary of his life's work and manages to be very informative in its short span.

I wasn't sure if I was a big enough of a fan to buy his larger books, but after this one I'm quite excited about doing so.

Giger's work has incredible visual impact. He was the designer for the first Alien movie. He created that ambiguity of biota and machine. This book, with less concern for censorship, drives those images far beyond what the theaters can accept.

I read this book with a choked fascination. Giger uses all of his technical mastery in depicting landscapes of torment, eroticism, deformity, and beauty. This world is peopled by multiple beings, fused by birth, by force, or by carnality. His work reminds me of Druillet, where every scene is packed from edge to edge with bizarre detail. Giger goes beyond Druillet with his realistic style, making his monochrome worlds so much more convincing.

Although the Amazon web site lists Timothy Leary as a co-author, he just provides a one-page introduction. It's good, and it's Leary, but Leary fans shouldn't get their hopes up too far.

If you like Giger's work, as I do, this is an incredible collection. (If the imagery is too much for you, I understand.)This book also provides autobiographical notes, but I take those about as seriously as I take Salvador Dali's. It's the pictures that matter.

//wiredweird

If you just like flipping through art books for their pictures, this is a definte one that will keep you flippin' through the pictures. Another excellent look at how Giger views things.

This book is an excellent brief introduction to the life and art of H.R. Giger. It features plates of some of his most well-known works, as well as examples of his sketches, pen and inks, and other media. For someone who has taken an interest in Giger, but is not ready to invest in his larger, more complete books, this is a perfect starting point.

The pictures and verses are comforting to those who have lost a child....My book has stayed on my night table since I first received it years ago..I have just purchased my third book for other mother's and fathers who have lost a child...beautiful book

A wonderful book for anyone who has ever lost a loved one, especially if a child has passed away. I gave it as a condolence gift. The artwork is superb, and the messages are uplifting and comforting.

This lovely book is intended to comfort those who have suffered a loss, and it certainly does. Spiritual without being denominational, it offers hope and gentle wisdom through some comtemporary poetry and an assortment of lines from classic writers. The beautiful images of child angels are stunning and touching. A wonderful gift for angel lovers or for sad hearts.

This is an excellent book to give or receive! The sub-title In the light of loss - gives insight to the beautiful poems and prayers contained inside. I found this book to be of great comfort and hope. The paintings by Nancy Noel are magnificant.