Portraits and Photos Books

A fresh,bold book focusing on the sensual appeal of the mythic latin symbol of machismo: The Bull Fighter, starring actual pros and amateurs of the bullring.
It's wonderful how despite the bright, feminine colors and extraordinarily ornamented uniforms, they never once compromise the sex appeal of these exceptionally handsome young men, who are all inspired by the legendary (and controversial) blood sport.
A book of professional male models pouting and posing in bullfighters'costumes would have been a silly, easily forgotten cliche.
There's a lot of Helmut Newton's influence in the photography and considering Newton's obsession with women, it's funny to see men being eroticised in his famous pictorial style. In a perfect world, there would be lots of books of this artistic quality celebrating the heroic beauty of other actual professional sportsmen.

The photographs are beautiful and erotic. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates male Hispanic beauty.

A truly stunning collection of photographs concentrating on the erotic appeal of the torero - an aspect that has probably struck most honest aficiandos at one time or another. Quite apart from beautiful boys in (and out) of their trajes de luces, the collection is interesting for concentrating on very young toreros from South America - notably Colombia and Peru, though Madrid features strongly - and the less well-known names too. Miguel Angel Gomez and the brothers Pardo are especially notable: congratulations and thanks are due to Noel Pardo especially for his bravery in posing for some very fine nude shots. The additional frisson of the eroticism is the extreme danger the boys face, and here also is graphic photographic evidence of beauty marred in the corrida. There is nothing pornographic here, which is good, and the entire book is faultless in production. It should be on the shelves not only of every aficianado of young male beauty - but of every aficianado of the corrida also!

Ruven Afanador seems to be the spiritual heir of the little boy in the story of the emperor's new clothes. He insists on seeing--and proclaiming through his work--exactly those visual elements of the bullfight that everyone else sees but adamantly ignores. One of his major themes, perhaps the major one, is clearly announced on the dust jacket by the image of a semi-tumescent lad wearing only his taleguilla and grasping a pair of bull's horns (which may be why Amazon shows no cover illustration above). Afanador's style might be described as a cross between the baron von Gloeden and Helmut Newton, or maybe Diane Arbus with more than a dash of Robert Mapplethorpe. Like Mapplethorpe he finds morbidly erotic beauty in places where some would not care to venture, but beauty it is. And like all the above-mentioned photographers, he is an absolute master of his craft. Whatever you might think of the subject matter, the photos are technical marvels--one wants constantly to reach out and touch all those rich textures! The prospective buyer should also be aware that the range of subject matter goes beyond toreros in--and out of--their tight pants, and I would be doing Afanador an injustice to leave the impression that his work is merely pornographic. (One of the most striking images in the collection is a shot of four matadors' jackets hanging from meat hooks in the abattoir). And beyond all the possible influences I've mentioned, his is a style--rather, an inseparable combination of style and subject--that's very much his own.

I suppose that the few poems sprinkled throughout the volume are appropriate accompaniments to the photos, though they could easily have been dispensed with. The introduction is quite helpful, as is the thumbnail index at the end which identifies models and locations. The volume itself is richly produced and beautifully printed, with a sewn-in ribbon bookmark. ...

Even Hemingway, through Lady Brett, couldn't help remarking on "those tight green trousers," but for too long the majority of people (especially artists) associated with bullfighting have pretended to ignore all those lurid paquetes y nalgas. Afanador's stunning collection goes a long way toward remedying that ignor-ance. Overall, a long-needed addition to the body of art and photography associated with toreo.

In this bold and beautifully designed book, the bullfighter or "Torero" finally gets the attention he deserves, not as an object of the bull's attention, but as an object of desire, in a very sensual, yet masculine way. This is not to say these images by this talented photographer are of torero's just showing off their erotic appeal in tight costumes. There are many other photos of the rooms, equipment and costumes in settings by themselves that are very artistically photographed. The erotic appeal of the bullfighter is no longer censored and relegated to the background. These black and white photographs display many nude and semi-nude poses of very handsome, young, and athletic men in their tight fitting torero costumes, where little is left to the imagination. Afanador's admiration of male beauty is very apparent in this book of images. He has an eye for capturing the attitude, machismo, and inherent beauty and vulnerability of these brave men. I thought it was pleasing that Afanador features some of the torero's in their costumes on one page and nude on the opposite page in the same pose.

The poems by Gloria Marie Pardo Vargas, interspersed throughout the book, add to the enjoyment. This is a large over-sized book that is beautifully designed and bound (included is a red ribbon marker) that is a must for any collector of male erotica or for anyone who has always had a fascination with torero's and their beautiful costumes. I have only one regret, I would love to see a book of these same images in color showcasing the beautiful colors and patterns of the torero's costumes. This is a book that I will enjoy over and over again. As a collector, this is at the top of my list.

Joe Hanssen

Underworld is one of my `special' books. Much of my collection is either focussed on the technical aspects of photography or the product-high quality photography, usually applied to either Glamour or Erotic applications and a smaller collection of the best of Landscape or Sexual photography. Underworld falls into one of the smaller categories again and is one of the collections of classic photography. Underworld touches me at a certain deep level and I only usually realize after I've paused long enough to do my occasional casual flick through it.

Underworld takes my emotions back in time. Underworld obviously so well captures the sense of history that I find myself re-living being a child in the `60s and `70s flicking through the magazines in the newsagent of a small remote town. I don't just remember those moments but for some moments I am there again. I see the images of the lifestyles that seemed so surreal to the bright starry eyes of my innocence in the photographic styles represented, possibly taken by some of the same photographers. It brings back a time and place where it was normal to find people sun-baking or swimming naked but seeing my first published photo (outside National Geographic) which included a nipple, I thought `someone's going to hell for that' because it was obviously in a licentious context. This is a book of classic images that snapshot many points in history well. By the same token, there is very little nudity as such or sexual content, so much of it just having the undertone that was the hallmark of the style then, inferred but never spoken, in your mind rather than in your face.

This is a book I'd be happy to share with my Father, who, because of his and my shared interest in photography subscribed to `Australian Photography' magazine, in part so he could pass them on to me. These magazines came to me but not before any articles about shooting nudes or images containing such things as nipples, pubic hair etc. had been carefully scissored out. What little there may be in Underworld that would challenge my dear Dad's values and view of the world is in context enough and with the subtlety of the time and style, as opposed to the gratuity of our more brash, and superficial styles of more recent times.

I love this book because when I flick through it I don't just remember periods in history, I re-live them. I feel the sand between my toes, feel the emotions I did as a kid finding photos of the rest of the world bewildering and enthralling, I can smell the dry rot in the timber and a million other forgotten moments it triggers in my mind.

Underworld is a very nice book, in which you can see pictures taken by the world's most renowned photographers.

Calvin's wife Kelly must share his edge for selling underware and hers is magnificent.A collection of old,new,boy,girl,tops only ,bottoms only,jumping through the air two friends seem to glide in a coming of age.Bawdy women and curious men seem like a midsummer's night dream.

This classy collection of photographs (most of them black-and-white) from the famous, infamous and anonymous covers 100 years of shutterbuggery of the least public aspect of fashion--underwear. She, he, straight, gay, in between--this book will be appreciated by all connoiseurs of photography, fashion, and the art of the book. Underworld is a loving appreciation of the human form with often whimsical arrangements (the Maidenfrom center spread is a masterful touch) featuring the work of Andre Kertez, Steven Meisel, Man Ray, Robert Mapplethorpe, Brassai, Robert Doisneau, Imogen Cunningham, Cindy Sherman, and 70+ other surveyors of the human landscape.

A great gift for newlyweds or that special someone in your life.

Photographs taken by old masters of photography,new masters,and amatuer photographers make underworld complete. This book is as safe as you can get to another person in their underwear or lack of without the risks we face,today. Very sexy,innocent,and liberating! Bravo,Kelly...

This is one of those extraordinarily rare books that inspires me to buy not one, but 100...for family, friends, and colleagues. The idea is so simple and so brilliant but more important, it is beautifully executed. Truly inspired virtuoso selections, gorgeous photography and wonderful writing-- rarely, does one find all of these qualities in one body of work. My only regret is that the book wasn't available during the holiday season or I would have used it for ALL of my X-mas gifts. With tremendous respect, LCLJ

Not just the famous. Not the infamous. Not the obvious. This amazing book actually delivers on the promise of the title. I didn't realize how jaded I was until I sat down and moved through the text and images. Simply brilliant. Don't miss the experience and integrity of this book. ADDED BONUS: The book's superlative design and extraordinary photographs.

What's great here, in addition to stellar photos and high production values (what kind of paper is this?) is the surprising quality of the selection of the people. I like seeing boxers and map makers, basketball players and glass blowers set next to each other.

Joseph Campbell's sadly over-used expression "Follow your bliss" is personified in the 40 profiles that fill the pages of The Virtuoso. What a revelation to find that the world possesses such remarkable individuals in places we might least expect to find them. The Virtuoso says much about taking risks, about going as far as you can to arrive at a place that is larger than yourself. Love, and a dash of madness, are at the core of every choice a Virtuoso makes, shaping the lives of these extraordinary talents in the most unimagined ways, and those who come into contact with them. It takes a vision to see the vision in others. Clearly this author has that. Bravo!

Wayne Gretzky's retirement from hockey seems a fitting occasion to remark on the phenomenal collection of virtuosos Ken Carbone has gathered together in his new book. The gift of a Virtuoso like Gretzky, and of this book, is the realization that absolute focus and dedication to a passion can lead one beyond oneself. That message resounds like a gong through the handsomely designed pages and expressive photographs of The Virtuoso. The thrill of sharing a Virtuoso's talent is the transcendence it offers, the visceral feeling that one is witnessing, in the Eastern sense, life lived fully in the moment. Inspiration, indeed.

The photography in this collection is some of the best, most colorful that I've seen. The interviews with the people in the book are very well done.
This is a must for anyone that has an interest in the native American culture.

I found this book to be entertaining and infomative. It moves the reader to a better understanding of the Native American Indian, their customs and their celebration of life.

Never have I found a more informative book on "the People" as this one. Being Native American myself, and wanting to learn more about my heritage, this book answered questions I've had for years. The pictures are amazingly vibrant. This book makes me proud to be a part of the Native American family.

I have had the pleasure of meeting over half of the people featured in this book. For those wishing to know more about Native American culture and pow wows, one would be hard pressed to find a better book. A beautiful illustration of a magnificent culture.

For anyone interested in Powwow and the American Indians, this book is a treat! It is loaded with beautiful photos of the dancers and their regalia as well as a wonderfully readable text. Each dancer profiled shares his or her own thoughts on being Indian in America today as well as what Powwow means to them. I found it hard to put down and I learned so much from these wonderful people who were willing to share their experiences.

Got this book for my girlfriend for Xmas and she loved it. Onne has a great eye for sailing themed pics. One downside is the racing pics are a little dated. Wound recomend to anyone.

This is a book for sailors ,and people who love beautiful photography
these images capture the energy ,beauty,and lifestyle of sailing. I am not
a sailor myself but these images pulled me into a world I could only
dream of. A wonderful addition to any library.

This is a beautiful book. If you love boating or the water this would be a great coffee table book for you.

I bought this book for my husband, who is a sailing enthusiast. It is an absolutely beautiful book with gorgeous photos. My husband is very pleased with it. I originally saw it in the Williams Sonoma Home store, of all places, where it was selling for a much higher price.

If you love sailing, the sea - or anything vaguely nautical, this is a fantastic book to have around. The author is obviously someone who really loves photography, sailing and the sea - and it shows.

There are over a hundred large beautiful color images covering boats, boat races such as the Americas cup as well as some fantastic scenery shots only reachable via water.

However, if you really want to get an idea of the type and quality of the photographs in this book, it is well worth visiting the author's gallery (vanderwal.com) rather than simply trusting my written review.

I can't tell you what a surprise this book was when I received it. The text is informative and well written, which I always come to expect with Chapman's work, but it was the photography and the quality of the reproduction which pleased me so much. Rare photographs taken between 1870-1940 of Eugen Sandow (10 of him alone), Tony Sansome, Sigmund Klein, Gene Jantzen, and many other physique champions are depicted. These men, long before bodybuilding drugs, developed their bodies to such an amazing degree in both strength and symmetry, truly towards the "Grecian Ideal". This beautifully produced; softbound volume is over 100 pages and printed on fine heavy semi-gloss stock. It is a temptation not to remove the pages to frame many of them. Nearly all the black and white photographs are crystal clear and appear as though taken from the original sources. The book is a larger format and measures 9" x 10" and most of the photographs fill the pages. I hope this is only "volume one" in a series, this book is a treasure!

This delightful book of musclemen of yesteryear is both entertaining and educational for any historian of bodybuilding and the male body in art. Long before Bob Mizer captured hunky specimens in the buff, artists like Townsend were persuading handsome young men to strip and strike a pose. The early attempts at bodybuilding were pretty lumpy affairs, sorry, Sandow does not do it for me, but things get better with the debut of Townsend and his dreamy images of the athletic frame of Tony Sansone. The really good news is that early bodybuilders felt comfortable being photographed fully NUDE and this book is worth buying for these shots alone. The men are not the hard bodied gym freaks of the Arnie era, they are 'boys next door', which gives the photos a period charm. These classic studies have a cute, naive feel, with atmoshpheric light and thankfully, several images have escaped the airbrush to reveal the men's assets in all their glory. You have permission to pour over these stunning images of male nudity and you will find yourself drooling, hero-worshipping and marvelling at the pioneering skills of the early masters of the male nude in ALL its glory! These men would not past muster today as athletes, bodybuilders or pin-ups, but they make a refreshing and highly entertaining contrast to today's endless images of o-so-cute boyish east europeans.

A book to have, along with "Physique Pictorial" and "Hollywood Nudes", to appreciate the history and background of male bodybuilding and nude male photography. David Chapman's excellent text provides a crash course on the development of male bodybuilding from the slightly obese strong men of mid-19th century carnivals and fairs to the sudden and revolutionary switch to more defined and muscular "strong men". In the book are priceless photos of the great Eugen Sandow and Tony Sansone. The photos of Tony Sansone alone are worth the price of this book. Important historical document.

David Chapman has given us a great book of history showcasing early male bodybuilders, and nude male photography. This is a book of 100 pages of fine, rare, and well printed pictures of the early physique stars, and bodybuilders. These photographs cover the period from 1870 to 1940 and are accompanied with a well-written text by David Chapman. There are many photographs of the legendary "Eugene Sandow", "Tony Sansone" and many unknown male nude physique stars of that period. Many of the photos are of unknown men who were photographed in the studio. Of course, my favorite photos are of Tony Sansone, who I idolized since I first seen his photos many years ago when I was a young man.

This book should definitely be in your collection. Another great book. Let's hope he continues the series. Highly recommended!

Pete Turner has often been called a photographer's photographer--but that doesn't mean his work lacks wide appeal. His latest book, Pete Turner African Journey, a 206-page collection of images from seven trips he made to Africa, amply demonstrates his ability to please everyone's eye. Here, with his friendly introduction serving as a guide, he takes you on a tour of his pictures and tells you some of the many stories behind them.

Few photographers have displayed as graphic an approach to the art as Turner or such a strong color sense. His shots of the people, the land and the animals glow with the intensity of stained glass. Graphis, the publisher, is to be congratulated for bringing Turner's brilliance to us--and Turner for giving us this chance to bask with him the warmth of the African sun.

Anyone familiar with Pete Turner's work over the past years, knows that he is a master magician of color. His new book, Pete Turner African Journey, a collection of color photographs taken over his many years of return travel throughout Africa is magnificent to behold for both its color and content. Pete has a creative passion for color. His connection to color reminds me of a statement by the artist Paul Klee, "Colour possesses me...color and I are one." So it is with Pete who creates his colorful art using a camera and a searching eye. The way he photographs the people, places and culture of Africa is best said in one of the quotes I have by Gordon Parks. " Recording images of serenity and beauty was a matter of devout observance." I can think of no better way to describe the beauty, sensitivity and reverence of Pete Turner's photographs. His photographs are artfully displayed in a beautifully designed book by the prominent designer and friend, Massimo Vignelli. An introduction by another prominent friend, Gordon Parks, pays tribute to Turner for "...an unforgettable gift that urges me to breathe my own roots." African Journey, is a hero's journey, and an invitation to witness the rich and radiant colors and culture of Africa, the second largest continent on our mother earth.

Showcasing 148 full-color photographs, and with an informative introduction by photography, fillmmaker, composer and author Gordon Parks, Pete Turner African Journey captures the exotic glamor of a seven-month journey from Capetown, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt while Pete Turner was on assignment for National Geographic. This is a stunningly visual journal of people, landscapes, wildlife, and visual beauty where the images captured by Turner's camera could easily stand as individual works of high art and hang on any gallery wall. Pete Turner African Journey is a superbly produced and highly recommended addition to any personal, academic, professional, or community library photography collection.

This book is a wonderful trip that takes us though the landscapes of Africa, visiting the people and the incredible wildlife, seen through the lens of one of the world's greatest photographers. Turner is a master of color and light, and he fell in love early in his career with the richness of the African continent. To spend time with this book is to be his travelling-companion, visiting ancient temples, witnessing animals in their world, crossing the Sahara and spending time in villages, getting to know the proud people who live there. One beautiful image is of a dog sleeping in an Ndebele village, its white paw matching the painted architecture. In images like this, Turner shows us again and again scenes that only his eye and lens could capture.

The other reviewers have done a great job of describing this book so I'll keep my review short. I was not prepared for this book. I'm not sure anyone can be prepared. Halfway through I started crying and had to put it away for awhile. Our country is capable of doing some wonderful things. We (and yes I mean we, because the actions of our leaders and military represent all of us) are also capable of doing some truly horrible things. This book shines a light on one of the horrible things we did in Vietnam.

In September, 1976, just back from eight years helping homeless streetchildren in Viet Nam, I wrote an Op/Ed piece for the New York Times ( "Learning From the Vietnamese -- And Giving", 12/04/76) that concluded: "And I'm at a loss how to tell my own people that Vietnam's needs are our remedy - to say that what the Vietnamese people have to offer us - as they did me - is so great that for our own sake we must help them." I was attempting to make a connection between the spiritual strengths the people of Viet Nam had to offer us and the technological assistance we, in turn, could give them. Philip Jones Griffiths, in his book "Agent Orange, 'Collateral Damage' in Viet Nam" has made an even more compelling, if depressing, case for interdependency, i.e., because of the American military's chemical spraying in south VN during the war years there are now thousands of people in both the U.S. and Viet Nam who are dealing with deformities and death because of a ticking "time bomb" planted in Indochina decades ago. Griffiths, author of "VIETNAM, INC.", an award-winning photography book on America's longest war, has included here some unsparing images of humans beings brutally deformed by man's more fiendish dalliance with Weapons of Mass Destruction. Here is a "legacy" that must give all of us pause by a brilliant photographer's tireless effort to bring almost unbearable evidence to us of man's inhumanity to man. Like the Holocaust itself, the full impact of these atrocities took years to come to the fore, but "Agent Orange" makes a compelling case that two countries once at war remain linked in a tragic bond that will not soon go away. This is not an easy book to read or, should I say, to view, but I think we ignore it at our peril. Griffiths knows what of he "speaks", having spent years in Indochina and seen un-speakable carnage firsthand. Here he has placed the evidence before us, as well as a precious opportunity to understand where we have gone wrong and how we may become better human beings in the future. "Agent Orange, 'Collateral Damage'", it almost goes without saying, may be the ultimate brief on America's own WMDs. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------

For those already committed to voting for the so-called 'antiwar' candidate, I recommend putting this book in front of Sen. John Kerry and demanding to know what he will do as president to address American responsibility and pay reparations for the genocidal assault on the people of Vietnam. Such action will constitute a litmus test for this candidate, his "band of brothers" and future warriors about how the USA intends to solve the problem of terrorism. Will they acknowledge international law and prosecute the guilty parties including politicians, bureaucrats, executive military officers and defense contractors? Will they honor, finally, the Paris Accords and repair the ecocide brutally wrought upon the Vietnamese by their chemical weapons? Or will they continue to cover up a deliberate, malefic genocide by honoring war criminals like Kissinger and McNamara who now cries cinematic tears while his Pentagon successors plan the mass destruction of any nation that dares to oppose American hegemony?

Philip Jones Griffiths's AGENT ORANGE, COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN VIETNAM is a complex, dense statement that can be viewed and read several ways. Foremost, it is unquestionably the greatest work of photojournalism ever published. I do not make this statement lightly or without professional judgement. For twenty-five years, I edited the work of distinguished photojournalists -- Capa, Richards, Salgado, Peress, and Nachtwey among many others. Comparable only to W. Eugene Smith's MINIMATA: LIFE -- SACRED AND PROFANE, a passionate chronicle of the devastating effects of post-WW II industrial pollution on a Japanese town, AGENT ORANGE surpasses all previous attempts to synthesize the medium of still photography with historical documentation. Griffiths's masterly images unselfconsciously insert readers into the scene of an historical crime and guide them through the evidence page by excruciating page as a means to elicit direct testimony from the perpetrators and their victims. With the possible exception of Erich Maria Remarque' s ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, no other monograph so successfully confronts citizens with the folly of leaders who commit atrocities in their name. The stares of genetically deformed children struggling to articulate humanity across the threshold of pain and disability give absolute lie to the facile excuses of national security used by politicians to conduct high tech assault-and-battery on unwitting, innocent populations. Then it was Vietnam, today Iraq and Afghanistan.

Beginning with his eloquent book, VIETNAM INC. first published in 1971, Griffiths has pursued an unrelenting inquiry into the truth of violence and war. He reported from the Mekong Delta battlefront and also the brothels of Saigon. Returning years later, he earned the trust of farmers who had rebuilt their devastated villages with the detritus of war. Pushing his inquest further he located and photographed war orphans, now shunned as the miscegenated offspring of foreign invaders (DARK ODYSSEY, 1997). Infrequently supported by the mass media, Griffiths parlayed his skills as a commercial photographer to raise the cash necessary to return periodically to Southeast Asia, as if excavating its pitted landscape for some fragment of reason that might explain the macabre body counts and haunting trans-generational birth defects. Some photographers are celebrated for their commitments in documenting a family coming of age or the rise and fall of a nation. Journalism schools promote the virtues of in-depth or extended coverage (sometime a whole week!) while network and cable news personnel embrace the fame of sticking with a big story only to defer, in the final analysis, to the desire of corporate sponsors. By contrast Griffiths has the determination of a seasoned forensic scientist. Although no maverick, he has paid the price of banishment from the newspapers and magazines "of record" whose editors remain too frightened by management to commission or publish his work. Why would they want to remind subscribers of their own inaccuracies and slavish pandering to the official story?

In this respect, AGENT ORANGE can also be read for its scholarship because it presents new historical research about the manufacture and deployment of chemical weapons during the Vietnam era. It has been almost twenty years since American courts acknowledged the gravity of dioxin poisoning in rulings on lawsuits filed by military veterans. Yet companies who supplied the military with these chemical defoliants continue to falsify experimental data on their products' potential for birth defects. Our government stands mute on the issue of "peace with honor" and refuses to contribute any meaningful economic assistance, nonetheless stipulated in the treaty with Hanoi. The war's apologists and neoliberal ideologues continue to deride Vietnam as a failed socialist experiment. Griffith's photographs and words rip their lies to shreds and dissolve their chauvinism in the cold truth of twisted limbs, hare lips, and hydrocehpalic fetuses preserved in formaldehyde. AGENT ORANGE is the black book of American infamy, its author has given citizens a priceless instrument to test their politicians sincerity and commitment to peace. Buy a copy and ask Kerry for a clear statement of conscience!

Philip Jones Griffiths is among the unsung heroes of our time, photographing the otherwise untold, unsavory aspects of a mean-spirited war completely lacking in human decency. Agent Orange is masterfully conceived, researched, photographed and written in prose that at once is dark, beautiful poetry.

I bought this book for my 20 year old daughter, and she absolutely loves it.

SUPER FAST DELIEVERY. GREAT SELLER RIGHT HERE. EVERYTHING ARRIVED IN TACT AND PACKED WELL! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

The title of this book is perfect. What American hasn't had that moment in a photo booth waiting for the
flash of light, deciding second to second what pose to strike with or without accomplices? And then...
the wait for the magical strip of photos.

It's fascinating to find that this seemingly American invention was not invented by an American.
Even the history of the photobooth is filled with photos and ephemera about this "American" institution.
American Photobooth addresses this sociological phenomenon in a concise and fascinating way.
Who knew the depth of history to the everyday photobooth?

A great read and visual feast. A fabulous collection of photos, evoking the human spirit, its highs and lows.

Aside from the nostalgia of this collection, American Photobooth is a fabulous coffee table book, a varied collection of black and white and color images from the photobooths that have contributed to this country's collective photographic history- literally the faces of friends, strangers, couples, service men and their girls soon off to World War II, a stunning compilation reproduced on high quality paper, the images prefaced with a detailed history of the photobooth.

It all began with the 1894 invention of a Parisian vending machine. Once the concept of the coin-operated vending machine was embraced by an evolving popular culture, these booths became a favorite pastime, "the ultimate pedestrian art". Over the years the concept developed, along with techniques to streamline the process, photo strips available to customers for twenty-five cents. A number of entrepreneurs contributed to this emerging art form that could be found in storefronts, department stores and virtually any place one of these booths would fit. The technology progressed with the times, from a "plumbless" machine that no longer required a water supply to various chemical paper treatments that allowed quick-drying, cost-efficient results.

Over the years, booths were refined redesigned and updated under a series of names: Photomaton, Phototeria, Mutoscope Photographics, Photo-Me USA, Tru-Photo and Photo-Dome, through a number of innovative family-owned enterprises appearing everywhere, including the Depression. By the 1970s color strips arrived; by the 80s chemical photobooths were nearly phased out. The first art promoter to use the photobooth, Andy Warhol made the images part of the American artistic lexicon. But for those of us who ever posed with a friend, inserted a quarter and received a strip of four pictures, this book is a reminder of simpler days. Although "this American tradition stands on the brink of extinction". Goranin's wonderful collection offers a trip to the past, from the early 20th century, page after page of smiling faces hoping to capture a moment in a fast-moving world. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

Beautiful photographs laid out well with a good mix of celebrity/socialite/political women who effect our lives. Very good value for money

Here is an AWESOME ROCKSTAR who knows how to express his sensitive side through his impressive work of fine arts. He was able to capture the essence and inner beauty of a woman through his black and white photography. His images present simplicity at the same time timeless.

American Women is an impressive collection of fabulous women photographed by an equally FABULOUS ROCKSTAR. That alone is worth adding to your collection. It will be the one of "THE BEST BOOK OF YOUR LIFE!" Cold Eyes

I love the book. Tina Turner is in it and I love Tina. I would suggest this book to anyone that is looking for a photography book.

Bryan Adams (Summer of 69, Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman) lost someone close to him to breast cancer and decided to become a force in raising money to combat the disease. Having already published two books on women in the UK and Canada, Adams turns his attention to the U.S and dedicates the profits of "American Women" to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. That effort alone earns it all the stars in the sky. This is a very talented artist who is more famous for his music than photography. You won't find any award winning photography between these pages but that wasn't the point. I believe the point was to focus on women, their strength, beauty and their value. Bryan Adams has accomplished that with a touch of class. "American Women" is worth every penny, especially if "You Ever Really Loved a Woman."