Turner Books

Filled with exquisite photos and riveting captions, Historic Photos of Atlanta offers a terrific glimpse of Atlanta's past. A city rich with culture, this book chronicles events ranging from before the civil war (1837) to the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and everything in between. The approximately 200 photos capture all aspects of life in the capital of the South: its streets, people, events, and locations.

For any Atlanta resident, past or present, or anyone interested in the city, Historic Photos of Atlanta makes a great addition to any coffee table or bookshelf collection.

Speaking as a 58-year old native, if I could suggest one book as a fun and informative way to learn about Atlanta, this would be it. "Historic Photos of Atlanta" is a beautiful blend of fascinating photography (and captions) with a terrific narrative, written by the Executive Director of the Atlanta History Center. I thought I knew all there was to know about my home town, but this book proved me wrong. Great job, Michael Rose!

This beautiful book is a product of the Chicago History Museum, showcasing many excellent pictures from throughout Chicago's history. The pictures are arranged chronologically, all of them black-and-white, and all of them sharp and interesting to look at. Every subject is covered here - Chicago statesmen and famous celebrities, great disasters (the Great Fire and the Eastland disaster), famous landmarks, and even common people.

This is a great book, one that I am really glad to have found. The pictures are all crystal clear, and have short and well-written captions. I am a fan of history and genealogy, and as such, I love seeing the sites that were looked upon by my parents, and their parents, and their parents before them. I love this book, and give it my highest recommendations!

This is a museum in hardback! This beautifully put together collection of photos and captions span the life of this vital and popular city. This title begins before the Great Fire of Chicago, detailing various elements and people. From there the lucky reader is transported to different time periods through the beautifully taken photos of buildings and places unique and popular for this city. It details the changes Chicago has undergone as well as immortalizing historic buildings that no longer exist.

Mr. Lewis has done an amazing job telling the story of Chicago through these wonderful photos and captions. For the bibliophile this is a must have book you'll want to add to your library. This could also be used as a reference book. This is one title I have no trouble recommending.

For the asking price, Historic Photos of Cincinnati is a steal, since someone could have spent years seeking out the photographs gathered for this treasure of a book and not located half of them. Revealing daily life and special events in Cincinnati from the 1860's to the 1960's, this collection can't have enough good things written about it. I only wish photos from the generation before 1860, when the Queen City of the West was billed as "the fastest-growing metropolis on earth," had been included as well, particularly the famous 1840's panoramic daguerreotype of the riverfront on an early Sunday morning, but, hey, what's already in here makes for hours of interesting study. Some of the pictures, such as the 1892 shot of workers in P&G's central office, are especially fascinating for the details they reveal about everyday goings on. That and so many other photos are worth more than a casual glance, since they justify long examinations of the expressions and clothing and hairstyles of the workers, the contents of the desktops, the gas piping that crisscrossed the ceiling, the wire wastepaper baskets, all that and much else which tells more about the environment of a nineteenth-century office than an entire paragraph of description. I particularly liked page thirteen's picture of the militiamen in the 1880's assembled at Music Hall in the wake of the Courthouse Riots, Gatling guns loaded and at the ready, but my favorite image might be on page 131, wherein a half-completed Carew Tower is shown rising above Fifth and Vine, in 1930. Cincinnati is now into its third century, and it's gratifying to see that even as its people move toward the future, the fullness of the past is appreciated and unforgotten.

I've lived in Cincy on and off my whole life and this is the best pictorial I've ever seen! Thumbs up to Ms. Bailey for her compilation. We all should thank the existence of the Cincy museum that occupies the old Union Station.

An excellent contribution to Turner Publishing's "Historical Photos"

On the surface this could be any city. On closer look you can see not only historic sites and people in the nearly two hundred photographs, but the city already has taken on the feel that makes Dallas great.

One fun thing about the photos that include historic places as Love Field and Adolphus Hotel, are the pictures of the changing technology. Can you imagine working at the central switchboard (phone system) or protecting your health by drinking Budweiser "Its Thoroughly Aged - Not Green or Unfinished."

This is not just a hodge-podge of un-related photos. The collection was chosen and arranged by Michael V. Hazel, a native of Dallas, who taught Dallas history at SMU.

The photos are chronologically ordered in era's form the 1940's through 1969. Living there since 1957 my history overlaps however I could not find a picture of me. Yet we can all live this time with this book.

This book is beautifully done --a MUST HAVE for those interested in Dallas' history. Included in it are many until-now rarely-seen photos from various collections. Definitely worth its price!

I've always thought that it is very important to know the history of one's local area and have always loved to read books about regional history. One of the very best one's I've come across in sometime is "Historic Photos of Detroit" from Turner Publishing Co. Detroit was one of the most important early colonies due to its strategic location along Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair and was founded as a fort by French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701.

The book covers four periods of Detroit history, 1860 - 1899, 1900 - 1919, 1920 - 1941, and 1942 - 1969. The photos date as far back as the 1860's, less than thirty years after Michigan became the 26th state. What first surprised me is just how busy and bustling Detroit was nearly 150 years ago. We tend to think of the 1860's in terms of the dusty old west but Detroit already had numerous multi-story buildings built including the massive Old Russell House Hotel on Woodward Ave. It's fascinating to just sit back and flip pages to "building watch" all of the types of businesses that were in operation back in the mid to late 1800's...Grocers, dry goods, shoes & boots, carpets, drug stores, furniture...in other words, it really wasn't much different than today. People are out and about on the town, working, shopping, or just enjoying a walk.

These photos also serve as an important archive since most of these buildings are long gone today. For example there is the Old Federal Building, looking like a gothic French cathedral that was torn down in 1932. It's educational as well...even living my entire life in the Detroit area I never knew that Detroit once used street cars. Besides the architecture of the era one should also pay attention to the fashion of the day. Women stroll along the streets in their finest clothes: tailored dresses and their Sunday best hats, highlighting an era that was certainly more refined and cultured.

Even in 1910 the Detroit Auto Show was one of the city's most important events. A beautiful photo shows off the brand new models, accented by bright lights, at the old Wayne Gardens. The photos range from the humorous of three boys holding on to the side of a car for dear life on a flooded West Grand Blvd. in 1925, to the tragic destruction of the riots in 1967. One wonderful photo that will surely warm the hearts of all Detroiters is Santa Claus waving to a crowd of thousands at the end of Detroit's annual Thanksgiving Day parade. For many residents of SE Michigan, a trip downtown to watch the parade and look at the Christmas displays in the old J.L. Hudson's department store windows was an annual rite of winter.

It's a beautiful book from cover-to-cover highlighted by brilliant photography. I would have loved to had seen a photo or two of the old Olympia stadium but no Detroiter will be disappointed with this book. Hats off to author Mary J. Wallace for a wonderful job of research.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I was born in Detroit in the 1950s before my family moved to Wayne, Michigan in 1958. We moved back for a year in 1962 and I attended third grade at Bow Elementary School. It was a thriving city with streets full of cared for homes with neat lawns. After decades of decline, it appears that Detroit is making a comeback and I find that encouraging. Nevertheless, Detroit has hundreds of years of rich history. This book covers a bit more than a century of that history through nearly two hundred beautifully presented photographs.

One of the traps we fall into regarding photographs is that we tend to gravitate towards a small set of vivid photographs that become the standard for presenting the images of this event or that place or these people. This book is fresh and refreshing because it uses terrific images that are much less well known images of Detroit and its people. The author, Mary J. Wallace has made her selections from the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University and from the Burton Collection of the Detroit Public Library. She has worked as an audiovisual archivist at the Walter P. Reuther Library for several years and her familiarity with the material shows in the selections she has made.

Wallace has divided the photos into four chronological groups. The first runs from 1860 to 1899 (from the Civil War until the arrival of the automobile), from 1900 to 1919 (the birth of the auto industry through the end of World War I), from 1920 to 1941 (the early boom of the auto industry through the Depression), and from 1942 - 1969 (from World War II through the 1967 riots and the aftermath).

What I most appreciate is the balance she shows in showing us images of the development in architecture with the photos of real people at work, in their fashions, and some historical events. Even when she picks the historical events, she selects an image that gives us a different perspective on the event. We all know the images of the fight of the Battle of the Overpass at the Rouge Plant. Not many of us have seen the image she shows us here of the peaceful demonstration before the struggle began.

The author has supplied about a page of text at the beginning of each section as well as captions for each picture, but wisely lets the images do most of the speaking. The credits for the photos are given in a list at the back. These are images that are worth lingering over. They are full of captivating details that will show themselves as you spend time looking into the pictures for things beyond the obvious main object of the photograph.

If you have any interest in Detroit and its history, this is a fabulous book to own and refer to often. It is printed on great paper and bound handsomely.

This is an excellent book about the history of El Paso. After living in El Paso for 22 years, it really made the city come alive for me. It is easy to forget all thos who came before us, and made the city what it is now. Great book, thoroughly enjoyed it.

With over four centuries of history, El Paso is an iconic city of Texas. "Historic Photos of El Paso" is a brilliant collection of two hundred poignant black and white photographs. With explanations of the nature and relevance of each of them from history enthusiast Sandra Fye, it's an ideal acquisition for those in search of a coffee table book reflecting on one of America's most historic cities. "Historic Photos of El Paso" is highly recommended to community library photography collections.

There is a growing tide of publications bearing photographs of Palm Beach County in the Flagler Era. In sympathy with the "Kennedy" review, there is something about 'Historic Photos - ' which gives it an extra appeal. It may be the contribution of Seth Bramson which carries with it a good bit of style. Of especial interest to this reviewer was the picture of the legendary Royal Poinciana Hotel, which I had not seen before. Truly, it was a beautiful structure. We all should like books to be cheaper; but for the entire package (Mr. Bramson, choice, and history), this one is worth it.

Turner Publishing has raised the bar again with Historic Photos of Palm Beach County. They couldn't have done a better job with author Seth Bramson. Although I am not from Florida, I have read the book and found it to be extremely informative. Just reading this book makes me want to at least visit Palm Beach County! This would make a terrific holiday gift for anyone who loves books.

Paris is an ancient city. In fact, Paris is a City with a capital C because of its importance in world history. While America is a young country and photography can only take us back to the mid-19th Century, that is a pretty fair chunk of U.S. history. However, for France and Paris, that is still recent times. Still, the modern world, including two world wars and post-war industrialization, has caused vast changes in the City of Lights that are appreciated more by looking at these pictures.

Rebecca Schall has a master's degree in history, has lived in the Latin Quarter of Paris, and studied at the Sorbonne. She has previously written "Historic Photos of San Francisco" and brings her talents to selecting these 205 photos, providing excellent captions, and short chapter introductions.

The book is divided into six chapters. The first deals with Paris as a Modern Capital from the earliest days of photography to 1890. One of the many interesting photos shows the head of the Statue of Liberty displayed in a park in Paris before it was shipped to the United States.

The Beautiful Age (La Belle Époque) from 1891-to 1914 is covered in the second chapter. Here we see incipient industrialization, the Eiffel Tower as part of the exhibition for which it was built, and Notre Dame from the back and the front as well as the rich, bourgeois, and working classes going about their lives.

The third chapter takes us through the First World War and the Golden Twenties from 1915-1929. While we see the troops, the strain of war, and the straitened lives of citizens, Paris was not devastated. The fourth chapter focuses on the 1930s and the interwar hardships caused by the global economic depression.

In chapter five we see Paris captured by the Nazis during World War II and the lives of its citizens including those who collaborated and those who resisted. The photos of the Americans and other allies coming to liberate Paris demonstrate the joy of the French to be free once more.

The last chapter covers the post-war years through the 1960s and reflects the social revolutions brought about during those years.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

in two words: utterly brilliant. schall's vision of paris is the proverbial madeleine that ushers back memories long forgotten, of walks along the seine in the spring. this book is a masterpiece. i've never seen anything like it.

I've known Ralph Brower for many years, so when the book came out, I purchased one for me and one for our friends as a Christmas gift.

The book is excellent. Ralph did a meticulous job on the research for the photos. It is VERY interesting. Usually, people just look at the pictures in this type book, but in this case, the captions are worth reading. It's always interesting to go back in time to see how things were years ago.

If you are at all interested in the city of Tampa and area history, you'll love this book!

By the late nineteenth century, the city of Tampa was a vibrant, cultural center. Through the early twentieth century, two World Wars, and into the modern era, Tampa has continued to grow and prosper by overcoming adversity and maintaining the strong independent culture of its citizens. This volume, Historic Photos of Tampa, captures this journey through still photography from the Burgett Brothers Photographic Archives held at the Tampa­Hillsborough County Public Library. From the late 1800s, the Depression era, and to the building of a modern metropolis, Historic Photos of Tampa follows life, government, education, and events throughout Tampa¹s rich history. The book captures unique and rare scenes through the lens of hundreds of historic photographs. Published in striking black and white, the images communicate historic events and everyday life of two centuries of people building a unique and prosperous city. - from the publisher

"The best photographic book of the Grand Ole Opry. A must have for the country music lover."

This wonderful photojournal is for the reader who wishes to follow along in a photo album, having a good time remembering the days of the "true" country sound, belted out by some great country artists. No make-up artists for these pictures, shown just as it really happened, on and off the stage, with many of the people you grew to love on the radio and TV. Many scenes from the dressing rooms as they rehearsed, and you can even see the sweat on their brows in some photographs, for the Ryman did not have AC. This is a great collector's edition, and every fan of the true country sound will find it a delightful addition to their library.
I highly recommend this wonderful book. I worked there during these years, as an usherette, and it is just like it looked when it happened.
The longest aired radio program in the world spent many years in this wonderful old tabernacle. ENJOY!
Nancy Turner Brown