civilized ku # 2463-64 ~ George / pictures make the man

Mosaic detail ~ George Eastman House / Rochester, NY • click to embiggenGeorge Eastman ~ Rochester, NY • click to embiggenDuring my recent trip to Rochester, after driving around in the snow on Friday AM, I tried to visit a few friends, none of whom were home. So, with a little bit of time to kill before lunch, I stopped at the George Eastman House to see what was on exhibit.

As it turned out, just like my friend's houses, nobody was home, exhibition wise that is. The museum exhibition space(s) was between exhibits - lots of fresh paint and guys on ladders and such, but no pictures.

I was about to consider the visit a bust until I stopped in the gift shop. They must have known I was coming because right up front on a book display island were 2 books which I immediately identified as must-haves. However, my second thought was to wonder about, with a fair amount of apprehension, how much this was gonna cost. As it turned out, much to my surprise and delight, not all that much.

One book was a steal. Photography from 1839 to today, a mind boggling collection of 740+ pictures (on 766 pages) from the Eastman House Collection, was only $14.95USD. Everything about the book is outstanding - the production and printing standards are incredibly high and the selection of pictures is, well, mind boggling. The running commentary throughout the book is both interesting and informative. The book is an amazing tour de force, picture wise.

The second book was also a bit of bargain as well. STEICHEN IN COLOR Portraits, Fashion & Experiments by Edward Steichen, a collection of 80+ stunningly reproduced color pictures by Edward Steichen, was only $25.00USD. Most of the pictures were made by Steichen between 1907 and the early 1940s. The pictures were made with a variety of processes - color assembly (Hicro) printing, Autochrome, palladium and ferro-prussiate printing, applied hand color, and the dye imbibition process. The book is fascinating look at a little known and seen slice of Steichen's work.

FYI, even though I purchased the Photography from 1839 to today book at the GEH gift shop, it is not listed on their website store. It is listed on the TASCHEN (the publisher) site for the cover price of $14.95USD.

Snap it up while can - while the book is still available, used versions of the book are selling for $120-200.00USD. Don't know what that's about.

The STEICHEN IN COLOR: Portraits, Fashion & Experiments by Edward Steichen book is available online at the GEH gift shop at the aforementioned $25.00USD.

Both books are highly recommended.

Comments

[André]

"..used versions of the book are selling for $120-200.00USD...."

Hi Mark,
Are you talking about actual sales or somebody's asking price?