Influenced by 'Life Library of Photography'?

[robbiebedell]

<p>I was in the Leica Store at The Proshop at The Palm Beach Photographic Center on Friday afternoon (in West Palm Beach) and I saw a copy of the Life Library of Photography book 'The Camera' on a desk. I sat down and went through it. It was a trip back in time. Surrounded by the newest Leica lenses and digital cameras, I was looking at the first serious photography book I bought that got me so deep into film photography while in college in New Orleans in 1970. I eventually bought the whole series and studied every page. I still have them all, dogeared from use. How many of you out there read and were influenced by this now classic series of Life photography books?...Robbie</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Count me in, Robbie. I only had five of them but they were so well done, and printed, that they were a great source of inspiration. Over the years, I had loaded them out, never to return. I still have a well worn copy of "The Art of Photography" and "The Camera" left. Even today, these are still wonderful books.</p>

[will_perlis]

<p>I've got a bunch of them downstairs in storage. Those and the Feininger books were good tutorials.</p>

[steven_bristow]

<p>I have a whole stack of them, collected over the last five years or so. The quality of the printing amazes me. The B&W images shimmer and are so sharp. I love reading mine.</p>

<p>Does anyone have a complete list of the titles? I would love to collect the full set one day.</p>

[nee_sung]

<p>I bought the full set, but work and career took up so much of my time that I never read them completely. I don't know it I still have them.<br>

Just a small anecdote, in 1989 my business was failing and I was nervous and anxious all the time. I couldn't sleep nights and I usually wake up at around 3:00pm every night. One particularly bad night I couldn't sleep, got up, went into the living room, saw the whole set in the cupboard, took out one and started reading. For the next 1 1/2 hour I was completely immersed in it and I forgot all my troubles and worries.<br>

For this I'm eternally grateful to the series.</p>

[richard_g]

<p>I only have that one. The M in it is the M4-2. I looked at the others in the school library back in the 70s. Thanks for reminding us.</p>

[CharlesBecker-Toronto]

<p>I had the full set and loved them all-especially the Travel Photography volume; kind of wish I still had them. cb :-)</p>

[jason]

<p>Have the whole set in storage in another continent! Added a few in my home(now) in Canada. They are great. To get a full list, search "Life Books". There were annuals for a few years. The quality amazing. Those books a stepping stone.</p>

[robbiebedell]

<p>These are all great responses! Richard, it is interesting to note. I noticed that black M4-2 in the book I was reading Friday. That camera shows up in the revised edition. In the original "The Camera', it is a chrome M-4. I wonder why they would have changed that?</p>

[ken_jeanette1]

<p>I believe the series had a small companion "pocket guide to Photography" It was about 3 inches by 6 inches, and spiral bound. Reading that gave me the first REAL understanding of f-stops, shutter speeds, focus, depth of field. The whole 9 yards came to me after reading that tiny guide.</p>

[richard_g]

Robbie, I read here (Ellis Vener, photo.net 2007) that the early series was prepared by photogravure. I could imagine

three possibilities for the M4-2 upgrade. It belonged to one of the contributors and he wanted it in. The photo editor

thought the old chrome Leica looked too 1960s. Or, the early planning for the volume had an M5 and they were

rescued by the M4-2. It does give that page an '80s look. Interesting if the photogravure claim is right. Don't make

them like that anymore.

[robbiebedell]

<p>Richard, Yes, the first printings were photogravure. The reproduction was just amazing for the time. I was temted to cut some of the photographs from the books and frame them for the walls. I just finshed a biography of Alfred Steiglitz where it tells of the photos in his magazine 'Camera Work' being photogravure. Those prints today are very valuable, especially of 'The Steerage'.</p>

[fwstutterheim]

<p>I have still have all of them. Not in the garage but on the bookshelf. </p>

[gary_pinkerton1]

<p>Me too Ferdi, they are a great resource.</p>

[eric_cliffton]

<p>The Camera<br />Light and Film<br />The Print<br />Color<br />Photography as a Tool <br />The Great Themes<br />Photojournalism<br />Special Problems<br />The Studio<br />The Art of Photography<br />Great Photographers<br />Photographing Nature<br />Photographing Children<br />Documentary Photography<br />Frontiers of Photography<br />Caring for Photographs<br>

This is a complete list of the 17 books in this series.</p>