World Photobook Day - October 14

[Niels - NHSN]

Somebody have decided that October 14 is World Photobook Day.

The date is chosen because it was on October 14 in 1843 that Anna Atkins’ published Photographs of British algae. Cyanotype impressions. This has been acclaimed as being the first book made out of photographs ever.

How about using this thread to share your love for the photobook in all its different forms?

For example:

• A picture of your photobook shelf
• A photo of your favourite photobook
• The first entry on your photobook wishlist
• Links to the subject of photo books and book making
• Have you published a photobook?
• A link to a great book for a price that should not be missed

Anything "Photobook" is fair game in this thread

And don't mind the date - you can begin already now 😉 

[Niels - NHSN]

I'll share a photo of my little Lee Friedlander collection.

I have acquired these over the past 15 years. I took them out today for this family photo, only to discover that I had forgotten "Playing for the Benefit of the Band" after I had put them all back.
A shame, because this is a very good book, but you will just have to imagine the stack 2.5 cm taller.

 

[Dustin McAmera]

My favourite for now is Albert Renger-Patsch - die Ruhrgebietsfotografien, the catalogue of an exhibition at the Ruhr Museum I think. Anyhow it's from 2018, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, ISBN 978-3-96098-452-8.

I had for ages known his name, having touched on that period of German photography several times, but I only knew a few of his pictures, from books that included many photographers. His photos have something in common with the Bechers; huge industrial architecture, so the photos seem to ignore the people who live amongst it. Where they are present, they're usually tiny and sometimes a little blurred.

He was an architectural photographer, I believe, and was hired by the regional government to document their landscape, which had changed with industrial development, and was going to change again. I'm sure they knew that what would emerge would have artistic merit, not just as a historical document. I wonder if they knew their area was likely to be bombed to crap: I have google-street-viewed a few of the locations, and none of it is easily recognised.

Coincidentally, my sister gave me the graphic novel Berlin, by Jason Lutes ISBN 978-1-77046-326-4, so I was well stocked with neue Sachlichkeit during the pandemic.

[Niels - NHSN]

28 minutes ago, Dustin McAmera said:

My favourite for now is Albert Renger-Patsch - die Ruhrgebietsfotografien, the catalogue of an exhibition at the Ruhr Museum I think.

New to me. Thanks for sharing. I did a Image search on Albert and it looks worth exploring further.

[Niels - NHSN]

Not many photobook lovers on Photo.net?

Let me show a couple of other favourites from my library: Alec Soth aka @littlebrownmushroom on Instagram .

Ever since I picked up "Niagra" in 2011, I have been hooked on Soth's books.

The most unique book of his in my library is probably "The Frank Album", a collection of ebay sourced photos and crowd sourced captions which the readers can combine to their own liking.

The Frank Album includes an original signed print by Alec Soth of his father (who's name is Frank).

Tip: Alec Soth maintain a wonderful YouTube channel which I highly recommend if you love photobooks.

 

[Edwin Barkdoll]

Here's my photography book shelf, not including random photo books scattered around the house.

 

 

[Dustin McAmera]

19 hours ago, NHSN said:

Not many photobook lovers on Photo.net?

So it would seem; maybe everone's buried in a book (if they're not clicking exciting links to Indian online pharmacies...)

Another of my favourites is Fay Godwin's Land; just bright B&W British landscapes. This is from the 1980s I think: I was given it by my parents. She got a big grant from the UK Arts Council to do landscape photography - so a bit like Renger-Patsch, only different: different landscapes and a very different style. MF too, where Renger-Patsch in 1930 must have been using (orthochromatic) 9x12cm I guess.

This is turning into memory lane. I bought Marketa Luskacova's Pilgrims while I was a student in London. It's the catalogue of an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum - this fact is dear to me, because the V&A was close to my college, and I would sometimes bunk off a lecture to go in. These are B&W 35mm photographs of Slovak pilgrims, some going back to the 1960s. A selection is presented on her website: http://www.marketaluskacova.com/subjects

I confess I know Friedlander mostly as a name in my generalist photograph books. His breadth is impressive isn't it? I guess that's a long career. I will add him to m homework list.