The photobook: A History Vol. 1

'outstanding' Rebecca Wilson, Art Review 'incredibly interesting ... the reproductions instil a terrible longing to hold the real thing.' Sally O'Reilly, Time Out 'presents an intelligently critical, highly detailed, carefully considered and illustrated account of the most significant and influential publications of this kind to date. ... succinct, informative text ... [The Photobook] breaks new ground, offering an object lesson on the whole evolution of the art of photography.' The Art Newspaper 'The Photobook is not just desirable but essential.' Village Voice 'Anyone with a passion for books and photography will appreciate The Photobook.' ARRAY: New York Design Magazine '... this sumptuous collection intends to establish the genre's importance in disseminating photographic styles and trends.' The New Yorker

Martin Parr's celebrated photographic work bridges the divide between art and documentary photography. His studies of the idiosyncrasies of mass culture and consumerism around the world, his innovative imagery, and his prolific output have placed him firmly at the forefront of contemporary art. Parr is a member of the international photo agency Magnum, and has recently branched out into film-making. He is a world authority on photobooks. Gerry Badger is a photo historian and critic. He writes and lectures on photography regularly and has curated a number of exhibitions, including 'The Photographer as Printmaker' for the Arts Council of Great Britain and 'Through the Looking Glass: Post-war British Photography' for the Barbican Arts Centre, London. His published books include Collecting Photography (2003) and books on Eugene Atget and Chris Killip (both published by Phaidon). He is currently completing a major book on the Berlin work of the American photographer, John Gossage.

Preface by Martin Parr; Introduction; Nine chapters, each comprising an introductory essay and a selection of photobooks; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index; Credits. Chapter titles: Introduction Chapter 1 Topography and Travel: The First Photobooks; Chapter 2 Facing Facts: The Nineteenth-Century Photobook as Record; Chapter 3 Photography as Art: The Pictorial Photobook; Chapter 4 Photo Eye: The Modernist Photobook; Chapter 5 Day in the Life: The Documentary Photobook in the 1930s; Chapter 6 Medium and Message: The Photobook as Propaganda; Chapter 7 Memory and Reconstruction: The Postwar European Photobook; Chapter 8 The Indecisive Moment: The Stream-of-Consciousness Photobook; Chapter 9 Provocative Materials for Thought: The Postwar Japanese Photobook