Books Dupla Fotografica Recomends / libros

 

Robert Frank: Les Américains (The Americans)

 Frank’s best known work is The Americans – a remarkable photographic insight into US culture of the 1950s. Initially criticized as an assault on America, the book is now celebrated as one of the most influential works of 20th century photography.  Gleaned from 28,000 photos taken over two years, Frank juxtaposes 1950s optimism with America’s poverty and racial issues. The true first edition was published in Paris as Les Américains – no US publisher would touch it. A 50th anniversary edition was released in 2008.

 

 Paris de Nuit
Brassaï (aka Gyula Halász)
Brassaï was the pseudonym of Gyula Halász - a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker who is best known in France. While working as a journalist, he took countless photos of Paris after dark - Paris de Nuit was his first published book of photographs. First editions of this 1933 book are spiral bound and are very rare. Paris de Nuit created a sensation when first published – many images were considered too risqué for public viewing.





 

 The Decisive Moment

Henri Cartier-Bresson

A pioneer of photojournalism and the reportage style of photography, Cartier-Bresson published Images à la sauvette (The Decisive Moment) in 1952.The book's memorable cover was drawn by Henri Matisse, who died in 1954. A lengthy essay prefaces the book with Cartier-Bresson’s thoughts on why everything has a decisive moment.

Twentysix Gasoline Stations
Ed Ruscha

Like the title suggests, the book features photos of 26 gas stations along Route 66 and contains no text except the station’s brand and location. This book, Ruscha’s first, eventually achieved cult status and launched his career in Pop Art.  Originally published in 1963, Gasoline Stations was limited to 400 copies. Two subsequent editions of the book were published, of 500 copies in 1967 and of 3,000 copies in 1969.

Evidence
Mike Mandel & Larry Sultan

Mandel and Sultan sifted though thousands of photos that had been used by various corporations and government institutions as objective instruments (ie the evidence) and placed them together in a single volume stripping them of their original context.  The book introduced readers to the multiple meanings an image could take on when devoid of its original context.   Originally published in 1977,