Book Description
Much more than just a ribbon of crumbling asphalt, Route 66 today appeals to the world for its nostalgia valuefor the promise that Steinbecks "Mother Road" once held and the places that stood alongside it. As the highway has declined into disuse, so too have the countless establishments that sprouted up from Illinois to California to cater to weary travelers and hopeful vacationers alike.Motor courts, cafes, main streets, filling stations, and greasy spoonsall are represented in this new book featuring dozens of lost-and-found sites not featured in photographer and author Russ Olsens first volume. As does its predecessor, this new installment presents 75 locations along the Mother Roads entire 2,297 miles, showing them both during their heydays as seen in black-and-white photographs taken for period postcards, and as they appear today from the same angle and also with black-and-white photographs. Each site featured is accompanied by a detailed capsule history tracing the locales rise and fall, as well as an exclusive map pointing out its location along Route 66.
Customer Reviews:
amazing book .......2007-08-06
this is a great book in my opinion i love it very informative nice pictures and comparisons from old-new of most photos of places .. i have been on bits of 66 over the years i may never drive the majority of it but reading this book made me feel like i did wonderful is all i can say
Lost and Found.......2007-07-24
Both volume one and two are very interesting and well researched books.
I traveled Route 66 a couple of years ago and reading the book was fascinating- now I know how many locations I went sailing past without a clue!
When I next get a chance to do a repeat journey, I shall certainly re-read the books very thoroughly and travel slower so as not to miss such historic scenes.
Lots of Memories.......2007-07-14
I love this volume and number two. As a child in the fifties whose father was an Air Force officer, I remember the thrills and excitement I had whenever my father would be posted to a new base. My sister and I would be in the back seat and we always drew an imaginary line on the seat which delineated our respective domains.
We would love the nighttimes because when we drove through the towns, there were all these brightly lit signs for drive-in movies. We would usually stop for gasoline and have lunch in some greasy spoon. It seemed like each restaurant booth had a box on the wall that would beckon one to play five songs for a quarter from the jukebox.
As an Army officer myself in the 60's and 70's, I traveled Route 66 with my own family. The thrill was still there up until the 70's when it became more expedient to use the interstates.
These aforementioned books continue to bring back very fond memories.
It is readily discernable that the author spent numerous hours researching his information for each of his photos. Where possible, it appears that he shot the modern versions of the subjects from the same angle as that shown in the archival photos.
I hope there will be a volume III and volume IV.
Interesting book, room for improvement.......2007-05-19
First I have to admit being a bit envious of anyone who hast the time and lifestyle that lets them drive around seeking out these old ruins. I bought this book because I already had the other volume and enjoyed it. I think it would be improved if the 'now' photos were really sized and shot to compare more readily with the 'then' photos; some of them are hard to visualize that it's the same place due to changes in perspective between the photos. Also I would really like to see a few interior shots of the ones which are still standing, abandoned or not, vs. possibly anything available of what was taken long ago if any such pictures exist. I did enjoy the book however; there are lesser efforts out there.
Great book to compare what Rt 66 was to what it is today........2007-04-12
Basically my subject line says it all. This is a unique book on Rt.66 in which it pretty much gets down to details on the buisness establishments and attractions that exist(s)(ed)on the entire run of Rt.66.
The author compares each structure (or attraction) and shows a picture of what it looked like in it's heyday, and what it looks like now.
What is amazing is how many business's have not changed much or have been restored when the comparison is given.
The book is very well laid out and is hardcover, so it could be a nice reference book or even a coffee table book that could be put out to stir up conversations.
This book is NOT a guide on how to get to certain attractions on Rt. 66. Nor does it explain the full history pf the road.
If you are planning a Rt. 66 road trip, you can use this book to find out what you want to see, but then I recommened getting "Route 66 Adventure Handbook: Updated and Expanded Third Edition" by Drew Knowles.
If you want to read up more on the history of Rt. 66, then I would recommend "Route 66: The Mother Road" by legendary Rt 66 historian, Michael Wallis.
Between these three books, one could easily plan a trip on Rt. 66 and be very well informed of its past as well as current history.
NOTE: The only reason why I gave this book 4 and not 5 stars is that not all of the Rt.66 attractions are covered. In fact quite a few of the more well known attractions are not in this book. However, this book is a second volume and there is obviously a volume 1.
Book Description
“But hell, I do like to write letters. Much easier than writing books.” And write letters Ed Abbey did. In his famous — or infamous — 45-year career, Abbey’s cards and letters became as legendary as his books for their wit, vitriol, and ability to speak truth to power. Published here for the first time, the letters offer a fascinating, often hilarious glimpse into the mind of one of America’s most iconoclastic and beloved authors. No subject was too banal, too arcane, or too deep for Abbey to expound on: sex, cheerleaders, Mormons, Aspen, and the Bond girls are covered as gleefully as Stegner, Dylan, Chomsky, Buddhism, and betrayal. Whether scolding an editor to simplify (“I’ve had to waste hours erasing that storm of fly-shit on the typescript”) or skewering the chicken-hawk proponents of the war in Vietnam, Abbey’s righteous indignation gives hope and inspiration to a generation that desperately needs both.
Customer Reviews:
Good Insight into the Life of a Great Writer.......2007-06-08
David Petersen knew writer Ed Abbey and respected him highly. It shows in both collections David has put together about ol' Cactus Ed. This book, a collection of Abbey's letters to friends, family, other writers, business associates, publishers, and letters to the editor and op-ed sections of dozens of newpapers, is a very fine read if you have any desire to gain a deeper understanding of one of the more talented writers this country has produced. There is humor in these letters, as well as sadness, disappointment, love, teasing, heckling, arguing, and yes, some strong disapproval.
I recommend this and Dave Petersen's and Ed Abbey's other books very highly.
Rarely is reading someone else's mail this much fun. .......2007-05-12
Published author David Peterson presents Postcards From Ed: Dispatches and Salvos From An American Iconoclast, a gathering of postcards and letters from American writer and cult hero Edward Abbey (1927-1989), known for his books "Desert Solitaire" and "The Monkey Wrench Gang", and also known for his short-tempered personality, which earned him the nickname "Cactus Ed". Arranged chronologically, most of the letters and postcards are brief, often packed with zest and a healthy dash of wit; notes and an index round out this engaging insight into a quintessential American psyche. Rarely is reading someone else's mail this much fun. Highly recommended. "I also drive slowly and 'tranquilly' at all times except when approaching an intersection. Based on mathematical reasoning, verified (so far) by experience, I believe it to be a fact that the faster you flash through an intersection the less your chance of colliding with the opposition. Do not be distracted by traffic lights, of whatever shade of blue or pink; their only function is to confuse the timorous."
A Wakeup Call From Ed.......2007-01-09
"Postcards from Ed" reveal an Edward Abbey that was complex -- provocative and humorous. The letters are well chosen to show Abbey's warmth towards family, anger toward establishment and delight in friendship. More than anything, Abbey's letters create a picture of a man without pretense. Secondhand clothes, trailer-living, rundown trucks and cheap beer were good enough for him so long as he could venture into the deserts of the Southwest to clear his mind and feed his senses. If he wasn't obsessed he was probably depressed. If he didn't have a deadline he was likely lazy. Or so he said.
He didn't tolerate superficial relationships well -- "Yes, to hell with it. Let's call an end to this inane, pointless, worthless pretense at communication. If you're not bored with it, I certainly am." But he knew the value of a good friendship -- "So, let me know what you [Wendell Berry] think, if you care to trouble yourself about this. I would not want to risk endangering the kind of feelings you've shown me in the past for the sake of mere polemical spleen. Your friendship is far more important to me than striving to win points in a formal debate."
He complained, but with a touch of humor -- "This is a complaint. . . What kind of people are you hiring as rangers these days? Where do you find them? They look and act like cops - not rangers - and the next time one of these armed and uniformed goons bothers me I'm going to try to find out if he knows anything about the history, wildlife, plant life or geology of Saguaro National Monument." And - "Your reviewer . . . gives us a good forthright description of the book's author. As the undersigned can testify from personal acquaintance, Edward Abbey is indeed an "arrogant," "xenophobic," "puerile," "smug" and "dopey" sort of fellow. So far, fair enough. But what about the book . . . [he] forgot to review the book."
In the Forward to the book, Terry Tempest Williams wonders what Abbey would be saying right now if he were still alive. "Postcards from Ed" gives us more than a clue. Abbey would not be surprised by today's converging catastrophes and our, so called, war on terror. He might say we get what we deserve. "Postcards from Ed" is another chance to hear Abbey's prophetic voice. I suspect he would say, "Hey, you're still alive, wake up!"
Classic Ed Abbey.......2007-01-03
Great stuff! Ed's missives are wonderful to read. This book belongs right along with Confessions of a Barbarian.
copious collection of Abbey's shorter, but always acute, writings to friends, editors, acquantainces, etc........2006-12-01
Edward Abbey never shrunk from speaking his mind, as evidenced in this collection of diverse cards and notes as in his other writings. Abbey--almost invariably called an "iconoclast" rather than merely a social critic--combined an attachment to nature, particularly of the American Southwest where he lived, with an animosity toward large organizations, particularly corporations and the Federal government. Many of the selections are letters-to-the-editor, with others to friends and relatives and some to acquaintances. In one to the Tucson Weekly, he writes that he is castigated by both "left-wing" and "right-wing" dogmatists. Abbey's gift of being able to antagonize radicals of all strips as well as the muddled masses of robotic bureaucrats and bedazed citizenry testifies to his distinctiveness and provocativeness. What he was on to is further communicated in these selections.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource.......2007-03-30
For an excellent crash-course on Disneyland, this book can't be beat. Excellent photos, commentary, and fun back-stage stories. Get your hands on it while you can!
Great fun for Disney fans.......2004-01-23
What memories this brings back! Not only are the postcards wonderful, but the narrative is very entertaining - much more than I had hoped for - and the postcards are supplemented with some wonderful photos to fill in some of the gaps. A great way for us (we?) older Disney fans to share our memories of Disneyland with our children (and later grandchildren), too. I know I will get many hours of enjoyment from this book over the years to come. I am so glad I decided it might be worth the price - it's worth many times over! 2007 update - Wow, the price I was referring to was $52.50, not the $189 I see it going for now.
Worth the wait and expense!.......2000-11-27
I've read "The Art of Walt Disney", "Walt Disney Imagineering", "Disneyland:The Inside Story", and several other books about the Magic Kingdom, and this book is by far the most detailed and enjoyable of them all. Every store that's ever had an address on Main Street...every sponsor that's ever had an exhibit in Tommorowland...IT'S ALL HERE. My only complaint is that I wish some of the illustrations were larger so you could take in more detail...but considering that every postcard ever issued by Disneyland is included, in addition to behind-the-scenes photos and concept art, this is an understandable compromise. Absolutely the best book ever printed on Disneyland.
The next best thing to being there.......2000-11-21
I cannot say enough about this handsome, evocative, skilfullywritten book. Just as Disneyland is more than an amusement park, thisis more than a trip through Disneyland's places and times...
I wouldhasten to add that this book does more than to simply transport you tothe park as it is today; it is the best simulation of a time machine,transporting you back to previous incarnations of the park, the waythat they were experienced and enjoyed in the vanished culturallandscape of the 1950s and the 1960s. A lot of those joys are gone --the Rainbow Caverns of the Mine Train, the subatomic journey of InnerSpace -- and this is the best way to see them again.
What Iparticularly enjoy about this book is that the authors clearly sharemy childhood fascination with wondering "how it all worked."You get aerial shots of the park under construction, pictures ofaborted attraction developments, and the stories behind detailsranging from the marching band kiosk to the eucalyptus trees inAdventureland.
Walt would have approved of this magnificentlyconceived and executed journey through Disneyland's past and present.
Another satisfied customer.......2000-11-16
This is a beautiful "coffee table" book that transcends its status as the last word for Disneyland post card collectors. It is actually the best book on the history of Disneyland that I've ever seen (and I'm constantly looking :-). It is also fascinating just from a cultural history point of view--the complete oveure of all postcards from any landmark would be interesting to study changing styles and mores, and of course Disneyland is so rich and varied. Hats off to Mumford and Gordon.
Book Description
Lavishly illustrated, this encyclopedic volume provides the most comprehensive look at the history and culture of real photo postcards to date.
The Real Photo Postcard Guide is an informative, comprehensive, and practical treatment of this wildly popular American phenomenon that dominated the United States photographic market during the first third of the twentieth century. Robert Bogdan and Todd Weseloh draw on extensive research and observation to address all aspects of the photo postcard from its history, origin, and cultural significance to practical matters like dating, purchasing, condition, and preservation.
Illustrated with over 350 exceptional photo postcards taken from archives and private collections across the country, the scope of the Real Photo Postcard Guide spans technical considerations of production, characteristics of superior images, collecting categories, and methods of research for dating photo postcards and investigating their photographers.
In a broader sense, the authors show how "real photo postcards" document the social history of America. From family outings and workplace awards to lynchings and natural disasters, every image captures a moment of American cultural history from the society that generated them.
Bogdan and Weseloh's book provides an admirable integration of informative text and compelling photographic illustrations. Collectors, archivists, photographers, photo historians, social scientists, and anyone interested in the visual documentation of America will find the Real Photo Postcard Guide indispensable.
Customer Reviews:
Post card collector reviews.......2007-01-10
In the thirty five years of collecting postcards, with real photo post cards my speciality, there has never been a good book, until now covering this subject.
This book of 274 pages covers all aspects of what one would ever wish to know about this form of collectiing. Major chapter headings are: Introduction, Fundamentals, Photographers & Careers, Dimensions of Desirability,Collecting Categories, Objects to Treasure, Sitting in the Graveyard & Conclusion. Each chapter has many subdivisions, very well marked in the table of contents by page number. At the end is a very complete appendix & index. Being on the subject of photographs there are naturally a great number, totaling around 270.
The only reason I did not rate this 5 star is that the quality of the photo reproduction is not in keeping with the tremendous efforts the authors have put into this book. Though the photos are O.K., with todays technology, I feel the publisher let the authors down.
Collectors have been waiting a long time for a book like this, & I very much doubt that there is more to be said on this subject. The authors are to be congradulated on a job well done.
Any serious photography library or collector's handbook holding must have this........2006-12-14
Photo postcard collectors and fans of photo postcard art have plenty to enjoy in REAL PHOTO POSTCARD GUIDE: THE PEOPLE'S PHOTOGRAPHY. Such art dominated the U.S. Photo market during the first third of the 20th century, but until now hasn't received a comprehensive coverage. The authors have plumbed archives and conducted original research to cover photo postcard history, art, and specifics on dating and preserving a collection. Over three hundred photo postcards from archives and private collections across the country display a fine range of black and white images. Any serious photography library or collector's handbook holding must have this.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Product Description
Today, no one seriously doubts the value, both aesthetic and historic, of the ubiquitous American photographic postcard. This was the medium that really brought photography to the masses; these cards were affordable, they were topical, and they could be sent for a penny anywhere in the country. The variety of imagery, much of it developed anonymously in small studios, much of it taken by inspired amateurs (these were the days when anyone could, and many folks did, own a camera) displays America in all its variety and vitality.
Most postcards were mass produced and printed in ink by the collotype or halftone process. But a few were original photographic prints, exposed directly from glass plates or film negatives. Known as "real photos" these were real photographs, aristocrats of the genre and spectacular examples of vernacular photography.
In this charming and scholarly book, Vaule selects the best of them, from all over the country, addressing their social and historical contexts, explaining the mysteries of their manufacture and dissemination, and describing the characteristics and identities of their makers, many of whose names and studios are listed in the book. But without doubt, it is the images themselves that still hold us: storefronts and townships, frisky children and sober adults, air ships and barn raisings. Over one hundred are reproduced here, each in fine-line duotone, each as fascinating and compelling today as when first fixed on paper.
Customer Reviews:
Engaging book.......2007-04-28
As We Were is an engaging book. I wish there had been more photos. However, the ones that were used were interesting and informative and added to the contents of the book. It is a very nostalgic look at a long ago time when life was in many ways less frentic and harried. It is well written and I would recommend it. Hopefully Ms. Vaule will write another book.
Was hoping for more photos.......2007-01-29
This book was priced quite high ($), considering the number of vintage photos inside. It is a hard back book, however, I truly was expecting many more photos,considering the large size (page wise) of this hard back book. I think there are other books out there with better (& more) vintage photos. I would not buy this book again, if I had the chance.
AS WE WERE.......2005-09-19
My brother, Bob, read this book before I did. He's a Harvard graduate with a PhD and an extensive vocabulary, but he's a populist at heart and in practice. He was animated and enthusiastic about the book. Nodding and gesturing he said: "She gets it."
AS WE WERE covers its subject, American Photographic Postcards, thoroughly and with insight, but the book does more than that. It transcends the genre and becomes a book about life "We're face to face with both their moment of reality in the card and their absolute transience.". The author's scholarly approach is laced with wisdom and humanity. Who would think that a book about real photo postcards (to use the vernacular) would be so compelling?
Ms. Vaule's introduction to photographic postcards was as a child. Her grandfather had them in albums. "For my grandparents the card represented a souvenir of a place or a special occasion, a status proudly attained or an expression of delight in their son's young life. For me, the card becomes a way of getting closer to them as they were before I entered into the continuum."
Real photo postcards were made by professional photographers and amateurs alike. Real photo postcards were "unpretentious, on home ground, cheap, and ready for mailing..." Surprisingly, the vast majority were not mailed but were used as souvenirs or gifts.
Real photo postcards showed people in their everyday clothes standing in front of the clapboards of their homes. The author elaborates on one such photograph: "This is such a stable picture, all verticals and horizontals except for the collar and windswept skirt. Rebecca, her left foot solidly at center, is a pillar of cheerful strength." There's a family in their Sunday best, out on a rural road, standing for their portrait. One young man curiously sits apart on a pile of stones. There is a delightful photograph of a boy on the ground with his hand on a resting pig. The sender's message: "Dear Aunt.....Joe wants to know if you know which one is he......"
Ms. Vaule comments on a photo of a working man holding his baby: "........incongruity of strapping man and tiny child so tenderly held, and of their physicality against the painted romantic landscape.....We are struck with the man's concentration on the task: hold the child carefully, face the lens so that a fitting image can be made."
Real photo postcards showed how people worked, and what they wore when they worked. There is an outdoor portrait of a group of postal workers, who hold their packages of mail like trophies. Their humble presentation becomes our treasure. In another scene, there's humor in the two loggers who turn the saw blades on themselves. On another page, the huge barn with the symmetrical slope in front of it defines the four farmhands who stand in its doorway. The Ohio bootmaker looks like an actor on center stage.
The selection of photographs is especially rich. We see a group of children arm in arm, running in a joyous dance on the beach in Santa Barbara. We know it wasn't as spontaneous as it appears, but who could've choreographed the two children to the right who are side by side with legs raised, or the bunching that occurred to the line at the left?
Not all is blissful in this America. There is the photo of the general store with a message about the sick father on reverse. There's the interior of Mary Fletcher Hospital where patients and nurses alike pose for the camera. The three men from Hornbreak Tennessee seem to gawk at us, just as we gawk at them. We see George Schmitt's Red Devil plane in flight, taken in rural Vermont. The plane transforms this card from mundane to captivating, and then we read the message: "This is Schmitt flying the day he was killed."
in looking through the imagery in this book, we have to abandon the concept that all is naive, for much of the work is informed, even if it's informed by an earlier time. There are the Montpelier boys in front of the ruins of a still smoldering fire. Their dark clothes provide great contrast to the snow around them. A pedestrian is a blur and the dog is a 'ghost' image. This depiction of action is now perceived as a modern value, yet it's as old as photography itself.
We bring ourselves into these photographs. What's more surreal than the Cincinnati flood scene showing an urban landscape populated only by people in boats with oars?.This particular scene has added significance since Hurricane Katrina, and yet it still seems imagined.
One senses the hope and changing values of the time. A small town shows off its shiny fire engine. The store advertsiing "New & Second-Hand Furniture" reminds us that the recycling industry is not completely new. A young woman dives off a dock to this response; "I guess by the picture that the College girls have fully as good a time as we do." We see people posed with machines and a couple of factory postcards could be right out of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times.
Ms. Vaule's sense of inclusion truly reflects the American experience. While celebrating diversity with pictures, the author points out the racist language on the reverse of an image of people in an alfalfa field as well as the disturbing sign above the Hopi and Navajo dancers. We marvel at the beauty of 'Alaska woman' and are intrigued by the woman holding the puppy and an empty chair.
Don't let the title AS WE WERE deceive you. It is accurate, but this is not a nostalgic book. It offers insight to who we are and how the past precedes the future.
My brother is right. Rosamond Vaule does 'get it.' And while she 'gets it' her greater gift is in the telling.
Exploring Another Facet of American Identity.......2005-06-24
What a great book! Ms. Vaule's informed research and graceful writing make "As We Were" a wonderful weekend or vacation read. Her historical perspective ties together fascinating photographs to help illuminate our national identity as America entered the 20th Century. This is a book to enjoy, to share and to give.
A Compelling Look at Our American Past.......2005-03-07
Rosamond Vaule's new book, As We Were, is a wonderfully readable study of the early twentieth century "real photo" postcard. What began as a childhood passion for her grandfather's basket of photographic postcards has evolved into a scholarly look at over 200 true-to-size postcards which reflect aspects of American life from 1900 - 1930: a Model S. Ford, a three-desk schoolroom in South Carolina, the bi-plane and airship, cowboys in N. Dakota, a barn raising in Wisconsin. The author provides a detailed and colorful history of this seemingly "humble" subject matter. One learns about the intriguing ghosts of "spirit photography," the "Kodak girls" and the craze for postcards by 1905 when 7 billion were sent worldwide. But the real soul and beauty of the book reside in the images on the "real photo" postcards themselves. One is struck by the grave expressions of early twentieth century Americans and the matter of fact messages they sent. "Arrived Saturday. Start work Monday." Many of the "real photo" images in the book are compelling works of art and each postcard begs investigation for informational clues about its subject. I found myself looking repeatedly at each postcard, intent on unearthing a new find; an untied shoelace, a face peeping through a window. In our era of digital image manipulation, As We Were celebrates the integrity and unintended surprises of the early photographic postcard. Handsomely presented, this book is a pleasure to read and a treasure to keep.
Book Description
The new Second Edition of "The Artist-Signed Postcard Price Guide" is the 11th book on postcards by author J.L. Mashburn. It was written specifically for collectors and dealers interested in both U.S. and Foreign artist-signed cards issued from 1898 to 1950. It has 480 pages, lists over 2,300 artists and their works with related values, and contains 730 great photos. This new book can be a valuable asset for all postcard enthusiasts.
Customer Reviews:
Another wonderful book from the expert..........2000-07-07
Mashburn writes terrific books. His Postcard Guide is the best general book out there. He also does specialized postcard books such as this one. Anyone who collects artist-signed postcards will want this book, no question about it.
It is filled with hundreds of pages and pictures of all our favorite artists, like Harrison Fisher, Philip Boileau, Earl Christy, as well as the more obscure yet fabulous artists like Lupiac and others. He covers a variety of categories, like Beautiful Ladies, Beautiful Children, Nudes, Blacks, Sports, and Comics. He includes a reference section in the front which goes over important information such as how to determine the age of a card, grade a card's condition, and so on. My only quibble with this book is that all the inside images are in black and white, and I would have loved to see some in color. Perhaps in the next edition.
If you're looking for a comprehensive reference on Artist-Signed postcards, this is the book to buy.
Average customer rating:
- The Eurocentric view of indigenous cultures
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DELIVERING VIEWS
GEARY CM
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ASIN: 1560987596 |
Book Description
Drawing on anthropological, historical, and art historical analyses, contributors examine examples from both public and private collections, tracing the postcard's overlapping roles as souvenir, collectible, and popular art form. Showcasing 132 images, many of which have never before been published, the book concludes that early postcards both provide historical information about the peoples they depict and reveal Westerners' perceptions of -- and apprehensions about -- cultures that differed from their own.
Customer Reviews:
The Eurocentric view of indigenous cultures.......2000-03-05
This is a beautifully produced collection of essays and images that provides an overview of the role of postcards in the transformation of indigenous cultures under European-American rule. While conveying the romantic fascination of exotic places for the Western consumer, the book also addresses the underlying issues of arrogance and exploitation by the rulers towards their indigenous subjects. This book is an excellent introduction and overview of an emerging area of historical and anthropological study.
Average customer rating:
- A Nice retrospective postcard collection
|
T.BOR A Book (To Keep) +30 Postcards (To Send)
Maira Kalman
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Colors : Tibor Kalman, Issues 1-13
ASIN: 1892145057
Release Date: 2000-11-10 |
Book Description
The highly innovative works of Tibor Kalman incorporated elements never before associated with successful design, but his advertisements, objects, videos, and editorial projects have become visual icons: a racially altered Queen Elizabeth, revolutionary watchfaces, Times Square installations, and more. T. Bor is presented in an artistic format that includes 30 high-quality postcards and a small book with commentary by the artist's wife.
Customer Reviews:
A Nice retrospective postcard collection.......2003-07-09
The postcards chosen for this book give a nice overview of Kalman's career. Once you have removed a postcard, you are left with a thumbnail view stub of that postcard's image. Each "stub" has quotes or interesting info about Kalman. The book and its construction follow in the vein of Kalman ( and M & Co.'s) work, using subtle quirky graphics and text.
Customer Reviews:
For people collecting artist-signed postcards...........2000-04-15
If you are interested in collecting artist-signed, fantasy, and greetings-type postcards, as is the author of this book, you will find more than 350 pages of this book devoted to your hobby. If you are interested in collecting postcards showing town views, real photo, and roadside America -- a much more popular hobby, as shown by the major auction websites -- you will find only about 30 pages devoted to your hobby. There is an 8-page introduction useful for all collectors.
If you only pick one, pick this one..........2000-02-29
Between my mother and I, we've been collecting postcards for over 40 years (we also sell them on Ebay). Mashburn's excellent reference is the first book we recommend to people who ask us for a reference on postcard collecting. It is organized well, filled with important history and information, and has thousands of pictures and prices to guide the new and the seasoned collector. If you only buy one book about postcards, this is the one to buy.
Good reference book in this field but lacks proper editing.......1999-11-10
I use this book frequently and, by adding my own "tabs" and my own cross reference table, have made it much easier to use. There are many important names in the work itself that are not shown in the index. As a result I am now working on compiling my own index to this book.
. . . packed full of postcard information!.......1998-02-07
This is a wonderful reference source and price guide for postcard collectors. It is packed full of postcard information compiled from experienced dealers and collectors.
As a beginning postcard collector, you will need to fully study this guide and understand the way the material is categorized before you use it at any PC Collector Shows & Auctions. It is not always user friendly ~ it may require a considerably amount time of hunting through several of the book's categories before you find your information. Same goes for matching the photos displayed on the book's page and finding it's related information in the text!
Keep your previous J. L. Mashburn Postcard Price Guides. This Third Edition of THE POSTCARD PRICE GUIDE contains all new photos and does not repeat the photos from the previous additions.
I recommend that you purchase J. L. Mashburn's Third Edition of THE POSTCARD PRICE GUIDE. It is worth the investment!
Catalog Reading Made Interesting.......1997-10-20
As a brand-new postcard collector, I needed a reference book which is complete and interesting. Mashburn's catalog of collectible postcards is as fun as reading an old Sears catalog and as informative as an encyclopedia. The author should have offered better clarification of certain postcard types, such as "linens" (what do they feel like?) and "real photos" (are they originals without any reproductions?). Mashburn should have kept the definitions more explicit and basic for beginners, but this is a trap into which all experts fall. Overall, this is a great intro to collecting postcards. Anyone have a postmarked Titanic card which they'll sell to me for cheap?
Book Description
This lavishly illustrated full-color art book depicts more than a century of nursing practice worldwide through more than 580 postcards. The postcards reflect nursing practice from the 1890s to the present and represent more than 65 countries, particularly the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan. The images within the book represent the complete range of artist-drawn and photographic interpretations of 20th century nursing, including children's illustrations, art nouveau, modernism, photographs of royalty and performers as nurses, and graphic aspects of nursing history which have not been previously accessible.
Narrative chapter introductions provide context for the images, and legends offer insights into the pictures. Endnotes and a bibliography offer additional support to anyone interested in more detail on each postcard.
Customer Reviews:
American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year.......2005-01-05
Michael Zwerdling's book offers a fresh look at a century of nursing history worldwide, focusing on what he refers to as the Golden Age of Postcards (1907-World War I). This 9" x 12" hardbound coffee table book contains 580 full-color images from 65 countries. Opening it is like entering a series of galleries in which you can browse idly or focus with scholarly intent. There are photographs, cartoons, poster art and advertisements. In them, you'll find drama, history, whimsy, romance and, yes, hanky-panky, all of it eye-catching, The seven chapters are arranged more for visual compatibility than chronology or geography. Each is preceded by an introduction and followed by notes on the individual postcards. "Postcards of Nursing" explores new territory and, in my opinion, holds as much interest for the general public as it does for the international nursing community.
A book for all nurses (and historians, and art lovers).......2004-03-16
When young Michael Zwerdling left the University of Vermont in 1965 with a degree in psychology, he was still 14 years away from starting his collection of nursing postcards, and almost 30 years distant from the work he does today as a nurse in a busy emergency room in Washington, D.C.
Somewhere between the milestones of getting his bachelor's degree and RN license, Zwerdling instructed university students in psychology in New Hampshire; worked as a psychiatric aide in a Waltham, Mass., hospital; and taught karate, meditation, and yoga at his own school in Boston.
His considerable life experience seasons the pages of his first book, Postcards of Nursing. The stunning history not only depicts choice samples from his 25-year collection of nursing postcards, it delivers details, many little-known, about people, world history, art, and culture. The 384-page book is broader than even the "worldwide" its subtitle implies. Zwerdling's research spans time as well as place, offering a look at wars, critical nursing shortages, the Depression, art and humor. All the while it provides the history about who/what gave birth to the profession and why.
The basics: Postcards of Nursing exhibits 600 postcards from the years 1893 to 2002. The book's layout offers easy perusal by building a chapter the same way you'd lay out a museum exhibit. The reader walks through the pages just as he would go from room to room in a museum. For readers wanting more information about the pictures, each of the chapters starts out with a brief introduction and ends with detailed notes about many of the postcards. A bibliography and index prove useful for finding more information.
The rare images you see here indeed come from all over the world. Some are romanticized, some humorous, and some tragic. Some tell a story via sequential images and rhymed words. Nurses are not always people in the depictions, and neither are their patients.
Readers will also recognize some of the drawings from other milieu. Remember those round-faced kids on the sides of soup cans? Zwerdling's book includes the whimsical art of Grace G. Wiederseim, the woman who created the familiar Campbell's Soup Kids, except here her familiar kids are nurses and doctors. And here, as in many other areas, the author thoughtfully provides notes about the artist's life and death.
Zwerdling's extensive research also shows how nurses were used to tout everything from War Savings Stamps to stout, from telephones to fountain pens, and even to the danger of spreading tuberculosis by spitting. Using a nurse to sell a product or idea extends even to modern times, with a 1997 postcard from Denmark featuring an attractive blond nurse and the caption "AIDS is Still Here" as a reminder of World AIDS Day.
As is often the case, there's a story behind the story. The book is a product of the Zwerdling Nursing Archives, the author's personal collection of rare art and photographic postcards. Zwerdling selected each piece for its historic significance, artistic composition, and condition. Although nursing cards make up the primary collection, he also collects postcards with themes related to health. His HIV and AIDS postcards number about 300. He's amassed cards on controlled substances and pharmaceutical advertising, and as a sideline he collects greeting cards and other items related to nursing, storing each piece in archival Mylar.
"Were it to be lost, it would be impossible to replicate," Zwerdling says of his archives. "Many of the items are one of a kind, the prices have skyrocketed since I began collecting, and the cards were assembled via hundreds of sources cultivated over a 25-year period, through trips to France, Belgium, Germany and England."
Still, the collection is immortalized thanks to the book and to Zwerdling's belief in sharing. He makes the images available to nurses and people associated with nursing. He also licenses images for commercial use and offers them free to people researching the history of nursing. "Give of yourself," he advises in one interview when asked why he created the book.
Postcards of Nursing would not be out of place in anyone's library, but nurses with a reverence for the profession will treasure this book.
From two points of view.......2004-02-23
I view this book as both an artist and a practicing clinical psychologist. From the artistic side, The richness of the imagery is nothing short of breath taking. Post cards were the media vehicle of the time. The cell phone and internet of all the people. The images that Michael has collected reflect the slice of life and slice of art that crossed all cultural boundaries. This might have been chaotic if the author had not displayed exquisite good taste in his selections. The wealth of images stimulates my creativity and gives me material inspiration for my own work.
As a psychologist, the interest is just as keen. What a fascinating mind the author has! He comes to the work from the vantage point of myth and symbol, pointing to the universality of issues of sickness, injury, and mortality juxtaposed against the equally universal themes of nurturance, service and healing. This comes from a person in the field, working as a trauma nurse in a major hospital.
Just as intriguing is the sociological point of view that places all these images in their political/ cultural contexts. We are told of fashion, war, royalty, advertising, and prejudice. I especially love the little human-interest stories that are sprinkled here and there.
What a first rate piece of work for those interested in the human condition. Nursing, per se, is not something I would have gone out and bought a book about, but glancing though a copy of this book hooked me. I am so happy to spend many hours visiting Michael's world. I would love the opportunity to pour through the cards that didn't make it into the book and get a curated tour by Mr. Zwerdling.
Sumner Silverman, Ph.D.
Our Avatars of Compassion and Mercy.......2004-02-21
I am most grateful to Michael Zwerdling, RN for the creation of this heart-felt tribute to the nursing profession. He has compiled a through and profoundly moving volume that details the history of nursing in a unique and beautiful manner. I could not help but be reminded of my own mother who was a dedicated nurse all her life.
The images in this book speak volumes of the loving kindness manifest by nurses in their care for people in sickness, while injured and their tireless efforts at providing comfort. His tribute is an outstanding expression of appreciation for the active compassion of all nurses.
Everyone who has a nurse in their family, or is the friend of a nurse, or who has benefited from the compassionate care of nurses while in hospital, might consider making a gift of this book to their favorite angel of mercy.
This book is an incredibly beautiful tribute to all nurses, our avatars of compassion and mercy.
Beautiful book opens a window on nursing, art, & history.......2004-02-21
My first thought on encountering this book was, "Why postcards?" I've always thought of postcards, if I've thought of them at all, as trivial things that you buy for a quarter when traveling, to show your friends and family pictures of places you've visited. After reading this book, I can now tell you that postcards are much more than that. Postcards are windows in time and space, windows that give us a glimpse of art, history, and society. This particular book gives us glimpses of how nurses have influenced society in the 20th century, and how they, in turn, are viewed by that society.
Postcards of Nursing: A Worldwide Tribute is a beautiful book. The author states that his intention was to create an experience like an art gallery, and indeed, paging through this book is like walking through a very diverse art gallery. The variety of art represented here is incredible, representing a wide variety of artistic media and styles ranging from pointillism to manga. Many postcard artists were anonymous, but there are also postcards here with art by famous artists such as children's book illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott, for whom the Caldecott medal was named.
The book has much to offer from a historical perspective as well. Most of the major wars of the 20th century are represented here, as well as developments in medicine and technology and other historical events. There are sections on royalty and nursing, nursing in film, and advertising. Over 65 nations are represented here, giving a truly global perspective on nursing in the 20th century, Many of the postcards have extensive notes explaining various historical, social, or other details of interest. I was fascinated to read, for example, that Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia and her two oldest daughters trained as nurses and worked in a military hospital during World War I, enduring many horrors and tirelessly helping the wounded. This selflessness contrasts starkly with the way Alexandra is usually portrayed as being pampered, self-absorbed, and unaware of the problems existing outside the royal circle.
This book will be of special interest to postcard collectors and those involved with the nursing profession. It would make an excellent gift for a nurse. In a broader sense, however, anyone who is interested in art, history, or society in the 20th century will find this a fascinating book.
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Books Index
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