I've been on a bit of a book acquisition kick lately. Mostly older books that are long out of print but that can still be found for not a lot of money from used bookstores and online auction houses. I typically find out about these books in a completely random way, which adds to the overall sense of enjoyment. I generally prefer to pick up a well worn copy of the book first, even if a few pages are missing or if there are a marks or even an inscription, just to see if I bond with the photographer. If there is no synergy, I can just pass the book along to someone else.
One of my favorite acquisitions this year was "A World Through My Window" by Ruth Orkin. The collection of photographs is exactly what you'd expect from the title, but you have to bear in mind that Ruth had a pretty amazing window on Central Park West. So the views are generally pretty spectacular. But still, documenting the goings on over a period of several decades resulted in an impressive body of work that should inspire any one. I found out some interesting things about the photographer, such as the fact that she bicycled from Los Angeles to New York in the 1930s.
I'm far from the madding crowds of NYC, but several of our windows are interesting to me. The first image was taken with the Polaroid SX-70 using their currently available black and white emulsion. Expensive, but the results can be very lovely indeed.
Another book that has inspired me this year is "Revealing Light" by Lilo Raymond. The images in this book are quite remarkable and all of them were taken around whatever house she was staying in at a given time. Not a photographer who is discussed much these days, and we are all the worse for it.
The second image is a picture of my hand juxtaposed with a vase that was sitting on a shelf. Lilo Raymond teaches us that beauty and simplicity can be enough for an impactful photograph.
There's an inscription on my copy of Ruth Orkin's book that reads, "In a year during which we were tried and tested time after time, you brought us cheer and optimism. August 1981, NYC". People from a different era. But the inscription still rings true, nearly 40 years on.
So, if you want to buoy someone's spirits, give them one of your old photobooks.
