American Ruins [Hardcover]

Arthur Drooker (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2007

"American Ruins" is the first photography book to document historic ruins throughout the United States. It presents a stunning visual record of ruins ranging from ancient Native American dwellings in the Southwest to the remains of Gilded Age mansions on the East Coast and a king's summer home in Hawaii. Luminous infrared photographs expose crumbled walls, weathered facades and overgrown flora, and are accompanied by brief essays detailing the historical, geographical and architectural significance of each site. This landmark publication raises awareness of and appreciation for overlooked ruins that remain unknown even to most Americans. It captures the visual poetry of each place and offers a new way of seeing the landscape, the past and the collective identity of America. This work is a unique, awe-inspiring photographic record of American history. This is the first photographic record of historic ruins throughout the United States. It will appeal to anyone interested in architecture, photography, history, archaeology and Americana.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Arthur Drooker is a photographer whose work has been exhibited and published since 1980. He is also an Emmy Award-winning writer and director of television documentaries. Douglas Brinkley is a noted historian and the author of numerous books, including American Heritage New History of the United States (2007). Christopher Woodward is Director of the Museum of Garden History, London, and the author of In Ruins (2001).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Merrell Holberton (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858944066
• ISBN-13: 978-1858944067
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 10.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How can a book on ruins give you hope? Read on..., December 20, 1999

By 

Garrick (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Ruins (Hardcover)

Camilo Vergara's latest effort will appeal to those interested in both architectural and landscape photography, as well as urban activists, artists, writers, and even musicians. Vergara has the ability to draw on a variety of inspirations in his thoughtful analyses of forgotten urban America. Nominally about decaying buildings in Detroit, Newark, Chicago, and elsewhere; American Ruins goes deeper--exploring connections between buildings, art, sociology, psychology, and the natural environment.

The book is divided into sections based on ruins typology. This is a good approach, as it allows Vergara to show connections between cities and their related phenomena which might not otherwise have been apparent. His accounts of conversations with wary local residents and (usually) thoughtless politicians and developers invest the book with a jarring realism that juxtaposes effectively with the often dreamy and strangely beautiful photographs.

Another excellent attribute of this substantial book is its readability. In comparison with The New American Ghetto (Vergara's previous book), here Vergara separates his narrative into shorter separate, site-specific analyses, which makes it easy to ingest a few pages at a time and return for more later. It also makes it easy to move through the book in a non-linear fashion, based on your own visual interests.

This evocative work will be required reading for architects, preservationists, and artists. However, the sublime beauty of Vergara's photography should win him fans from many other persuasions. Perhaps in the end Vergara will succeed in his effort to, at least, bring appreciation for not just our sanitized and restored "landmarks," but for our most humble and neglected buildings--those which tell the story of this tumultous century in ways only this book reveals.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, July 17, 2008

By 

Orkblork (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Ruins (Hardcover)

I was intrigued when I first saw this book on Amazon, and was pleased to later receive it as a gift. But I was immediately disappointed when I discovered that the images are all infrared photos. The result is certainly not informative, nor would I consider it art. Rather, they are overstylized, self-consciously "arty," and frankly hacky-tacky. Why, when one has subjects as dramatic as these, not present them as is? Why deny the reader/viewer the chance to see these buildings and places as they really look? I recommend instead any of Camilo Jose Vergara's books. His images of American ruins are probably more journalism than art, but they at least let the fascinating ruins speak for themselves.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, November 28, 2007

By 

W. Kout (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: American Ruins (Hardcover)

After viewing the glowing segment on The CBS Morning Show, I had to see this book. AMERICAN RUINS truly deserves the accolades, awards and attention it's receiving. Arthur Drooker's exquisite photographs transport you and his descriptive prose is as elegant and moving as his haunting images. So, thank you, Mr. Drooker for this treasure about our national treasures... and for making my holiday shopping so easy!