The Body Exposed: Views of the Body : 150 Years of the Nude in Photography [Hardcover]

Michael Kohler (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1995

This survey offers a testament to the changing views of the human body. The carefully chosen images, many previously unpublished, show shifts in the uses of photography. Showcasing some 40 color and 200 black-and-white reproductions of work by well-known and anonymous photographers, the book is divided into 20 chronological sections to clarify major trends.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Edition Stemmle; 1St Edition edition (May 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3905514478
• ISBN-13: 978-3905514476
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,036,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Visual and Literary Reference, September 8, 2000

By 

Michelle7 "Editor of Michelle7(dot)com" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Body Exposed: Views of the Body : 150 Years of the Nude in Photography (Hardcover)

This is an excellent reference for anyone interested in the history of nude and erotic photography. While it's not the most visually stunning manifesto I've ever seen it does provide a more than thorough history with countless superb photographic examples on such topics as The Daguerreotype (1839-1865), Colonial Ethnology (1860-1920), The Naughty Postcard (1900-1930), Classic Glamour (1920-1940), Advertising (1960-1989), Playmates (1960-1989), Pornography (1839-1989), The Nude Portrait (1965-1989), and many more. It includes several rare photos - or at least ones that I've never seen before - and is very enjoyable to read and peruse leisurely. One chapter worth noting is News Photography (1945-1989). It contains several graphic depictions of what happens to the human body when it is starved, abused, mangled, and even killed. These stand in stark contrast to the rest of the beautiful and uplifting imagery seen throughout the book. Overall - this book is excellent.