Sir Elton John has emerged in the 1990s as one of the world's preeminent collectors of twentieth-century photography. The High Museum of Art is the first institution to present highlights from the more than 2,000 photographs John has acquired during the last decade. This book presents more than 150 illustrations of images by more than 100 photographers, including Berenice Abbott, Diane Arbus, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Lewis Hine, Tina Modotti, Paul Outerbridge, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Weston. Masters such as Man Ray, AndrÈ KertÈsz, Harry Callahan, Irving Penn, Lucas Samaras, Robert Mapplethorpe, John Dugdale, and Horst P. Horst, are represented in depth.
The book accompanies the first major exhibition of John's collection, and includes an introduction by the exhibition's curator, Ned Rifkin, and an appreciation of the collector by Jane Jackson, adviser to the collection. An essay by Thomas W, Southall discusses Elton John's taste as a collector. A lengthy interview of Sir Elton by Ingrid Sischy of Interview magazine reveals the famous performer's passion and direction in acquiring photographs. Views of Elton's Atlanta residence show how the collector lives within his astonishingly dense collection.
