Customer Reviews

Cowboy Kate and Other Stories: Director's Cut

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Years ago, I caught an article about Sam Haskins in Photo magazine. It talked much about the man and his work, and since reading that article I was dead set on finding a copy of "Cowboy Kate" Unfortunately, the book was out of print and the cost of obtaining a copy was substantially high for my budget. So there it remained on my wish list for years. Fortunately, I occasionally checked amazon to see if maybe the price would go down. And it did, and I bought.

This book is filled with vintage erotic photography. By vintage I mean the 60's and by erotic, I don't really mean erotic at all. The images are all black and white, usually very high contrast and grain... a style that I have always loved. The images will undoubtedly come off as alluring and sexual because of the beautiful women and nudity. It comes off very sexual at times, but I believe that it was done in such a way that it can't even really be deemed "erotic" Haskins approached the subjects in such a noble way, it dodges the overly graphic, and often blatantly pornographic erotic books that many of us are used to seeing in the art books section. They are simply beautiful images that deserve long, appreciative looks. The photographs for me are absolutely timeless. Many can probably conclude the general time period in which they were photographed, but it still remains (to me) as fresh as anything that might have been photographed yesterday without the addition of the sex drive requirements that seem to be the standard these days.

There are a few different bodies of work included in this book. My favorite is probably Cowboy Kate (cover image) but the other images also show for themselves. In a way, the bodies of work speak as a narrative... not so much frame to frame, but it tells a story as a whole. The girls are obviously comfortable in front of the camera, often playful and extroverted. Everything feels very natural and nothing seems forced. It doesn't feel like a photo shoot captured and laid out in a book for consumers.

Unfortunately a few of my favorite Haskins photographs are not included in this book, but there are many others that make up for it. A great book to own. Get it before it goes out of print (again).

Buy this book now, It's going to be devoured by those in the know and it will cost you a fortune! Ethereal and magical are one way to describe Sam Haskins photos, also sexy and fabulous are good adjectives. It would be hard to choose. I ordered this book knowing that it was, and is, a classic, but had no idea of the impact these photos would have. You can tell by the cover that you are in for an emotionally charged ride that you will never forget. There is a slim narrative running throughout these photos, but you as the viewer are allowed to create your own story , and what a story it is. Kate and her cohorts are iconic babes that transcend the 60's. The girl's sheer beauty and playfulness will make you gasp, and even chuckle at their bodaciousness. I won't give away any secrets, but the photo's are remastered and gloriously beautiful. You..must...order...now!

The book was very well put together. However, I am not familiar with the original, so I cannot proclaim any differences. I bought this book because I am a fan of photography and thought it would be artistically fun and sexy, and it is! It's a lot more blatently erotic than I expected. Something I didn't expect to discover from this book is that I don't really like the twiggy beauty from the 60s. But for those who do, this book is what you're looking for. There are some great artistic efforts with lighting and composition. Very impressive black and whites.

I bought a new camera recently which renewed my interest in photography and sparked my re-discovery of this book.

Sam Haskins is a genius with a camera and Kate is the very definition of unabashed. I'm not entirely sure which one to be jealous of but for now I'll be content to study Sam's brilliant work as a photographer. Classic doesn't even begin to cover it. Come to think of it, "brilliant" doesn't seem enough to be said either.

Of note as well is the storytelling to go along with the photographs, especially the story of Kate. Sparse in words but rich imagery.

Profusely recommended.

Great book ... Somehow different from the first edition with more picture even if you could prefer the old edition... Both are collectible..

I'll never forget being knocked off my feet in the sixties by the freshness, frankness, imagination, lack of inhibition and striking beauty of Cowboy Kate. I still take it as a homage to our loveliest fantasies of women. It was an absolute breath of fresh air in comparison to 'artistic' i.e. expressionless and uninvolved women and stereotyped and jaded 'pinups.' What amazes me is that no one has yet done it any better. Haskin's women are both the girl next door and goddesses of unmatched grace, yet approachable. If you're a photographer, like me, Cowboy Kate is a source of fun, beauty and inspiration. If you're not, unrivaled fun and beauty isn't such a bad deal.