Customer Reviews

Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stephen Wilkes is a wonderful photographer and he makes the gritty details of a run down part of Ellis Island into a moving, dramatic and beautiful experience. It is powerful and also haunting and compelling you to walk in his foot steps. The images are technically exquisite. It is an inspiration to see the routes of our ancestors.

A great book to own.

David Kalman

This book brings to light an unusual reflection: pictures taken at a historical site which does not look at all like this any more.

The photos in this book have a haunting quality because of the disrepair of the isolation hospital on the "South Side" of Ellis Island. The dishevelment of the facility has a haunting, poetic quality as captured by Stephen Wilkes here.

We learn, though, that the site looks nothing like this any more. The Ellis Island foundation has enough money now to restore this facility to its former state, as it existed long before this level of deterioration advanced as far as shown in the book.

Meaning that this photographic record is all that survives.

It calls to question the notion of historic preservation. We now have the means to make something old look new - or as it did when it was first built. Does this mean that, eventually, this awful hospital will become a Disney World version of itself?

It's a tough ethical call, for sure. At least, though, I'm so grateful to Wilkes for creating and sharing this rare record with us all.

I Love this book, the pictures are beautiful, the design and layout make the pictures and quotes very moving. As a photographer I admire the quality of the work, and the bright vivid prints. I love that most of the images are full pages, sometimes spread across two pages, with small text labeling the room, or part of the property. There are no frames, page designs, or paragraphs to take away from the imagery. For more information and details the photographer includes a section of thumbnails with descriptions, stories about the room, or the shooting conditions, or even bitd of history. The thumbnails and text are at the back of the book with an arial shot and map showing the layout of the buildings. It really helps to peice together the history of Ellis Island. The quotes including add to the emotion behind the images, and I like that they were on parchment paper, so that you can see the pictures behind it. The books are being enjoyed by me and my mother, who is very interested in the hostory of Ellis Island, while I enjoy it for the photography. Great book to own, everyone should have a copy.

This is a beautiful photography book. I loved looking at the photographs. The images convey many emotions - both past and present. A must have for anyone whose ancestors came through Ellis Island.

As an artist, I purchased this after my artist friend showed it to me, to use as a guide for selecting particular colors and/or color combinations in abstract paintings. It is amazing that the light in the photos has been captured as it truly was--not altered or enhanced with SW to convey a particular mood. Everyone I have showed this to has been propelled to stop and look through every image in the book--it draws you in as you flip through the pages. The colors portray emotion. Content is one of a kind. Highly recommended.

THIS IS THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK I HAVE EVER SEEN. THE PHOTOS AND THE COLORS ARE SO EXTRAORDINARY. THIS BOOK WILL BE MY HOLIDAY GIFT I SEND OUT FOR 2006.

The photographer has really captured the feel of Ellis Island. A visit to the island is a must for people visiting New York. Whether this was the first stop for your ancestors on their arrival to the new world, or they came through other ports of entry, I think the general experiences were the same. All the feelings of expectation, fear, joy or the disappointment of making such a long journey only to be detained or turned back while in sight of the "promised land" are tangible in Stephen Wilkes' images.

The pictures speak of the passing of time with such a quietness. One can only imagine the complete opposite when Ellis Island was a sea of humanity speaking and crying and hoping while glimpsing NY's famed skyline so nearby. So many hopes realized, so many unfulfilled.

For five years author Stephen Wilkes explored and photographed the hospital complex which made up the south side of Ellis Island: an area neglected for nearly fifty years. His photos, presented in full-page, oversized and striking displays, are accompanied by overlay pages of impressions that make for a truly striking gathering. While ELLIS ISLAND is a pick for any collection strong in immigration history, it's reviewed here for its hard-hitting impact in the world of cultural photography, as well: not only college-level collections strong in immigration images but general-interest libraries and art libraries specializing in contemporary photography must have it.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As I read through this book, I was very aware of the voices of the past almost whispered from the photographs. A very sensative look at a part of our history that most people never learned much about. Wilkes has beautifully doccumented a moment in time that will never come again, and by his efforts, he has helped to save an important part of our American heritage.