The Fairest Fowl: Portraits of Championship Chickens [Paperback]

Ira Glass (Author), Tamara Staples (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

Chickens are bewitching birds: lush plumage, gleaming feathers, perfect thighs. But few meet the standard of perfection of the American poultry show, the beauty pageant of the barnyard and the true test of poultry pulchritude. In The Fairest Fowl, photographer Tamara Staples celebrates the champions of the chicken world at their best. Dozens of stunning portraits capture the quirky personality and undeniable grace of these noble birds as you've never seen them before. Location photography of the shows, details of the judging process, strategies from poultry farmers, and profiles of each prize breed set the scene and offer insight for the discerning chicken aficionado. And an appreciation of Staples' photography by public radio's Ira Glass of This American Life explores the finer points of chicken portraiture. Finally, chickens receive the respect they're due.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Time Out New York
Sometimes, the oddest book will grab you, for no rational reason. Such is the case with The Fairest Fowl: Portraits of Championship Chickens. Tamara Staples's "fashion-runway-style" shots of cocky, prancing specimens of poultry pulchritude are strangely... sexy. The accompanying text on the competition circuit and standards of perfection including plumage, combs and wattles is equally fascinating. Who knew?

About the Author

Tamara Staples was born and raised in the Carolinas, attended her first poultry show in 1988 with her uncle. After earning a degree in photography, she began to take portraits of the birds in earnest in 1998. Her work has appeared in Harper's Magazine, Utn

Ira Glass is the host of the award-winning public radio program This American Life. He lives in Chicago.

Product Details

• Paperback: 103 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081183137X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811831376
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #791,572 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful chicken book ever written, August 22, 2001

By 

Melanie B. McMurry (Edgewood, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fairest Fowl: Portraits of Championship Chickens (Paperback)

This is an amazing book. Anyone who has ever dealt with chickens would be amazed by these pictures. They are portraits (a portrait of a chicken? I would have thought it impossible)of the most amazingly beautiful birds. I just page through the book over and over again, transfixed by the beauty of these little farmyard creatures.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Fairest Fowl, December 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fairest Fowl: Portraits of Championship Chickens (Paperback)

The Fairest Fowl is a lovely book. It is a delight to see a book which actually presents good birds in good condition to the public. These are not your "run-of-the-mill" chickens, but rather well-bred, high quality birds who are a tribute to "the fancy." As a poultry exhibitor myself, I only wish the book had been more complete in its coverage of all the Classes of poultry (for example, no Langshans or large Cochins) since they are so beautifully presented.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feast your eyes, August 11, 2001

By 

William Newell (Rockford, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fairest Fowl: Portraits of Championship Chickens (Paperback)

This book is simply beautiful. I had no idea these birds were anything more than something to deep fry. But this photographer has shown that there are many beautiful, exotic, and downright strange looking breeds of chicken out there. The pictures have such amazing detail that I see something new on each viewing and the birds really seem to be posing. The essay at the end was interesting too, made me feel like I was there while Ms. Staples shot the photos. Highly recommended.