Customer Reviews

Forgotten Faces: A Window Into Our Immigrant Past (Forgotten Faces - America's Lost History)

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

 

 

Forgotten Faces offers a surprisingly detailed look into our history. The text is easily read. Although the portraits are the heart of the book, the author's descriptions and insights enliven the images.
I was impressed by the breadth of knowledge about the portraits. Questions I had while reading were often answered in a following chapter. The book is a pleasantly thorough treatment of a little known area of our history.
This book has left me with a new outlook on memorials in general and with a hope that around the country further research into these memorial portraits will be undertaken.

Galleys and unfinished titles typically aren't mentioned here but keep an eye out for the finished version of FORGOTTEN FACES: A WINDOW NTO OUR IMMIGRANT PAST: it's a unique coverage of photo-ceramic memorial grave portraits and provides an outstanding survey of memorial portraiture as its own art form. This could have been mentioned under our art review section but is featured here for its important cultural insights as well: California immigrant history comes to life in an outstanding visual and written survey of a unique art and memorial form which should not be missed.

Forgotten Faces explores a unique aspect of America's history - the photo-ceramic memorial portraits upon tombstones, long-forgotten art in plain sight. Black-and-white photographs througout reveal the skill and emotion behind these images, which remain perfectly preserved despite ornamenting tombstones for almost a century. The text discusses epitaphs and inscriptions on the tombstones with the portraits, as well as surveying what is known about the men and women whose likenesses have been captured to heartrending perfection. Images of immigrants from 28 nations from cemeteries in various American and European locations combine to create a unique cross-section of photographic art and history combined.

Forgotten Faces is one of those rare books that can catch your interest on a number of levels. For me it was not just the historical aspect but also the genealogical. I was raised in SF and while growing up went with my parents to visit our departed friends and family in the Colma Cemetaries every other Sunday. The faces on those stones and in the book were very familiar to me, one face and account I knew well, the others I had always speculated on. It was wonderful to finally place them and read some of their stories.

I went ahead and gave the book five stars, even though there were numerous typos, they did not distract from the overall message of the book. Since the author was very exact in his research and the telling of my Aunt Bridie's story, I would assume the other stories are as accurate as well. I would have loved to have a hard bound edition but was unable to locate one.

I whole heartedly agree that all memorial portraits should be valued as true works of art, they are indeed a beautiful final testament to a loved ones life and death. Overall it contains an interestingly wonderful collection of historical portraitures and engaging stories. Thank you to Mr. Horne for such beautiful photos and documentation.