Customer Reviews

The Holy Land: Yesterday and Today

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This book pairs gorgeous lithographs made by David Roberts circa 1800 with photos of the sites as they appear today. Another volume "Jerusalem and the Holy Land Rediscovered : The Prints of David Roberts (1796-1864)" has somewhat better and larger reproductions of the lithographs, but lacks the photos. Personally, I think the photos are interesting, but "Jerusalem and the Holy Land Rediscovered : The Prints of David Roberts (1796-1864)" does a somewhat better job of capturing the magic of David Roberts.

I ordered both volumes, "Egypt, Yesterday and Today" and "The Holy Land, Yesterday and Today". Nothing could have ever destroyed the beauty of David Roberts work as this aweful production. Most plates are printed on two opposite pages in such a way that disrupts the sweeping landscape effect intended by Roberts. A third grade student could have seen that printing the book sideways in a landscape fashion would have allowed each plate to be reproduced on one page as in integral display exactly the way that Roberts intended it to be, with the text recent photograph on the opposite page.

It is fascinating how stupidity and terrible production can destroy magnificent artwork.

Any one who wants to know 'what was it like' before mondern man 'messed' it up, will love this book. To see how sites looked in the 1800's and now shows the stark contrast. Like going back in time.