Inside Havana [Hardcover]

Andrew Moore (Photographer), Andy Grundberg (Preface), Eduardo Luis Rodriguez (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

An elegant hotel now serving as an elementary school...the parlor of a grand mansion transformed into a barbershop...these are Havanas most intimate spaces. Having enjoyed four years of unprecedented access to the private interiors of Cubas capital, Andrew Moore has created an unrivaled portrait of both its legendary historic architecture and the citys inner life. These rich and elegiac images capture intimate details and sensuous moods, creating an open-ended drama that unfolds with each viewing. Painterly light lends grandeur to Havanas most unlikely landmarks. Andrew Moores work is distinguished by its singular perspective, one that combines a documentarians love of subject and story with an unexpected poetry.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Andrew Moore's large-format color photographs offer breathtaking views of the Cuban capital's crumbling baroque splendor in Inside Havana. The photographs, a mix of street scenes and interiors, show color-saturated stucco storefronts and dilapidated courtyards. Residents seem dwarfed by their improbably high-ceilinged apartments, with huge transomed windows and faded, chipping walls. Russophilic communist kitsch mingles with antique furniture and modern electronics. The book shows off a range of Cuban architecture from colonial-era neoclassical to art nouveau to the "revolutionary" architecture of the 1960s and includes a preface by critic Andy Grundberg (Crisis of the Real) and an introduction by Cuban architect and historian Eduardo Luis Rodriguez.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Andrew Moore is known for his large-format color photographs of architectural subjects. His prints are represented in museum collections internationally. He is a professor of photography at Princeton University and lives in New York.

Andy Grundberg is a critic and independent curator who lives in Washington, D.C.

Eduardo Rodriguez is a Cuban architect, historian, and editor of the journal Arquitectura Cuba. He lives in Havana.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811833437
• ISBN-13: 978-0811833431
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #665,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars captured complexity, January 30, 2003

By 

K. Fletcher (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Havana (Hardcover)

I have had the opportunity to travel in Cuba on more than one occasion and am profoundly drawn to the people and the environment. Though I often times feel that photographic books do not adequately capture the essence of "real" places, I have found this book to be descriptive beyond words. The photographs tell a story of collapse and revival -- of time lost -- of hope -- of battle -- of corrosion -- of endurance.... Havana is alluring and repulsive in the same glance. Few photographers can capture such complexity in a single image. This book is amazing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dynamic stillness in these mesmerizing photos, January 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Inside Havana (Hardcover)

Although I have never been to Cuba and would never presume to know what it must be like to have lived through the revolution, i wanted to respond to Dr. Andrew's review of this book. It is clear to me that this gentleman has very stong feelings of sorrow and anger about what has become of Havana. As a person who had no agenda when i opened this book, i wanted to say that what strikes me most here is the beauty of this city. Much like the face of an older person who has lived through much joy and much suffering, there is a kind of beauty here which is born of experience and wisdom. Havana is what it is. It is the product of history, of conflict, of a vibrant culture and an indomitable energy. All of this is apparent to me when i look at these photos. In one sense, one could say that these images reveal a Havana "frozen in time," but we all know that in truth, nothing can be frozen in time, as much as we might wish it to be so. For better or for worse, life is change. I find in these photos a mesmerizing stillness. But it's the kind of stillness one sees in a perfectly balanced spinning top, a dynamic stillness. I find no moral or political judgement behind these pictures, but simply an ability to be present to what is here, and to reflect it's inherent beauty.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Linger over the beautiful details - the perfect table book, January 3, 2003

By 

elzol (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Havana (Hardcover)

The gloriously detailed images in this expertly photographed book will linger on in your mind long after you view them. I find myself returning to most of the images, getting lost in the colors and nostalgic environments, longing to hear stories of days gone past. This book makes it to the very top of the pile of books on my coffee table. Highly recommend.