Baldwin's slim lexicon is an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of photography. The 122 headwords are well defined and are amply illustrated with color and monochrome images. The vocabulary covers photographic processes from the early 19th century through the early/middle of the 20th. The lack of terms from the 1940s to the present is the one significant flaw in this book.
Unlike some dictionaries, one can easily sit down and read this from cover to cover, flipping around for definitions as necessary (terms elsewhere defined are printed in small-caps). Synonymous entries are cross-referenced to the primary entry.
Coverage of digital photography is minimal, but given the time it was written (1991) this is understandable. Also missing are terms like Kodachrome or Ektachrome (though mentioned in the entry for "Chromogenic Print"). Other terms I had hoped to see included 'Colorama', 'Land', 'Polaroid' (though this is alluded to in the entry for 'Dye Diffusion Print'), Giclees/Iris Prints, Lightjet Prints, Image Transfer, Emulsion Transfer, SX-70 manipulation, and no doubt many others I'm not thinking of right now.
The typography, layout, and printing of the book is outstanding. Heavy glossy pages do the reproduced images justice. Examples are well chosen and represent a range of photographer's and genres.
