Michigan's Heritage Barns [Hardcover]

Mary Keithan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1999

During her time as an art student in New York City, Mary Keithan never imagined that one day she would drive the state of Michigan's labyrinthine back roads in search of architectural subjects for her photographs. But, in 1990, shortly after acquiring an 8" x 10" view camera, she began just such an odyssey. In the process she captured on film and preserved images of the rural landscape's most endangered visual treasures, its aging, historic barns.  
    Many of her "subjects" are in poor condition; many no longer stand. And while we might expect a photographic series on aging barns to be a sad chronicle of America's rural decline, instead Keithan gives us a visual story of endurance and perseverance, of a way of life that in our modern times continues to thrive.  
    What Keithan has captured with her camera and presented in Michigan's Heritage Barns is enriched with her own narrative, often including interesting histories from the barn owners themselves. Photographs from most of Michigan's eighty counties are included to create a collection that celebrates Michigan's rural heritage as no other does. To use Theodore Roethke's words, it is a visual hymn to "nobility of soul at odds with circumstance."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Keithan is a professional photographer living in Ray, MI. Her 1995 image, "Desert Strom Barn," was selected by New York Times critic Vicki Goldberg for the Light Impression Biennial.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Michigan State University Press; 1 edition (December 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870135201
• ISBN-13: 978-0870135200
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 11.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding photographic history/survey of Michigan's barns., April 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Michigan's Heritage Barns (Hardcover)

In 1990 the author purchased a camera and began a trip across Michigan's back roads in search of old barns to photography: this is the culmination of her journey, adding historic notes which will prove particularly interesting to residents of Michigan as well as those studying old structures. The black and white images have themselves become history: many of these old barns no longer stand.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Photos!, September 28, 2000

By 

Douglas Vandenberg (Commerce Twp., MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Michigan's Heritage Barns (Hardcover)

This book has great photos but I was expecting more information about the people who built the different styles of barns. The background information is really missing in this book.