With an exacting eye for celebrities and their possessions, the Swiss-born, New York-based photographer Henry Leutwyler has portrayed the faces and the lives of the famous for virtually every one of the world's most prominent magazines. Leutwyler has a gift for the meticulous rendering of possessions and culturally significant artifacts (Andy Warhol's paintbrush, Bob Dylan's harmonica, Janis Joplin's guitar), and Neverland Lost presents his record of the contents of the late Michael Jackson's famous Peter Pan paradise at the Neverland Ranch, in Santa Barbara, California. Leutwyler gained privileged access to Jackson's possessions when they were due to be auctioned off (but were eventually withdrawn), shortly before Jackson's death on June 25, 2009. Creating incredible taxonomies of Jackson's huge array of possessions, as they were briefly exhibited at the Ranch, Leutwyler subjects these items to a degree of scrutiny that makes the viewer feel she or he could slip on one of those iconic spangly gloves. It is of course Jackson's performance accessories-the accessories by which he was instantly identifiable to all, such as the gloves, the hats and shoes-that leap out of this fascinating volume. Laying bare the components and props of the Michael Jackson myth, these photographs create a strange and fantastical visual story of "The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up," at the moment he was forced to leave Neverland.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By J. Leone
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a beautiful picture book of extremely close-up photos of Michael's items- many of them pieces of his clothing. The famous "gold pants" and the gold "onesie" are even included.
I loved looking at the construction of these iconic costumes- makeup stains and all. All I could think of was that these held his wonderful, rhythmic body and I thought of all the performances I watched on YouTube of him performing in them.
It was also very sad to see items wrapped and taped to be removed from the house. Neverland was Michael's dream home. A place where he could have the fun he never got to have as a child. A place where inner city kids and children with terminal illnesses, could have one day of fun- even when he wasn't there.
IMO, it is a shame that the DA, Tom Sneddon, and his seventy some officers desecrated it. I think the term "overkill" could apply here. Their ransacking of Michael's home made it a place to which Michael vowed never to return- and he never did. His dreams had been shattered.
This book allows us to see the magic that was Michael Jackson. He is now finally free of the non-stop media/tabloid bashing. It is a scary world in which a human being could be so methodically and sytematically set upon to be destroyed as Michael Jackson was. I'm surprised he survived as long as he did and that he still ws able to keep his loving and giving heart. As Maya Angelou wrote, "We had him. And we are the world." Too bad we didn't take care of him.
I loved looking at the construction of these iconic costumes- makeup stains and all. All I could think of was that these held his wonderful, rhythmic body and I thought of all the performances I watched on YouTube of him performing in them.
It was also very sad to see items wrapped and taped to be removed from the house. Neverland was Michael's dream home. A place where he could have the fun he never got to have as a child. A place where inner city kids and children with terminal illnesses, could have one day of fun- even when he wasn't there.
IMO, it is a shame that the DA, Tom Sneddon, and his seventy some officers desecrated it. I think the term "overkill" could apply here. Their ransacking of Michael's home made it a place to which Michael vowed never to return- and he never did. His dreams had been shattered.
This book allows us to see the magic that was Michael Jackson. He is now finally free of the non-stop media/tabloid bashing. It is a scary world in which a human being could be so methodically and sytematically set upon to be destroyed as Michael Jackson was. I'm surprised he survived as long as he did and that he still ws able to keep his loving and giving heart. As Maya Angelou wrote, "We had him. And we are the world." Too bad we didn't take care of him.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By UnoU1it
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm not sure what I had hoped to find in this book...maybe I thought it would finally show the world the "essence" of Michael - what made him tick, so to speak. Maybe I hoped for stories about the items, like who made them, or when he obtained them. There have been so many books recently published about Michael that one has to admit he affected THE WORLD in many ways, whether they listened to his music or not. Once and for all, I hoped it would be positive attention for the man that gave us so much.
This picture book opens our eyes to a few of the items the photographer had access to during his initial assignment to photograph the iconic white glove for which Michael Jackson was so well known. During his first visit, Leutwyler saw a "story" aching to be told. Although he waited years to tell that tale, he did a fair job of it in these pages.
Published with no dialogue, save the Epilogue on the last two pages, Leutwyler shows us the detail that went into Michael's costumes and gloves. He shows us a few of the pieces of simple art and magnificent jewelry that Michael owned -- and the care that went into each piece is evident in the crystal clear photographs. Some of the costumes show wear or makeup and that allows us to see Michael as more than a musical genius, more than an icon, more than a humanitarian. Perhaps, he would not personally have chosen these items for this book, but he was willing to part with them at auction someday (which means he was willing to allow us to see them in this state of disrepair at some point).
The child-like quality of some of the items lets us see into Michael's heart and how much he yearned for a more complete childhood than he had...remember, he worked on stage since the age of 5! Looking at his collection of Wizard of Oz characters and his dog-eared copy of Peter Pan, we see the tenderness his heart possessed. Viewing the actual gold pants and the glittered shoes, we are able to remember the moments we first saw him wear them, which takes us back to the days when he could do no wrong.
The throne and crown were definitely befitting a king; there will never be another King of Pop...and really, who could ever overcome this man's giant footprint on our culture? Michael Jackson was one of a kind, as many of the items in this book reveals. He had an eclectic taste that spanned all genres, all cultures, all ages, and strove to sustain them in his home - far from the maddening glare of the world's attention.
When Sneddon destroyed Jackson's blissful peace at Neverland, he took more than a house from Michael; he took a large amount of joy from him that could never be replaced. Joy that Michael had created to restore himself after tours and personal appearances; joy that Michael had provided for countless underprivileged children through visits to Neverland; joy that showed his goodwill to others even when they had not shown him kindness. After Sneddon was finished, the home was only a shell - a place that had been mercilessly ransacked and had issued -- nothing but innocence. That joyful peace was taken from him, as so much else was taken during the years through virulent media presentation. And yet, Michael still believed he could somehow Heal our World up to his last day.
Yes, he was rich; yes, he was famous; yes, he traveled the world freely; yes, he had the adoration of millions of people everywhere. But what made him happy? Perhaps, these trinkets tell a part of that story. After all, who among us does not collect something in our lifetimes? What would our books of prized possessions contain? This book makes you "think".
We can never know what might have been, but we can look back at the things that once gave him a smile. Maybe I did find what I was looking for when I bought this book -- a small peek into Michael's "happiness" wish list. Inanimate objects cannot lie about you or cheat you, and sometimes they can provide great comfort in times of stress...and we know Michael was given a lot of stress during his lifetime! As I looked through this book many times, I found something new with each viewing.
Neverland Lost does not show us ALL that was Michael Jackson, and there are no stories inside...but it shows us something many people forgot in his later years...that this famous, mesmerizing personality was human.
This picture book opens our eyes to a few of the items the photographer had access to during his initial assignment to photograph the iconic white glove for which Michael Jackson was so well known. During his first visit, Leutwyler saw a "story" aching to be told. Although he waited years to tell that tale, he did a fair job of it in these pages.
Published with no dialogue, save the Epilogue on the last two pages, Leutwyler shows us the detail that went into Michael's costumes and gloves. He shows us a few of the pieces of simple art and magnificent jewelry that Michael owned -- and the care that went into each piece is evident in the crystal clear photographs. Some of the costumes show wear or makeup and that allows us to see Michael as more than a musical genius, more than an icon, more than a humanitarian. Perhaps, he would not personally have chosen these items for this book, but he was willing to part with them at auction someday (which means he was willing to allow us to see them in this state of disrepair at some point).
The child-like quality of some of the items lets us see into Michael's heart and how much he yearned for a more complete childhood than he had...remember, he worked on stage since the age of 5! Looking at his collection of Wizard of Oz characters and his dog-eared copy of Peter Pan, we see the tenderness his heart possessed. Viewing the actual gold pants and the glittered shoes, we are able to remember the moments we first saw him wear them, which takes us back to the days when he could do no wrong.
The throne and crown were definitely befitting a king; there will never be another King of Pop...and really, who could ever overcome this man's giant footprint on our culture? Michael Jackson was one of a kind, as many of the items in this book reveals. He had an eclectic taste that spanned all genres, all cultures, all ages, and strove to sustain them in his home - far from the maddening glare of the world's attention.
When Sneddon destroyed Jackson's blissful peace at Neverland, he took more than a house from Michael; he took a large amount of joy from him that could never be replaced. Joy that Michael had created to restore himself after tours and personal appearances; joy that Michael had provided for countless underprivileged children through visits to Neverland; joy that showed his goodwill to others even when they had not shown him kindness. After Sneddon was finished, the home was only a shell - a place that had been mercilessly ransacked and had issued -- nothing but innocence. That joyful peace was taken from him, as so much else was taken during the years through virulent media presentation. And yet, Michael still believed he could somehow Heal our World up to his last day.
Yes, he was rich; yes, he was famous; yes, he traveled the world freely; yes, he had the adoration of millions of people everywhere. But what made him happy? Perhaps, these trinkets tell a part of that story. After all, who among us does not collect something in our lifetimes? What would our books of prized possessions contain? This book makes you "think".
We can never know what might have been, but we can look back at the things that once gave him a smile. Maybe I did find what I was looking for when I bought this book -- a small peek into Michael's "happiness" wish list. Inanimate objects cannot lie about you or cheat you, and sometimes they can provide great comfort in times of stress...and we know Michael was given a lot of stress during his lifetime! As I looked through this book many times, I found something new with each viewing.
Neverland Lost does not show us ALL that was Michael Jackson, and there are no stories inside...but it shows us something many people forgot in his later years...that this famous, mesmerizing personality was human.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Laura
Format:Hardcover
Inanimate objects - gilded, spangled, autographed, stained - provide insights into the man missing from every picture. Lush yet stark images mirror the complexity of their owner. There is an occasional glimpse of a larger story, such as packing crates in the background or makeup on a collar. But most photos are of a single, unadorned object and viewers must remember, deduce or imagine the context. A tour de force.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Its ok
It's basically pictures of Michael Jackson's stuff while in storage. It's a bit sad to see. The book is lovely quality hard bound coffee table worthy book. Read more
Published 27 days ago by That Pirate Chick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book
Good Book. Makes you think. Michael Jackson will always be the greatest entertainer this world has ever had an opportunity to see and hear.
Fast shipping. Read more
Fast shipping. Read more
Published 3 months ago by James W. Stephens Jr.
3.0 out of 5 stars
It was ok pictures
But I did not really like the presentation of Michael's cloths with unlaundred parts on them, it was distasteful to me and he seems to have made sure it was seen. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Wanda L. Polnitz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Precious memories
Looking through this book gives me mixed emotions. Seeing the clothing that Michael actually wore, complete with a little makeup on the collar, a re-soled shoe kind of brings... Read more
Published 13 months ago by cassie71
3.0 out of 5 stars
Its a nice book, but...
It is a nice book, but I would have liked to have a little information about each item. Who made it? When and why did he picked that particular item to wear? Read more
Published 23 months ago by gonetoosoon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Neverland
i would recommend this book to its entirety. When my mum opened she was overjoyed and commented that this was a great book, which showed intimate and up close pictures of Michael's... Read more
Published on January 12, 2011 by Esta
5.0 out of 5 stars
Holding Memories
Some say that inanimate objects have a presence or a sense of being. This photographer has captured a few of Michael's items and presented them on the pages in such a way that we... Read more
Published on August 12, 2010 by S. Wilder
3.0 out of 5 stars
M J book
I am not sure that this book is really worth what is being charged for it. It had some great photos in it though.
Published on July 17, 2010 by Mary Singer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Book
This book is beautiful, and sad as well. MIchael owned some beautiful items, and I think fans will enjoy looking at them in this book. Beautiful photographs.
Published on June 25, 2010 by subwolley
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