Customer Reviews

Paris Then and Now (Then & Now)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anyone who has come to know and love central Paris--the 'theme park' areas that capture its historical essence--will find this book charmingly evocative. In the sense of being able to revisit those places, many of them typical tourist attractions, the book is satisfying. The problem of not duplicating the precise angle and POV of the original 'then' photographs, raised by another reviewer, is relatively trivial and technical. The 'now' shots capture their subjects well. No photographer will 'see' a scene, place or person the same way and from an aesthetic standpoint the 'now' photos are satisfying and professionally executed, and book production is first rate.

If one had to carp, and that's what a review is for in part, one might wonder why the authors did not take the opportunity to broaden their canvases slightly to include 'then' paintings--such as the paintings executed from the balloon's-eye view conceived during the 1871 siege of the city (able to be seen today at the brilliant Le Bourget Musee de L'Air et de L'Espace) vs. 'now' photographs, for example to illustrate the notable Peripherique, and to compare previously fallow pieces of the city 'then' vs. their current situations, such as, for example, the stunning La Defense structures.

All in all, however, for what it is, the book is pleasing and will bring back many happy memories to Francophiles. Of course there are innumerable books of photos covering Paris, and naturally there are favorite places not covered in this book or not handled the way the individual reader might like, but on the whole this is a workmanlike job that captures its subject competently.

(Apologies to readers who will note, correctly, the absence of appropriate French accents in this review--not offered by Amazon's word processing system.)

Paris is, I think, the second most beautiful city in the world (full disclosure: I live in Rome, which is tops in my book) and so I was eager to take a look at this book when I saw it at a friends' house.

I was already familiar with the Then and Now series after receiving the Rome edition of the book for Christmas, and after seeing this book I can only conclude that what I had chalked up as weaknesses in the Rome book may just be faults in the series.

The central idea for the book is charmingly simple: the left-hand pages feature old photos of some of Paris' best-known spots, and the right-hand side of each page is made up of modern shots of the same sites.

The biggest problem is hard not to notice: the angles of the photos on the right are very often not taken from the same angle as the older images. I found this to be so puzzling as to be irritating. I think it shows a lack of planning on the part of the book's editors, and it also robs the reader of being able to make a complete comparison between the way things were and the way they are -- a process that is the book's very raison d'ętre.

I admit my patience for such sloppiness had already been tried with the Rome book, but the sins seem even greater here.

I also rue the absence of a table of contents listing the photographs in order, another weakness that now appears to be a characteristic of the series.

I'm not sure how likely these issues are to be solved in future editions, since by my count nearly 30 photos would have to be re-shot in order to solve the largest problems. But if the editors would like to release a book that reaches this volume's potential, they'd better get snapping.

This book is amazing....having been to Paris twice in a lifetime.A dream come true twice... I can only say that you will love this book! If you have been to Paris..want to go to Paris...love history,photography,know someone who does and want a great gift...do yourself a favour and get this book.

I got it for my wife for Christmas. You will not be disappointed.It took us both back to Paris.Bon Voyage encore et encore avec this book.Order this book..get a bottle of wine...put on some French music and Enjoy!

This is a beautiful book to read that gives you brief specific accurate information about the past and present locations,and the pictrues are brilliant. I've visited most of these locations. A beautiful book to aquire.

Paris is a city synonymous with photography; site of Daguerre's, Hippolyte Bayard's and others' invention and reinvention of the medium, which was famously exploited at the turn of the 20th century by Atget to preserve what he loved of old Paris. The present-day streetwise imagery of Jehsong Baak is exemplary of photographers' continuing documentation and affectionate evocation of Paris. With thousands of images of the City of Light to draw upon, many of them indelibly famous and etched into our collective memory, one must ask why this book is not more inspiring.

It is clear the aim was to choose the earliest image of each site where possible, and yes the early images are often rare and intriguing, and the commentary, though brief, goes some way to satisfying our curiosity about them around . What comes across historically is that the city we now see has been in a state of constant transformation and in fact was rescued from disaster at several points since the commencement of the photographic record, including the destructive periods of Haussmann's Renovation, the Franco-Prussian War, the Siege of Paris, and the Commune, 1910 floods, the WW1 bombardment by the 'Paris Gun', and the Occupation and Liberation. But sometimes the more evocative images of Paris might have been sourced from later in the lineage, still historic, but more iconic.

It is the contemporary photographs that disappoint; not enough has been done to replicate the viewpoint or the perspective of the original. The photographer Simon Clay makes useful comparative images, but too often opts for camera with a wider lens without considering how so many of the earlier photographers were at pains to render the architectural qualities of their subjects using a longer focal length. His use of lens shift, to preserve parallel architectural verticals, establishes his professional approach to the commission, but re-photography by 2003 (when this book was published) had become a highly refined and specialised genre, through the efforts of such workers as Mark Klett. Christopher Rauschenberg's "Rephotographing Atget" Project (1989-2005) is an excellent example and the 'now' photographs in this book do not come up to that high standard of accuracy. Had the editors chosen street photographs by Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Andre Kertesz, Ed van der Elsken or others the smaller-format colour-image approach would have made matches with greater impact.

This is a great concept which it would be exciting to see realised through more considered sourcing from the full richness of the archive of this, the most photographed city.

A gift for my sister, I'm sure she'll love it! I have the New York version & they are great books! Recommended!

We are planning a trip to Paris and looking at these pictures is a fun way to increase our familiarity with different Paris features and landmarks with a bit of history thrown in. Not a book to set down and read cover to cover, but excellent coffee table book to spend a few minutes here or there to dream. Can't beat the price either.

Excellent book for less than $10. Received it in better condition than expected, and on time.

Thanks.

this is a book well worth getting as it shows paris in all it's glory

The product was exactly as i thought it would be. The service was great and I look forward to future purchases.