Customer Reviews

Pioneer Photographers of the Far West: A Biographical Dictionary, 1840-1865

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Pioneer Photographers Of The Far West 1840-1865 is an impressive and unique compendium of some 1500 photographers, retouchers, printers, manufacturers and sellers of photographic instruments and stock, publishers, lithographers, and engravers who were active in western North America prior to 1865. Enhanced with around 250 illustrations (many of them published here for the first time), this meticulously researched and scholastically rigorous biographical reference is a definitive, exhaustive, authoritative, and documented contribution to the study of the early years of photographic history in general, and photography as it was first introduced to the western frontier in particular.

A great reference book and a very interesting read as well. Good illustrations and well written. A good addition to my library. I wish there was another in the set to cover western photographers thru to 1900.

I am slightly disappointed in this publication as I expected to see more photographic examples. Illustrations of the work of these photographers are few and far between. But it is well written and thorough and, no doubt, useful for scholars. Just not so interesting for the regular lay person interested in the history of photography who needs the occasional image to keep the interest flowing.

Seldom is a work of historical significance of such magnitude written in our generation. The pages come alive with the exquisite prose of Mr. Kailbourn. Tales of those that have come before us are given a new breath of life. This is a tome that all serious students of history should have under their mantles. This is a book that should be placed each night near the pillow as one sleeps. Enough with that Harry Potter twit and how many more letters of the alphabet must Sue Grafton exploit before we shall rise up and say no more. Well then say no more and order this book. P.S. Any relationship between this reviewer and the author is not a coincidence.