The Polaroid Book [Hardcover]

Barbara Hitchcock (Author), Steve Crist (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

In existence for over 50 years, the Polaroid Corporation's photography collection is the greatest collection of Polaroid images in the world. Begun by Polaroid founder Edwin Land and photographer Ansel Adams, the collection now includes images by hundreds of photographers throughout the world and contains important pieces by artists such as David Hockney, Helmut Newton, Jeanloup Sieff, and Robert Rauschenberg. The Polaroid Book, a survey of this remarkable collection, pays tribute to a medium that defies the digital age and remains a favorite among artists for its quirky look and instantly gratifying, one-of-kind images. ? over 400 works from the Polaroid Collection ? essay by Polaroid's Barbara Hitchcock illuminating the beginnings and history of the collection ? technical reference section featuring the various types of Polaroid cameras

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Includes

- over 400 works from the Polaroid Collection
- essay by Polaroid’s Barbara Hitchcock illuminating the beginnings and history of the collection
- technical reference section featuring the various types of Polaroid cameras

About the Author

Steve Crist is the photography editor for TASCHEN, where he recently produced Marilyn by Andre de Dienes and Steve McQueen by William Claxton. He is currently working with Hugh Hefner on Hugh Hefner's Playboy, as well as on books with famed writer Hunter S. Thompson and on William Claxton's forthcoming Jazz opus Jazztife. A California native, Steve is based at the TASCHEN America offices in Los Angeles. Barbara Hitchcock is the director of cultural affairs for the Polaroid Corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts. She acquires fine art photographs for Polaroid and is responsible for managing its traveling exhibitions and multi-million dollar art collections. She has been the curator of several national exhibitions and currently serves on the Photography Collection Committee of Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822830720
• ISBN-13: 978-3822830727
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,301,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the BEST photo compilations ever!!!, October 12, 2005

By 

PJ Ray (Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Polaroid Book (Hardcover)

My dad bought a Polaroid Land Camera (of the peel-apart type) before I was born... to take pictures of his chubby firstborn (that would be me, BTW).

Ever since, the sharp, colorful and amazingly stable little prints became part of our family's memory. My love for pictures was definitely boosted by the instant gratification offered by an SX-70 camera, which I still own and use after 25+ years, as well as a brand new Jobpro 600.

"The Polaroid Book" is a must for any hardcore Polaroid fan. Lotsa pictures, beautifully printed, with absolute respect for the authors' vision (Ansel Adams, Joyce Tenneson and Bill Allard, to mention only three of them). Nevertheless, the book's greatest virtue is to prove, without any doubt, that beautiful and creative work can be achieved with the simplest tools and the sheer power of imagination.

Polaroid is still alive and well, and this book is the best supporting evidence. Now, I'll just lay back and wait for that new new-old stock Polaroid Nightcam that I bought on the company's website. Let's see what that 600 film-munching baby can do.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a SEXY book!!!, December 3, 2005

By 

Kimberly Ripley "stoopidgerl" (Mount Clemens, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Polaroid Book (Hardcover)

WOW... words can't even begin to describe how much I love this book! It's about time they released a book like this! And the wrapper of this book is genius! It looks like a gigantic box of Polaroid film... I didn't even want to remove the cover at first... I fondled it for awhile and then I slowly peeled it off and curled up on the couch for an hour or two and looked at all the pretty pictures.
This book is highly recommended for any Polaroid enthusiast! And if you want to see some great 'roids on the net- check out Polanoid.net!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful, detailed guide, June 7, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: The Polaroid Book (Hardcover)

Visual eye candy compiled by Steve Crist from the archives of the "Polaroid Collections of Photography" are presented in The Polaroid Book, a delightful display highly recommended for photography collections at the college and public library levels. Most color and some duotone shots are presented one to a page for maximum impact. The artist index and polaroid model styles are in the back, so as not to detract from the image impacts. A delightful, detailed guide to what the camera can do at its best.