Customer Reviews

San Francisco: Portrait of a City

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San Francisco, Portrait of a City by Lawrence Migdale is well-named for that is exactly what it is. The beautiful full-page photographs in this hard-cover book give a true and complete portrait of the city by the Bay. From the Golden Gate to parks, fairs, neighborhoods, churches, and the people, you will see the city as it is in its own daily life. The book is a lovely coffee table piece. The only text identifies the photos. Migdale, a well-known photographer for three decades, has photographs included in the famous George Eastman House in Rochester, NY.

Boats ripple along the surface of the dock of a marina, a rock on a lonely beach frames the famous red Golden Gate bridge, a boy's face is reflected in the coloured lights of a display at the Exploratorium. These are just some of the many varied images in San Francisco, by Oakland-based photographer Lawrence Migdale. This book consists of over 100 photographs of the city which entranced the South African-born Migdale over thirty years ago. His lens wanders from buildings to pageantry, such as the Fiesta Filipina, the biggest Filipino Festival in America. His photos take in people enjoying this, one of America's most famous and iconic cities, in restaurants and on beaches, in museums and eavesdrops on a quiet conversation at the San Francisco Art Institute. He showcases both the modern and the old, from the stark white lines of the Mission Dolores Church, the oldest building in the city, to the clean, triangular lines of Transamerica Pyramid, completed in 1972, designed to withstand earthquakes, another feature of this city on the bay. Migdale's photos make the ordinary extraordinary, such as the photograph of the approach to the airport where signs juggle for attention, drawing your eye constantly around the image. Hymn and love letter to a city where so many emigrants have wandered, stayed and made their home - as has Migdale.

A wonderful pictorial tour of a charming and glorious city. It's clear that Lawrence Migdale know his way around San Francisco -every vantage point has been chosen with careful consideration to maximize the effect of the depicted location. By the time you've completed this visual tour you'll feel like you've been there in both body and spirit and will appreciate Migdale's heartfelt affection for America's favorite city.

This book captures the amazing diversity of architecture, scenery, and delights of San Francisco. I've never seen my favorite city look so appealing on the pages of a book. I'm giving it as presents to my family around the country so they can see the beauty of where I live.

This book has incredible photos of San Francisco and the surrounding area. It gives you a great idea of things to do and see, both the traditional tourist activities as well as some wonderful out-of-the-ordinary locations. high quality color reproduction. Highly recommend.