Slow Burn: A Photodocument of Centralia, Pennsylvania [Paperback]

Renee Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1986 | ISBN-10: 0812212355 | ISBN-13: 978-0812212358

First published in 1986, "Slow Burn" chronicles Centralia's demise from an underground coal mine fire and depicts a singular epic event in Pennsylvania history, representing the confluence of environmental, scientific, bureaucratic, and emotional tragedies. As an award-winning photojournalist, Jacobs moved into a house in Centralia's impact zone in 1983 to document in photographs and interviews the end stages of the tiny anthracite coal town's unsuccessful fight to resolve the intractable problems that began with the mine fire in 1962 and culminated in the razing of the town by the federal government.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First discovered in 1962, an apparently inextinguishable mine fire beneath Centralia, Pa., has made the once-charming area resemble a ghost town. Jacobs tells the story of the fire and recounts, in poignant interviews and photographs, the residents' tough choice between staying and resettling. Some people remain, clinging to memories of better times and hoping that the fire will move or be put out, while others have accepted government money and relocated elsewhere. From Todd Domboski's account of falling into a dangerous hole in his grandmother's backyard to Helen Womer's decision to stay in Centralia no matter what happens, this book is filled with stories of courage in the face of an invisible enemy.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Renee Jacobs went on to study environmental law as a result of her work in Centralia. She practiced civil rights and constitutional law for fifteen years. In 2007 she returned to photography. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Pennsylvania Pr (November 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812212355
• ISBN-13: 978-0812212358
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,312,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting, if hard to find item, November 29, 2004

By 

Michael Webb (Kalamazoo, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Slow Burn: A Photodocument of Centralia, Pennsylvania (Paperback)

Anyone interested in the Centralia mine fire will quickly find that the amount of published material about it is rather sparse. Most people run into Unseen Danger rather early in their hunt, which is an excellent overview work, but for those of us who hunger for more, books like Slow Burn start to creep onto the radar.

This title was published in 1986, and is almost 150 pages, approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of which are large black and white photos of the town and its residents.

While not being a scholarly book in the traditional sense, it offers several fascinating vignettes of the town as seen through the eyes of its residents and gives some insight as to the personal struggles that people had to go through when deciding to leave their homes behind and resettle (or not in some cases). As such, it can serve as a primary document for those of us interested in the historical / social side of the disaster, though given the recent nature of the events, tracking down the former residents would still be possible with a little legwork. That said, if one is looking for a primary source without actually digging out the phone book, this is a nice option.

Overall, I think the book is a worthy addition to the home library of any Centralia-phile, though the price can obviously be prohibitive at times due to the popularity of the subject and obscurity of the book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Photo Document of the Centralia Story, January 12, 2005

By 

P. Anderson "P. Anderson" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Slow Burn: A Photodocument of Centralia, Pennsylvania (Paperback)

The photos in this book (and a radio interview in Philadelphia with the author in 1986) started me on what became a very deep interest to me-the story of Centralia. I was furtunate enough to buy a copy at that time (along with "Unseen Danger"). I just returned from 9 years on the West coast (I'm a native Philly boy)and hadn't ever heard of this town or the mine fire.

I got to see the town starting at time when the book came out--the town was starting to be gradually razed to the ground. I was a regular vistor during those and subsequent years, although not as much these days.

I think this book is excellent on many levels--as a documentation of the tragic end of a town and the dispursing of its inhabitants; as a humanistic photo essay--the people of Centralia are captured and portrayed in a compassionate manner of the best humanistic photo journalists--

A moving tribute to the people of Centralia and what was a long and painful deterioration and end of what had been their town and their home.

I hope it comes back in print for those of you who also find the place and its story so compelling.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars NOT a photo essay, per se..., June 17, 2010

By 

Karl logan "Karl L." (new york) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Slow Burn: A Photodocument of Centralia, Pennsylvania (Keystone Book) (Keystone Books (Pennsylvania State Paperback)) (Paperback)

Probably the most important point that I can make about this book is that it is NOT really a photo-packed review of the actual town and fire itself. It focuses primarily on the people of Centralia, and would be a great companion book to have open while you are reading say, "Fire Underground; The Ongoing Tragedy of the Centralia Mine Fire" by David DeKirk.

It has a lot of the featured and talked-about people who weave in and out of the story. The photos are poignant and in Black and White, but there are very little photos of the actual town or the mine fire itself.