Small Town America (PC): The Missouri Photo Workshops 1949-1991 [Paperback]

Clifton C. Edom (Author), Vilia C. Edom (Author), Verna Mae Edom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1993

These documentary photographs are the best from the University of Missouri Photography Workshop's 43 years--truly an historical record of the heartbeat of America--of family, of tradition, of change. Small town America's uniqueness and universality is revealed in 215 duotone prints.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Clifton C. Edom founded the Missouri Photographic Workshop in 1949. Through his work with the workshop he became known as the father of photojournalism education. An instinctive alchemist and catalyst, he was less a teacher than a dominating presence.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing (October 6, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555911684
• ISBN-13: 978-1555911683
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,426,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A rural richness, June 12, 2006

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Small Town America (PC): The Missouri Photo Workshops 1949-1991 (Paperback)

'Small Town America' seems an obvious choice for a photobook title but I doubt there has been anything published as good as this since Sherwood Anderson's 1940 'Home Town'. The 215 black and white photos reflect life in rural Missouri from the early fifties to the late eighties and it is all student work. In case this puts you off remember that these students had the benefit of some remarkable faculty members, Russell Lee for instance was part of the team for many years and his boss at the FSA, Roy Stryker taught in 1949 and 1957.

Visually the book is divided into four chapters, On Main Streets, Heart of the Country, A Place Called Home and chapter four has three photo essays covering a Joplin school in 1962, the Hannibal flood of 1986 and a family in Neosho during 1981. The three main chapters nicely run the photos out of date order though it seems to me that the earlier photos reflect the photojournalism techniques of the thirties and forties with their content-rich imagery. One of the really great ideas about Photo Workshop was that each year a different location was chosen so that the students were not photographing in the same place each year.

Look through the book several times, as I have over the years and you'll get a clear impression of small town America with a very human face. The book was published in 1993, perhaps it's time for an update to see how the students have seen rural Missouri since then and in color.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, February 15, 2005

By 

S. J Parker (Edmond, Ok) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Small Town America (PC): The Missouri Photo Workshops 1949-1991 (Paperback)

A vivid chronicle of the heartbeat of America as glimpsed thorugh the daily life in small towns.

Clifton C. Edom founded the Missouri Photographic Workshop in 1949. Through his work with the workshop he became known as the father of photojournalism education. An instinctive alchemist and catalyst, he was less a teacher than a dominating presence. Cliff Edom presented his last workshop in 1990 shortly before his death. Nothing is forever, but the Missouri Workshop lives on in is image.