Think of the quirky buildings you pass every day but whose quiet beauty you take for granted—the moviehouses, juke joints, soda fountains, barbershops, roadside diners, and storefront churches. You don’t miss them until they’re gone. As suburban sprawl and strip malls conquer the country, these vestiges of a lost way of life are falling under the wrecking ball. Here the photographer Michael Eastman has made the ultimate road trip, crisscrossing the nation dozens of times, to capture these buildings on film before they vanish. These dreamy images call us to question what we choose to let go in the wake of contemporary life, with a cool melancholy that evokes the work of Edward Hopper, Jack Kerouac, and William Eggleston. There is a wry sense of humor here as well. The book delights in the idiosyncracies of America’s vernacular styles, ranging from Depression Deco to New England clapboard in random juxtapositions that accrue over time in a town’s landscape. Countless visual puns arise among the book’s many detailed images of signs and statuettes. Vanishing America catalogues great everyday American architecture and design. But it also offers a provocative portrait of the silent emptiness that has descended upon vanishing small communities everywhere.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"...a liberation from the glaring rat race of American life." ~LA Times
"Eastman's photos of fading American kitsch...are like a post-apocalyptic stage set for lost mid-century dreams." ~Print
"Texture, variety, human scale--these are what we stand to lose when these places disappear. Consider it a call to arms." ~National Geographic Traveler
"The careful excision of human life forces us to focus on what might otherwise seem unremarkable, sweeping aside the dust to expose the archaeological strata of US society that still lie there beneath the modern." ~World of Interiors
“Shot without people, the photos capture the crumbling decay of movie houses, diners, drive-ins, and so on across the United States. …Eastman, who has a terrific eye and knows how to stay out of the way of his subjects, photographed most of these places with an unvarnished objectivity that veers away from nostalgia toward despair.” ~Su Casa Magazine
"Eastman's photos of fading American kitsch...are like a post-apocalyptic stage set for lost mid-century dreams." ~Print
"Texture, variety, human scale--these are what we stand to lose when these places disappear. Consider it a call to arms." ~National Geographic Traveler
"The careful excision of human life forces us to focus on what might otherwise seem unremarkable, sweeping aside the dust to expose the archaeological strata of US society that still lie there beneath the modern." ~World of Interiors
“Shot without people, the photos capture the crumbling decay of movie houses, diners, drive-ins, and so on across the United States. …Eastman, who has a terrific eye and knows how to stay out of the way of his subjects, photographed most of these places with an unvarnished objectivity that veers away from nostalgia toward despair.” ~Su Casa Magazine
About the Author
Michael Eastman’s work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant and has published two previous books of photography. He lives in St. Louis.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful
By Chris Shaw
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If You're a fan of Michael Eastman's fine art photography, as I am, you must get a copy of his latest book, "Vanishing America." You must get it, but you'll be disappointed in it--disappointed in the layout, particularly, but also in the reproduction.
As to the layout, the photographs are given no respect. They are presented full bleed, that is, without margins. A typical two-page spread has a large picture full-bleed on the left side, and an array of smaller pictures--also full bleed and butting up against each other so it's hard to tell where one ends and the next begins--on the right.
This is not a book of photographs so much as it is a book of Americana, the kind you see on the bargain racks of the large chain bookstores.
As to the reproduction, I remember seeing a large (50x40 inch) print of "Shotgun House, New Orleans" at a show a few years ago. It was $5000 framed and I wanted it, but I had neither the wall space nor the money, so I contented myself with a free, postcard-size promotional reproduction. This reproduced the colors of the larger image very well and it served as a good reminder of why I liked it. This picture is reproduced in the book, slightly cropped, for no good reason, and with a decided magenta cast, compared to my postcard copy. Looking at the picture in the book, it doesn't remind me at all of my feelings for the original print.
I assume books of Americana are more profitable than books of photographs. If so, I can forgive this disappointing book. Fine art photographers need all the support they can get.
As to the layout, the photographs are given no respect. They are presented full bleed, that is, without margins. A typical two-page spread has a large picture full-bleed on the left side, and an array of smaller pictures--also full bleed and butting up against each other so it's hard to tell where one ends and the next begins--on the right.
This is not a book of photographs so much as it is a book of Americana, the kind you see on the bargain racks of the large chain bookstores.
As to the reproduction, I remember seeing a large (50x40 inch) print of "Shotgun House, New Orleans" at a show a few years ago. It was $5000 framed and I wanted it, but I had neither the wall space nor the money, so I contented myself with a free, postcard-size promotional reproduction. This reproduced the colors of the larger image very well and it served as a good reminder of why I liked it. This picture is reproduced in the book, slightly cropped, for no good reason, and with a decided magenta cast, compared to my postcard copy. Looking at the picture in the book, it doesn't remind me at all of my feelings for the original print.
I assume books of Americana are more profitable than books of photographs. If so, I can forgive this disappointing book. Fine art photographers need all the support they can get.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Robin Benson
Format:Hardcover
The subtitle to this fascinating book is The End of Main Street and Michael Eastman has taken it upon himself to record as much of it as possible before progress or neglect flattens what's left. Flick through the pages and you'll see more than two hundred shots of small town commonplace. The five chapters (Theaters, Churches, Hangouts, Doors, Signs, Stores, Services, Autos, Hotels and Restaurants) pretty much cover what you'll see in any town across the country.
Nearly every photo is an exterior and I thought one of the strengths of Eastman's work is the no-nonsense straight-on compositions. These buildings with their signs, peeling paint or structural modifications are visually intriguing enough not to require odd angles, soft focus or other gimmicks and even though they are photos of record the rich color and choice of subject lifts the contents of the book above similar photography.
The book's production is as impressive as the photos, the square format, matt art paper and 175 screen all come together beautifully. Four stars? Though the book was designed by Pentagram it does have, in my view, a rather annoying fault: there are several pages where photos are butted together which makes for initial visual confusion and I think weakens each relevant photo. A thin black or white line, just to give the minimum separation, would have solved the problem. Fortunately most pages don't have butted photos and on the rest the photos are allowed to sparkle by themselves and they do.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
Nearly every photo is an exterior and I thought one of the strengths of Eastman's work is the no-nonsense straight-on compositions. These buildings with their signs, peeling paint or structural modifications are visually intriguing enough not to require odd angles, soft focus or other gimmicks and even though they are photos of record the rich color and choice of subject lifts the contents of the book above similar photography.
The book's production is as impressive as the photos, the square format, matt art paper and 175 screen all come together beautifully. Four stars? Though the book was designed by Pentagram it does have, in my view, a rather annoying fault: there are several pages where photos are butted together which makes for initial visual confusion and I think weakens each relevant photo. A thin black or white line, just to give the minimum separation, would have solved the problem. Fortunately most pages don't have butted photos and on the rest the photos are allowed to sparkle by themselves and they do.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
No matter where you live, you probably pass buildings that have seen better days on your daily commute. If not buildings, then maybe signs, whether they are on billboards or sides of buildings. All of these items harken back to an earlier time; a time when the area was more vibrant. Now replaced by suburban shopping malls, a changing population, or economics, these store fronts and signs are falling into our distant memories. With Vanishing America: The End of Main Street, Michael Eastman captures these items before they are demolished.
Contents:
Introduction
Theaters
Churches
Hangouts
Doors
Signs
Stores
Services
Automobiles
Hotels
Restaurants
About the Author
This book is filled with beautiful and sad photographs of pieces of America that disappear every day. While the population continues to move out from city centers, Eastman ventures into those spots to show you what you are missing or fail to see during your morning and afternoon rush hours. Each photo is worthy of your time, examining not only what is in front of you, but surrounding the focal point. While every chapter has its share of exceptional photographs, I thought that the chapter Doors was the best. There is something about these entranceways that speak to me. I don't know if it is the boarded up windows and locked doors, the storefronts covered with newspapers, or abandoned schools, they are haunting pictures. Other photos, full of energy and "life," are without any people. I don't know how Eastman was able to shoot those photos. An example is "Cabin Motels, Ketchum, Idaho." There is a vehicle in front of every room, but not a single person in the shot. I know that this Ketchum, Idaho, but still-where are the people?... Read more ›
Contents:
Introduction
Theaters
Churches
Hangouts
Doors
Signs
Stores
Services
Automobiles
Hotels
Restaurants
About the Author
This book is filled with beautiful and sad photographs of pieces of America that disappear every day. While the population continues to move out from city centers, Eastman ventures into those spots to show you what you are missing or fail to see during your morning and afternoon rush hours. Each photo is worthy of your time, examining not only what is in front of you, but surrounding the focal point. While every chapter has its share of exceptional photographs, I thought that the chapter Doors was the best. There is something about these entranceways that speak to me. I don't know if it is the boarded up windows and locked doors, the storefronts covered with newspapers, or abandoned schools, they are haunting pictures. Other photos, full of energy and "life," are without any people. I don't know how Eastman was able to shoot those photos. An example is "Cabin Motels, Ketchum, Idaho." There is a vehicle in front of every room, but not a single person in the shot. I know that this Ketchum, Idaho, but still-where are the people?... Read more ›
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Ed Freeman
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is full of wonderful pictures - too many, in fact. It could be half as long as it is and still be worth the cover price and more. The result of such overly generous editing is that the layout is downright awful - crowded, jumbled and ugly. But that in no way diminishes the fact that there are some stunning, evocative pictures in here, pictures of the backbone of America many of us have never seen and will never see. A book to come back to again and again.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous book
My husband and I bought several copies of this picture book for our friends for Christmas. Helps the older generation (that would be us! Read more
Published 16 months ago by M. Pierce
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Photos, Shame about the Text
Many of the photographs in this book are beautifully composed and highly evocative. In that sense it is a must-have for all lovers of vernacular commercial architecture. Read more
Published on December 28, 2010 by Toby Norris
4.0 out of 5 stars
An intriguing look at the America we often overlook...
I seem to have a fascination with older photos, especially pictures of architecture and buildings that tell endless stories. Read more
Published on March 27, 2009 by Thomas Duff
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Different Kind of Beauty
This book is beautiful, but not in the traditional sense. It shows well-loved and decaying mainstays of small towns all across the U.S. Read more
Published on August 29, 2008 by EcoSooz
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