Young America: The Daguerreotypes Of Southworth & Hawes [Hardcover]

Grant Romer (Author), Sally Pierce (Author), Wendy Wick Reaves (Author), Brian Wallis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 21, 2008

From 1845 to 1862, the Boston partnership of Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes maintained the most celebrated photography studio in the United States. Taking as their subjects both the greatest personalities of the day and the natural spectacles of the American landscape, such as Niagara Falls, Southworth & Hawes elevated the new medium of daguerreotype photography to the level of art. Transcending the mere recording of factual detail, their daguerreotypes reflect a quintessentially American aesthetic and embody an emerging national culture and spirit. Young America will be the most significant publication to date on Southworth & Hawes, featuring full-scale color reproductions of all plates in the exhibition as well as 2,000 additional black-and-white illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Cheryl Ann Lajos, Library Journal Accompanying an eponymous traveling exhibition and featuring more than 150 full-scale color plates from the show as well as nearly 2000 additional black-and-white reproductions, this beautifully and copiously illustrated book is a noteworthy publication on one of the most celebrated photography studios in the United States. Southworth & Hawes was the result of a partnership between pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur Albert Sands Southworth (1811-94) and itinerant portrait painter Josiah Johnson Hawes (1808-1901) that represented political activists, abolitionists, artists, writers, and other prominent Bostonians. In this comprehensive resource for general readers and researchers, editors Romer (director, photography conservation, George Eastman House) and Wallis (director of exhibitions and chief curator, International Center of Photography), as well as other distinguished contributors, address the historical and cultural significance of the studio. Also included are Southworth & Hawes’s portraits, techniques, display collections, account books, and family genealogy; a chronology; sitters’ biographies; an explanation of the Daguerrotype process; an exhibition checklist; and an annotated bibliography. This significant publication constitutes a worthy addition to large, public, special, and academic research libraries. Highly recommended. October 2005.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: Steidl; First Edition edition (November 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 386521066X
• ISBN-13: 978-3865210661
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.6 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Resource for Southworth & Hawes Research, September 7, 2005

By 

Glenn C. Samson (Somerville, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Young America: The Daguerreotypes Of Southworth & Hawes (Hardcover)

I first received this catalogue from Amazon, and thoroughly enjoyed it, then went soon after to see the exhibit at ICP in New York. The book reproduces the magnificent images beautifully, and was an interesting and illuminating adjunct to the exhibit itself. It is an amazingly comprehensive catalogue of the output of this studio, and it was as interesting to see the smaller, little-known images as it was to see the more familiar, gorgeous whole-plate portraits and scenes we have seen for years. A must-have for anyone who loves American daguerreotypes.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early American history and culture captured in daguerrotypes, March 12, 2006

By 

D. Donovan, Editor/Sr. Reviewer "California B... (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Young America: The Daguerreotypes Of Southworth & Hawes (Hardcover)

From 1845 to 1862 Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes maintained a famous photography studio, using the most famous personalities of their times as subjects and also capturing on film some of the most notable of events and places. Their focus was fine art photography rather than simple portraiture, and their daguerreotypes thus captured more than factual images alone, adding touches which captured historic and cultural elements. YOUNG AMERICA accompanies an exhibition of the same name and packs in over a hundred color reproductions plus nearly 2,000 black and white illustrations. Editor Grant Romer is Director of the Advanced Program in Photography Conservation at George Eastman House, and Brian Wallis is Director of Exhibitions and Chief Curator at the International Center of Photography: together these scholars create not just a catalog, but a historical survey of the daguerreotype process and Southworth and Hawes' influences on photographic achievement as a whole. The wealth of images packed into the book alone would make it a highly recommended pick; the focus on daguerreotype history and Southworth and Hawes' lasting achievements make it essential for any serious art collection.