Louise Dahl-Wolfe: A Retrospective (Hardcover)

~ Vicki Goldberg (Author), Nan Richardson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Published to coincide with an exhibition on fashion photographer Louise Dahl-Wolfe at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, this artfully designed book reproduces all of the show's images in glorious color. Through her photographs, Dahl-Wolfe created a new idea of the American woman as casual and comfortable yet chic. She posed her models (many for Harper's Bazaar) in foreign locations such as North Africa and South America and contrasted them in front of patterned backgrounds and modern art. The book's two essays, written by New York Times photography critic Vicki Goldberg and curator Nan Richardson, discuss Dahl-Wolfe's photographs in terms of their formal qualities and in relation to the photographer's life. They demonstrate that Dahl-Wolfe was an innovator in her use of color photography as well as in her concern with the qualities of natural light, composition, and balance. Recommended for any photography collection. Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Coll., MA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Here, finally, is a tribute to Dahl-Wolfe, whose 86 Harper's Bazaar^B covers and innumerable interior fashion shots shaped the focus of contemporary commercial photography. Accompanying essays impart the facts about her life, and from them we learn that Dahl-Wolfe was a dabbler in the arts until the camera captured her permanent attention, and she was a black-and-white portrait painter of such celebrities as Josephine Baker, Jean Cocteau, Colette, and others. Quotes from the likes of Lauren Bacall and Eileen Ford make us realize how unforgettable a figure she was. The photographs, however, are even more unforgettable, and they remain the book's primary focus. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1st edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810940515
• ISBN-13: 978-0810940512
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #813,915 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good presentation of Dahl-Wolfe's Photography, July 28, 2003

By A Customer

Louise Dahl-Wolfe shot some captivating images, as evidenced by the cover, and apparently was one of the best fashion photographers of the middle 20th C. The book contains 2 essays which kind of overlap in content and some plates of her B&W and color work, as well as outtakes, and some reportage work. The printing quality was okay, with the exception that a lot of the color photographs were scanned from either the printing plates (or more likely) magazines because they had visible dot pattern. I don't know if the original color images had faded beyond repair, were lost, or, the authors may have made made an aesthetic/representation choice here. One essay described how Dahl-Wolfe was very exacting with the printing presses and perhaps the printed images best represented her vision, however, for me the dot artifacts detracted from the pictures, which were quite excellent. It is easy to see why Dahl-Wolfe is regarded as an early master of color fashion photography. Worth picking up on overstock if interested in fashion or fashion photography.