Building Images: Seventy Years of Photography at Hedrich Blessing (Hardcover)

by Tony Hiss (Author) "Being an architectural photographer in Chicago has never been an easy task..." (more)
Key Phrases: architectural photography, Hedrich Blessing, Ken Hedrich, Illinois Architect (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Architecture poses many challenges for photographers, inspiring Ken Hedrich to make the pronouncement that became the motto for the firm he co-founded: "Don't make photographs, think them." Established in Chicago in 1929, Hedrich Blessing attracted the finest photographers and the most innovative and influential architects, ultimately amassing an immense and artistically superb archive of architectural photographs that is now housed at the Chicago Historical Society. This sumptuous volume, gracefully introduced by Hiss, presents the cream of the collection, the impeccable and often poetic work of 19 preeminent photographers who captured the form and spirit of buildings by such key architects as Holabird & Root; Mies van der Rohe; Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill; and Albert Kahn. From the spare to the opulent, from velvety black-and-white to color of astonishing delicacy, these gorgeous images bring out the essence of the structures they chronicle and explore the ways architecture defines the human landscape, and even vision itself. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
Nobody can make a building soar like the architectural photographers of Hedrich Blessing. Since 1930, they have been the world's messenger of modern architecture. Based in Chicago, the architectural photography firm has achieved an international reputation that extends far beyond its regional association, and has made them the photographers of choice for some of the greatest architects of our time. Coinciding with a major retrospective at the Chicago Historical Society, Building Images: Seventy Years of Photography at Hedrich Blessing chronicles the history of this groundbreaking firm with close to 150 dazzling shots of architectural and design masterpieces by such greats as Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Albert Kahn, Eliel Saarinen, Bruce Graham, and many more. Architectural historian and memoirist Tony Hiss contributes a lyrical, insightful essay on what makes the assiduous photographers of Hedrich Blessing rise above the rest. Building Images brings the majesty, nuance, and poetry of our era's great buildings to light with these indelible photographs.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811826570
• ISBN-13: 978-0811826570
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #922,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 70 Years of Historic Beauty, October 8, 2000

By	cindy (Park Ridge, IL) - See all my reviews

What a beautiful collection of photographs! The images in this book are some of the most georgeous photographs of buildings that I have ever seen, beginning with that stunning shot of the Chicago Federal building on the cover. This is the kind of coffee table book that is very smart and invites attention. The images move though 70 years of different styles of architecture, but with a consistent focus on what is most important -- a detail, a beautiful shape, or a play of textures and color to create a mood that shows the strength of the architectural designs. This consistency is amazing considering how many photographers Hedrich Blessing has used -- 19 in all. The book features images that you rarely see elsewhere, like the 1930's panoramic shot of the Palmolive building with the spikes of lighting in the sky (and shows just how far back Hedrich Blessing goes)to the more abstracted photographs, like the design elements of a servant's hallway( something you might never notice as important or beautiful). The essay by Tony Hiss does makes good points about why Hedrich Blessing's work is important. The book wonderfully designed. I especially liked the way each photographer's work is referenced by their name next to the page number and the way that two photographs are paired together on the same page. The book reflects 70 years of history in ways that show how architectural photography started and the way the field has grown. This book could be broken down into different books on different subjects: retail/commercial design, tall buildings, residential interiors, etc., but overall, the book shows off Hedrich Blessing's art fabulously. A must for architectural and photographic enthusiasts!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply beautiful, December 5, 2003

By	David R. Munson "Photographic lost cowboy" (Chicago, IL, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are some bodies of work that simply stand out from others. Be it style, approach, purpose, or quality, there's something that clearly puts certain groups of work above the vast majority of others. This book is such a body of work.

The images presented are commercial photographs. They were taken over a span of 70 years by different photographers, all of them doing architectural photography as a professional venture for commercial purposes. All too often it seems that people automatically assume that if something is commercially produced, it simply cannot exist on the level of other things that have been produced for the purpose of art. And unfortunately, a lot of the photography and design we come in contact with on a daily basis just reinforces this notion. However, there are certain individuals who are capable of completing a commercial venture in such a beautiful, elegant, and truly artful manner that it becomes astoundingly clear that commercial work need not be anything short of fine art. In design, we have people like Viktor Schreckengost who have proven this. In photography, there are photographers like those at Hedrich-Blessing.

I do not mean to imply that these photographers are infallible or incapable of producing work that would simply fall into a pedestrian classification. However, given the photographs in this book, it is clear that they have been able to produce a large number of photographs that are both highly communicative and visually clear, concise, and overwhelmingly elegant. Few photographers have been able to approach architecture in such a way.

The book itself does a simply wonderful job presenting these photographs. The layout, editing, text, and photographs are nearly perfect. The introduction, written by Timothy Samuelson, is wonderfully done and does an excellent job of introducing the photographs that follow. The reproductions of the photographs are gorgeous. The order is very well thought-out and the periodic sections of text that identify the photographs contain individual paragraphs about some of the photographs that provide wonderful insight into the process, the photographers, etc.

I think just about anyone could get something out of this volume. Most of all, though, I think that it's something that would be most meaningful for photographers, designers, and architects. Or anyone with a strong sense for the visual, for that matter. I don't know how many times I've spent a coupel hours just slowly going over the photographs in this book. Every time I've done so, I've gotten something different out of the images. And almost always I feel refreshed and eager to get out there and work on making better images myself (I'm a photographer).

I cannot say enough good things about this book. But given that I'm sure you probably think I've already written too much, let me just say this much more - this is a significant volume, being beautiful throughout, more than worthy of the price, and sure remain a prized part of your collection for many, many years.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Work from the Masters, December 31, 2006

By	CMOS (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

If you have any desire to learn about how to photograph architecture or interior spaces, sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Sometimes they are the very best teaching aids you can use, far better than pages of technical writing, diagrams, measurements and angles. Look at the composition, the light and the color. Aside from just enjoying the beautiful photographs for what they are, you can learn a great deal from them, if that is your aim. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know how to make compelling photographs of structures, interiors and designed spaces. You may need other books to master the technicalities of the craft if you're just beginning, but start here.

(Another great place to learn is from the work of Julius Shulman...)