Who We Were: A Snapshot History of America (Hardcover)

~ Michael Williams (Author), Richard Cahan (Author), Nicholas Osborn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This compilation of amateur snapshots reveals that photography in the U.S. has been a craze from its inception. George Eastman's creation of flexible film and the original Kodak box camera in 1888 gave birth to the ubiquitous snapshot. Since then, a steady progression of invention-from the one dollar Brownie in 1900, to 35mm film in the 1920s and color print film following WWII. The authors stop well short of the digital revolution (which they admit has introduced a different way of seeing), drawing to a close in 1972 with a perfect final image: the family snapshot that Apollo 16 astronaut Charles M. Duke, Jr. took on the moon. This tour of snapshot history lacks the scholarly perspectives of recent books such as 2007's The Art of the American Snapshot, taking a more populist approach and comparing snapshots to folk songs as repositories of everyday life. Commentaries on more than 350 images range from informative to obtrusive, but the images provide an irresistible blend of historical material and voyeuristic pleasures.
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From Booklist

Ever since 1888 and the advent of George Eastman’s first Kodak, Americans have been avidly taking pictures to record their lives, creating an enormous, rarely tapped archive. Williams, Richard Cahan, and Nicholas Osborn spent 10 years looking at more than a million snapshots, ultimately choosing 350, each with a “unique ability to help tell the American story.” After tracking down the who, what, where, and when of each striking, amusing, or haunting image, the authors organized these everyday astonishments thematically and made every page spread a study in unexpected parallels and contrasts. Beginning with a lovely series taken from “a surrey with the fringe on top” and moving forward into the atomic age, they present scenes of now vanishing wilderness and rural life, people at work and play, and calamities ranging from an eviction to a flood, tornado, dust storm, Ku Klux Klan parade, and war. Assembled with an eye for vitality, irony, and revelation, this splendid American photo album vividly chronicles our progress and tragedies, ingenuity and spirit. --Donna Seaman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Cityfiles Press (August 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097854501X
• ISBN-13: 978-0978545017
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #602,988 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Addition To Your Photobook Collection, November 29, 2008

By	D. Bass - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a collector of vintage snapshots, I am always looking for books that contain a variety of snapshot examples along with detailed descriptions and quality reproductions. This book makes the grade in that respect. The photo illustrations are very high quality and the author does a great job providing the right amount of detail about each of the snapshots in the captions. Well organized throughout. One of my favorite books on this subject. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars TIME FRAME, October 28, 2009

By	Stephen Hashioka (Riverside, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Given the enormous number of black and white snapshots archived in family and institutional collections, the author has done an admirable job of selecting representative images of America in the twentieth century. When one considers that there was often a significant lapse in time between exposure and development, opening the drugstore envelope was often a pleasant surprise, similar to receiving a gift package. Digital photography with its instant feedback combined with time and date stamp eliminates the anticipation and prospect of discovery.

'Who We Were' reminds us of a time when instant gratification was non-existent, when each photo was a potential family keepsake. Since we will never live those times again, we are fortunate to have this collection as a reminder.