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Mon 24 Jan, 2005 10:36 pm
I am in the midst of trying to cull books from my proliferating acquisitions - mostly from used book stores - on Italy and Europe, and some of my general travel books. I've saved books because of some good paragraphs... so I look at this room with an eye to dump things that were based on, say, sentiment.
I am getting nowhere fast.
One of the first books I ran into, since it is on the bench in the hall, is a book of photos called "Lost Europe", images of a vanished world. Break your heart photos.
Timely, in a way, not only for younger americans who don't have a sense of the places, but possibly for younger europeans.
The blurb on the back of the book says, "Lost Europe is an evocative photographic chronicle of the architectural treasures lost to humankind by conflicts, follies and disasters of the twentieth century, featuring over 150 rare and haunting images of vanished structures of every kind.
I didn't get to go to Europe until I was 48, and still have only walked in Italy, unless you count the international terminal at Heathrow. For those whose home these photos depict, I cry, but am glad there is a record.
I have no idea if this is a key book on the subject or not, but I'm glad I have it.
Back with an amazon/a2k link, if there is one.
There are of such books, like "Lost New York", "Lost Chicago", "Lost Boston", "Lost Landmarks of Mississippi", "Lost Virginia", "Lost Twin Cities", "Houston's Forgotten Heritage", "Kalamazoo Lost & Found", "Lost London" ... name them.
For Americans,
Preservation Online (and e.g. for Germans
German Foundation for Monument Protection [link to English website]) may be interesting as well - if you want to be active and not only mourn about the losses.
(The various links on the
ICOMOS website could be helpful, too, for more infos.)
Active and not mourn the losses?
I'm interested in the photographs, and past them, the architecture, and past that the places and the people whose places they were.
Not so very interested in some lost and found thing as a hook to sales.
Just wanted to add some different perspective, osso.
(I've got a couple of photography books as well as some hundreds of old up to 'antique' photos and slides [own, by my father* and grandfathers*] about such places, too :wink: )
* this part of the collection will go to an archive and a museum shortly.
Ah, I see. I'm glad you have such photos and that an archive and museum will have them in time.
That looks like a great book, osso. I think I'll have to pick one up!
Are you familiar with the work of the photographer Eugene Atget? He photographed Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centruy. I wouldn't be surprised if your book has some of his work in it.
A bit off topic but not entirely is the work of this girl who rides her motorcycle through the dead zone around Chernoybl and photographs it. She keeps an online journal....
http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm
Another great site journaling disappearing America is....
http://www.highwayproject.org/
I can't find much in the way of photo credits, at first glance.
They credit photo researchers..
Yes, I'm familiar with Atget, a bit anyway.
Thanks for the links, I'll give them a look.
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