U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Truth Beauty book

Re: Truth Beauty book



On Sat, 9 May 2009, Greg Schmitz wrote:

Judy wrote, "after all, going above 14th Street is greater trauma than any price"

Hmmm, downtown people have a pretty strange view of The City. My lab used to charge an extra $25 for deliveries if they had to go north of 96th Street. Sheesh! :) --greg
Actually Greg, we also get the bends if we have to go below Canal Street -- but Villagers are tough, we survive.

As for price of the book under discussion ... I paid the list price, $60 plus tax. The claim now is that the book is "out of print," and according to current info, that seems to be the case. My hunch however is that it was a small edition, which might NOT have gone out of print without purchases stimulated by the alt-photo list, thanks to (as I recall) Christina. Otherwise, would most of us even have heard of it?

I'm having trouble digging information out of the text -- it's usually there, tho often poorly stated or a nuisance to dig out, but if a stand-alone line (without amplification) on the last page (in an item titled "Curators' Acknowledgements") that says "Vancouver Art Gallery, Feb 2 to April 27, 2008" means the dates of the show (as it seems to), the show has been over for a year, and until Ms. Anderson sounded the huzzah, its main sale may have been over.

I didn't finish reading yet, but will in due course note some of the dumbities in the format -- from "authorities" who don't understand that any "alt" photographer looking at these (mostly) "alt-process" prints, the moment they've recovered from the swoon of beauty at the image, wants to know what MEDIUM ! There are surprises, since many "silver gelatin" prints in early 20th century were either toned or on toned commercial paper, not the salted paper, albumen or other hand-coated process the color might suggest. (Tho there's much info, insight and information, it's so-to-speak Balkanized and a PITA to get what you want for each print).

But that's beside my point at this point, which is that in the year since the show closed, the edition could have been largely sold without any shennanigans on anyone's part (couldn't it?).

Barnes & Noble, BTW, told me that there might be some used on its website (which may be "BN.com" if I read my note correctly, otherwise should be findable).

I decided, however, that whatever the price break on used might be (if there were used), with shipping added the difference wouldn't be very much, and since Ursus was holding one for me, I went (above 14th Street tra la !, tho admittedly with personal chauffeur) to get it.

cheers,

Judy