RE: William Mortensen


Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Tue, 16 Feb 1999 22:23:54 -0500 (EST)


On Mon, 15 Feb 1999, Hal Faulkner wrote:
> >The first edition of Ansel Adams' book was impenetrable, BTW. By one of
> >the later editions (Graphic Press or like that?) it was much cleaned up.
> >(Maybe he hired Dunham.)>
> Judy,
>
> You can't really mean that. The early editions of the Ansel Adams books
> (Morgan and Morgan) were quite dense; however, there is soooo much there
> that one can't really compare the NYGS editions to them, they are just two
> different things. Unfortunately, much of the technical info in the early
> editions is now obsolete as materials are no longer available, but then the
> idea always was to do it yourself, Ansel just gave us some principles, what
> we apply them to (or choose not to apply them to) is up to us.

Maybe it was just because I knew so little at the time ... But Ansel's
prose was, come on, Hal, well it would give new meaning to the word
"turgid." I saved a few prize sentences for posterity -- the book wasn't
mine. (If I come across them, I'll share.) The book I ultimately bought
was "The Negative," printed in 1964 by the New York Graphic Society
(located, naturally, in Boston). Very much cleaned up, except for a
strangely cryptic "Foreword"... it's the 5th NYGS printing.

Anyway, please be advised that a world where your implanted chip (brain or
camera) does all that figuring for you would be a far far better place...
 
> Hey, those original books are almost at the point of being post-factory
> wouldn't you say?

Well, let's call the AA *Past-Factories*. But surely all will be priceless
                        ^^^^^
relics to a reverent posterity.

Judy



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