During the heyday of the American circus from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s, traveling circuses performed for audiences of up to 12,000-14,000 per show, employed as many as 1,600 men and women, and crisscrossed the country on 20,000 miles of railroad in one season alone. The spectacle of death-defying daredevils, strapping super-heroes and scantily-clad starlets, fearless animal trainers, and startling freaks gripped the American imagination, outshining theater, vaudeville, comedy, and minstrel shows of its day, and ultimately paved the way for film and television to take root in the modern era. Long before the Beat generation made ""on the road"" expeditions popular, the circus personified the experience and offered many young Americans the dream of adventure, reinvention, excitement, and glamour.

    The body has been scrutinized by medical and anatomical photographers; it has been celebrated by photographers of sport and dance; it has inspired a long tradition of photographing the nude; and it has been depicted in phantasmagoric terms. In this rich, involving archive of over 360 duotone and color images culled from worldwide collections, renowned photo curator William A. Ewing has compiled the most comprehensive and arresting visual survey ever published of the human form. From nineteenth-century erotica to the politicized images of the 1990s, The Body offers an exciting, elegantly packaged, provocative record of the camera's infatuation with the human figure.

    Written by the famous nonobjective painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944), it explains Kandinsky's own theory of painting and crystallizes the ideas that were influencing many other modern artists of the period. Along with his own groundbreaking paintings, this book had a tremendous impact on the development of modern art.Kandinsky's ideas are presented in two parts. The first part, called "About General Aesthetic," issues a call for a spiritual revolution in painting that will let artists express their own inner lives in abstract, non-material terms. Just as musicians do not depend upon the material world for their music, so artists should not have to depend upon the material world for their art. In the second part, "About Painting," Kandinsky discusses the psychology of colors, the language of form and color, and the responsibilities of the artist. An Introduction by the translator, Michael T. H. Sadler, offers additional explanation of Kandinsky's art and theories, while a new Preface by Richard Stratton discusses Kandinsky's career as a whole and the impact of the book. Making the book even more valuable are nine woodcuts by Kandinsky himself that appear at the chapter headings.This English translation of Über das Geistige in der Kunst was a significant contribution to the understanding of nonobjectivism in art. It continues to be a stimulating and necessary reading experience for every artist, art student, and art patron concerned with the direction of 20th-century painting.

    Written by an international team of experts, this definitive history of photography looks at every step of the field's dynamic evolution, period by period and movement by movement. Each key genre is chronologically presented within its social, economic, and political context, along with close analysis of specially selected works that best exemplify the characteristics of the period. With more than 500 gorgeous examples in black and white and color, the book explores in-depth virtually every aspect of the medium since its first public demonstration in 1839 to the latest innovations: from early portraits and the birth of photojournalism to travel photography and the mapping of the world; from the Pictorialists to the avant-garde; from celebrity and fashion to documentary and landscape. Along the way readers will learn why some photographs are considered iconic, and why the medium as an art form continues to challenge and enthrall us.

    Flip over for fantasies in fetish with dramatic costumes and the allure of submission.Burlesque and the Art of the Teese"I advocate glamour. Every day. Every minute."I'm a good dancer and a nice girl, but I'm a great showgirl. I sell, in a word, magic. Burlesque is a world of illusion and dreams and of course, the striptease. Whether I am bathing in my martini glass, riding my sparkling carousel horse, or emerging from my giant gold powder compact, I live out my most glamorous fantasies by bringing nostalgic imagery to life.Let me show you my world of gorgeous pin-ups, tantalizing stripteases, and femmes fatales. I'll give you a glimpse into my life, but a lady never reveals all.Fetish and the Art of the TeeseYou may have come for the fetish. Or you may just be sneaking a peek at this mysterious and peculiar other side. No matter what you've come for, there is something for you to indulge in.My world of fetish may not be the one that you would expect. As a burlesque performer, I entice my audience, bringing their minds closer and closer to sex and then -- as good temptress must -- snatching it away. As a fetish star, I apply the same techniques. . . .An opera-length kid leather glove, a strict wasp waist, an impossibly high patent leather heel, a severely painted red lip. . . . Come with me into my world of decadent fetishism.

    Introduced by Grimm Tales author Philip Pullman and leading fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes, The Singing Bones breathes new life into some of the world's most beloved fairy tales.

    Death Scenes is the noted forerunner of several copycat titles.

    His technique-which earned him a reputation as "The Norman Rockwell of cheesecake"-involved photographing models and then painting them into gorgeous hyper-reality, with longer legs, more flamboyant hair and gravity-defying busts, and in the process making them the perfect moral-boosting eye-candy for every homesick private.

    Society may label them bums, homeless, or pariahs, but Zellar's empathetic writing allows the reader to get inside one broken man, and therefore all."—Jim Walsh, MinnPostWashed up in the shadow of a refinery, Lester B. Morrison, legendary recluse, documents his life in a series of photographs taken with a disposable camera. In a landscape of off ramps, warehouses, and SRO hotels occupied by terminally lonely men, love and faith break in, quietly offering human connection and the possibility of redemption.Brad Zellar has worked as a writer and editor for daily and weekly newspapers, as well as for both regional and national magazines. He is the author of Suburban World: The Norling Photos, The 1968 Project, Conductors of the Moving World, and House of Coates.Alec Soth is a photographer whose first monograph, Sleeping by the Mississippi, was published by Steidl in 2004. Since then Soth has published over a dozen books including Niagara (2006), Dog Days, Bogotá (2007), The Last Days of W (2008), and Broken Manual (2010). Soth's work has been exhibited at Jeu de Paume in Paris and Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland.

    In his own time, Kilmt (1862-1918) was a highly successful painter, draftsman, muralist, and graphic artist; in the intervening years, iconic works such as The Kiss have been elevated to nothing less than cult status. Klimt's unfading popularity attests to the appeal of not only his aesthetic sensibilities but also that of the recurrent universal themes in his work: love, feminine beauty, aging, and death. He once wrote, "I am a painter who paints day after day from morning to night...Who ever wants to know something about me...ought to look carefully at my pictures." With this overview of Klimt's work, readers will delight in taking up that challenge.About the Series: Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features:a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

    After many years of research, Robert Descharnes and Gilles Neret finally located all the paintings of this highly prolific artist. These two volumes represent a one time offer at 29.99 as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Dali's birth. The set will have a sticker indicating the 100th anniversary,

    The nineteenth century experienced an explosion of epidemics such as cholera and diphtheria, driven by industrialization, urbanization and poor hygiene. In this pre-color-photography era, accurate images were relied upon to teach students and aid diagnosis. The best examples, featured here, are remarkable pieces of art that attempted to elucidate the mysteries of the body, and the successive onset of each affliction. Bizarre and captivating images, including close-up details and revealing cross-sections, make all too clear the fascinations of both doctors and artists of the time. Barnett illuminates the fears and obsessions of a society gripped by disease, yet slowly coming to understand and combat it. The age also saw the acceptance of vaccination and the germ theory, and notable diagrams that transformed public health, such as John Snow's cholera map and Florence Nightingale's pioneering histograms, are included and explained. Organized by disease, "The Sick Rose" ranges from little-known ailments now all but forgotten to the epidemics that shaped the modern age. It is a fascinating "Wunderkammer" of a book that will enthrall artists, students, designers, scientists and the incurably curious everywhere.

    Often architectural treasures in themselves, they were constructed in styles that befitted the riches they stored, from Neoclassical temples to Baroque palaces to Jeffersonian athaeneums. Both public in purpose and intensely private in feel, they have served the noble role of preserving and disseminating that key cultural artifact of mankind - the book - and in doing so, their role has been central to the nourishment and development of the world's great civilizations. To this day the great libraries of the world remain extraordinary environments for scholarship and enlightenment." "Here, for the first time, architectural photographer Guillaume de Laubier takes the reader on a privileged tour of twenty-three of the world's most historic libraries, representing twelve countries and ranging from the great national monuments to scholarly, religious, and private libraries: the baroque splendor of the Institut de France in Paris; the Renaissance treasure-trove of the Riccardiana Library in Florence; the majestic Royal Monastery in El Escorial, Spain; the hallowed halls of Oxford's Bodleian Library; and the New York Public Library, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece. Also included are the smaller abbey and monastic libraries - often overlooked on tourist itineraries - each containing its own equally important collections of religious and philosophical writings, manuscripts, and church history. Through color photography one can marvel at the grandeur of the great public libraries while relishing the rare glimpses inside scholars-only private archives." The accompanying text by journalist and translator Jacques Bosser traces the history of libraries from the Renaissance to the present day, vividly describing how they came to serve the famous men of letters of centuries past and the general public of the ni

    It encourages you to explore every discipline and experiment with different approaches, hone your skills, and find your own personal style.There are two key features that make the book unique. The first is the structure. Almost invariably, photography books parcel up information in such a way that the technical elements of photography are dealt with separately from creative ideas, which in turn are dealt with separately from projects and genres. The Complete Photographer takes a completely different, holistic approach, with insights, ideas, tips, and techniques that focus specifically on each genre.The second unique feature is the "behind-the-scenes" coverage. Where Masterclass showcased the work of a number of professional photographers working in a variety of fields, The Complete Photographer goes further. It shows in step-by-step, photographic detail the planning, setting up, and shooting of 20 superb images taken especially for the book. In a running commentary, each photographer reveals the ideas and inspiration behind the shot, how decisions on location, lighting, camera angle, and props are arrived at, and, where relevant, demonstrates any image manipulation that has been carried out to produce the final image. Galleries of selected works are accompanied by notes on each image and how it was made.As with Digital Photography Masterclass, Tom's tutorials are presented in a highly visual, logical way that makes concepts easy to grasp. Images are grouped together to reveal how different approaches to the same subject can produce dramatically different results. Individual images are analyzed to show why they are successful, and how specific effects are achieved. Side-by-side comparisons highlight common problems and show how to avoid them. Each tutorial includes an assignment that encourages the reader to experiment, think outside the box, and practice new skills.The Complete Photographer will provide inspiration and be a beautiful book to look at, as well as delivering engaging, hardworking content that unlocks the secrets of success for the reader and provides a fascinating insight into the techniques of the professionals.The ContentsPrelims (7pp)general Introduction (2pp)1. Portraits (38pp)Formal and candid, in the studio and outdoors, individuals and groups, children and pets.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)2. Landscape and nature (38pp)Different times of day and weather conditions. From breathtaking vistas to close-ups.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)3. Fashion and street (38pp)Studio set-ups, on location, props and styling. Capturing moments on the city streets.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)4. Wildlife (38pp)On safari and close to home, in the wild and in captivity, up close and in the environment.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)5. Sport (38pp)Key moments, capturing action, the spirit and emotion of the sport.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)6. Documentary (38pp)Finding and telling a story, observation,capturing decisive moments.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)7. Events (38pp)Live music, graduation, wedding, new baby etc.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)8. Travel (38pp)Spirit of place, capturing atmosphere, people. Cultural and social considerations.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)9. Architecture (38pp)Ancient and modern, interior and exterior.Light and angles, details and wide views.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)10. Fine art (38pp)Color and black and white, fine-art printing.Still life, abstracts, nudes, stock photography etc.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)Index/Acknowledgments (11pp)

    Frances Glessner Lee, a wealthy grandmother, founded the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard in 1936 and was later appointed captain in the New Hampshire police. In the 1940s and 1950s she built dollhouse crime scenes based on real cases in order to train detectives to assess visual evidence. Still used in forensic training today, the eighteen Nutshell dioramas, on a scale of 1:12, display an astounding level of detail: pencils write, window shades move, whistles blow, and clues to the crimes are revealed to those who study the scenes carefully. Corinne May Botz's lush color photographs lure viewers into every crevice of Frances Lee's models and breathe life into these deadly miniatures, which present the dark side of domestic life, unveiling tales of prostitution, alcoholism, and adultery. The accompanying line drawings, specially prepared for this volume, highlight the noteworthy forensic evidence in each case. Botz's introductory essay, which draws on archival research and interviews with Lee's family and police colleagues, presents a captivating portrait of Lee.