Research Catalog

Title

The Big Book / W. Eugene Smith.

Author

Smith, W. Eugene, 1918-1978

Publication

• Austin : University of Texas Press ; [Tucson, Arizona] : Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, [2013]
• ©2013

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Martinez, Katharine, 1950-
• Johnson, William, 1940-
• Berger, John

Description

3 volumes : illustrations (some color), portraits (some color); 35 cm in case 36 x 27 x 7 cm

Summary

This set presents an accurate reproduction of the unpublished magnum opus of W. Eugene Smith, an icon in the field of twentieth-century photography who is best known as the master of the humanistic photographic essay. In 1959, Smith created an extended photo-essay that he called "The Big Book," a complex retrospective of his work that would reflect his philosophy of art and critique of the world. Smith's layout grouped photographs out of context and chronological order to form a series of connected "visual chapters and subchapters" that were intended to have a Joycean or Faulknerian literary quality. After three years, Smith completed two handmade folio-sized maquettes to send to publishers. This reproduction of "The Big Book" is an essential primary source document for the study of both the history of photography and the history of the photobook.

Subject

• Smith, W. Eugene, 1918-1978
• 1900 - 1999
• Photography, Artistic > 20th century
• Documentary photography > 20th century
• Documentary photography
• Photography, Artistic

Genre/Form

Photobooks.

Note

• Three volumes in a slipcase.
• Volumes 1 and 2 have approximately 345 unnumbered pages; volume 3 has 103 pages.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Contents

Volume 1. [photographs] -- Volume 2. [photographs] -- Volume 3. Essays and text. Foreword / Katherine Martinez -- Introduction / William S. Johnson -- Archival notes / Jennifer Jae Gutierrez and Leslie Squyres -- The walk to Paradise Garden / W. Eugene Smith -- Pieta : W. Eugene Smith / John Berger -- Chronology -- Thumbnails.

Call Number

MFW+ 16-1171

ISBN

• 9780292754683
• 029275468X

LCCN

2013938350

OCLC

841899750

Author

Smith, W. Eugene, 1918-1978, photographer.

Title

The Big Book / W. Eugene Smith.

Publisher

Austin : University of Texas Press ; [Tucson, Arizona] : Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, [2013]

Copyright Date

©2013

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references.

Chronological Term

1900 - 1999

Added Author

Martinez, Katharine, 1950- writer of foreword.

Johnson, William, 1940- writer of introduction.

Berger, John, writer of added commentary.

Sudoc No.

Z UA380.8 Sm68bi txdocs

Research Call Number

MFW+ 16-1171