Tim Berners Lee; what an absolute rascal.
Not only did he shaft the chaps at Yellow Pages, the manufacturers of Fax machines and the purveyors of XXX filth in the Soho district of London, he’s made scrapbooks virtually extinct.
Their numbers are dwindling, reportedly below those of the Snow Leopard.
Before you could simply call up a hundreds images for any photographer or illustrator you care to mention, you could only reference those images if you owned them.
Which meant;
a) Buying a book on a particular photographer.
Fine, but expensive, if you wanted references of someone world-famous, like Irving Penn.
But not fine if you wanted references for some up and coming turk.
b) Keep all the photographers cards and pages you liked in a scrapbook.
I’ve come across a bunch of these in the loft recently.
What’s striking is the sheer focus you get by viewing only one or two images of a particular photographer.
The tyranny of choice we now face each time we need to commission an image can be confusing, particularly as there appears to be less specialism.
Most photographers now shoot everything under the sun; portraits, landscapes, still lives.
You name it they can put a camera in front of it and press the clicker.
(Often with surprisingly average results.)
Anyhow, here’s one of my scrapbooks, photography I liked, circa 1992.
Ironically, although it now feels redundant, I wouldn’t mind betting that most of these images aren’t currently on the net.
Let me correct that, weren’t on the net.
I had forgotten about my ‘hand/heart’ image you’ve posted. Thank you so much for reminding me. I’m flattered someone thought enough of it to save it.
Glad to be of service Robin.
I think it stands up well today.
Best,
D
Long time listener, first time caller here – it is such a treat to read your posts and it’s so exciting to see the email notification every time you post something new. Thank you so much!
Hey Martin,
That’s great to hear, you’re very welcome.
Best,
D
Belated post (sorry, just stumbled upon your buried treasure):
You ended your intro with, “I wouldn’t mind betting that most of these images aren’t currently on the net.”
At least from my personal perspective, there are two reasons here:
1) The photographers could post archived images on their Web site but, as their agents would scoff, “That’s not relevant now, is it?”
And, yet, they’re so very relevant. Even today, we often looking back for inspiration to go forward, as Gucci’s “new” (retro, really) pre-Fall fashion line shows whose campaign was, incidentally, filmed by blast-from-the-past Glen Luchford: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrQYIME18lk
2) The photographers don’t want to appear dated, out of touch or (gasp) old in today’s youth-obsessed, new blood (thanks, D&AD!), ageist culture.
But, as evidenced by your scrapbook, old is gold.
Thank you.
Hey Seiko, thanks for your thoughts. Best, D.
I am so glad you are doing this, at least one benefit of the internet. Honored, Dave, to see my name among your collections.
Hey Geof, good to hear from you. There would’ve been a helluva lot more ‘Kern’ in these books if I could’ve got my hands on it back then.
Dx
P.s. Still haven’t found that 2nd ‘f’ yet I notice?
I left the “f” in 1969 as a 19 yr old in Southern California and never went back for it.