Special Collections Staff Picks!

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:15:03 -0400
active, bafford-collection, library, photography, special-collections

This series was conceived by Special Collections student assistant Audrey Gatewood. She also wrote this first post. Check out Audrey's picks!

There are so many great resources in our collections, we understand it can be overwhelming. We, the staff, want to give you, the intrigued student, a place to start. Here you will find recommendations for some of the materials that are housed in Special Collections, such as photo books, comics, alternative press, art books and more.

Our collections are more accessible then you may think. Located in the back of the Library Gallery, we are ready to help you find whatever you’re looking for. By sharing some of our favorite materials we hope that this blog can be the beginning of your exploration into the excellent resources we have here.

See you in the reading room!

Two of Audrey's picks from the Bafford Photography Book collection:

THE CENTURY OF THE BODY: 100 PHOTOWORKS OF 1900-2000

The Century of the Body: 100 Photoworks 1900-2000 is a thorough yet concise look at the history of representations of the human body in photography.

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(Images: Left: Edward Weston, Page 110; Right: Don McCullin, Page 142)

Spanning one hundred years, this book is a wealth of information that's formatted in a user friendly way. Each photo has a respective paragraph describing its background, both related to the photo specifically and in a broader sense. Many subjects are tied into this book, including science, fine art, technology, media and sociology. This book is especially useful for anyone who wants to learn about the history of photography in relation to other things, but with a core focus on the representation of the body.

BOYSTOWN: LA ZONA DE TOLERANCIA

Warning: Graphic Content

In the 1970's along the border between Texas and Mexico was Boystown, a collection of brothels and clubs. It was a public secret shielded by the dark of night. Men of every sort -- gang members, tourists, doctors, cowboys -- would come to engage with the sex workers. Working in the shadows of Boystown were several anonymous photographers, about seven, who sought out quick money by providing souvenir photos. They would approach the drunken men, photograph them with the woman they were pursuing, and pocket two dollars in exchange for a print. Though their intent was shallow, these photographers incidentally created a truly intense body of work.

The photos presented in this book are merciless, captured without pretense. In an unforgiving act of voyeurism, the facade of Boystown, built up by darkness, alcohol and flashy makeup, is accidentally destroyed within these mementos, which were most likely torn up and tossed the next day by the men who bought them.

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Thanks for your picks, Audrey!

Stay tuned for more staff packs from Special Collections!