The Photobook: a history volume I

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While the history of photography is well-established, the photobook has received less critical attention, despite being a vital medium for photographers to showcase their work and communicate their vision. This first volume, co-edited by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, offers a comprehensive overview of the photobook's evolution, tracing its origins from the early nineteenth century to the innovative Japanese photobooks of the 1960s and 70s, including modernist and propaganda works from the 1930s and 40s. Badger's introduction emphasizes the significance of the photobook as a photographic genre, challenging the traditional view that photography's history is best represented by original prints. This study corrects the conventional narrative by presenting a selection of photographers that redefines the popular canon, revealing a complex web of influences among global photographers and movements. Organized into thematic and chronological chapters, the book includes introductory texts that provide context and highlight political and artistic influences, followed by detailed discussions of individual photobooks. Accompanying these texts are images from over 200 essential photobooks, showcasing their artistic and cultural significance. Volume One also features Badger's insightful introduction, ‘The Photobook: Between the Film and the Novel,’ alongside a preface by Parr.