Exposing the Wilderness: Early-Twentieth-Century Adirondack Postcard Photographers

The first third of the last century is considered by many collectors and historians to be the golden age of postcards. From that era the author has chosen six upstate men who recorded everyday life in small towns, popular resorts and tourist areas- and anywhere else that caught their fancy, from logging camps to train wrecks. Contrary to the book's title, these "real photo" photographers rarely sought out wilderness. As businessmen they were instead attracted to "peopled" locales, where they created views that they thought would sell well. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating study and, more important, the first time that the subject has been systematically explored. 250 illustrations of "real photo" postcards. 252 pages. Hardcover. 1999.