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Portraits of an Era: The Aerial Photography of Howdy Mcphail

Portraits of an Era: The Aerial Photography of Howdy Mcphail Hardcover - 2010

by Waiser, Bill

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first

Description

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Fifth House Publishers, 2010. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. pp. 184. Oblong 4to. Publisher's black boards, silver lettering to the spine. Chiefly comprises of many black-and-white photographs (most captioned). No detectable flaws, contents equally without blemish with bright, clean, and unmarked pages and firm, sound binding; fine and housed in fine original, unclipped, dustjacket. As new. "An astounding collection of aerial photographs of farms, villages, and communities large and small from Ontario to British Columbia-Thunder Bay to Victoria-in the 1950s and 1960s. This book is perfect for the nostalgia and gift market, history and aviation buffs, and those interested in photography. The never before published collection is unique for its immeasurable historic value. What really distinguishes Howdy's work is the simple artistry of each composition. His aerials are not in any sense generic, or for that matter, sterile. Even though he was both flying the plane and using a handheld camera, his photographs are amazingly sharp. They are also surprisingly detailed, especially given the distance from the subject, and this textual richness provides a window to the material culture of the period. Howdy had a keen sense of the landscape and tried to capture the rhythm and patterns of daily life by including people and their activities in the scenes whenever possible. The pictures are effectively saying that this is their home ground. Nothing delighted Howdy more during his picture outings than spotting individuals waving at him as he flew overhead and pressed the shutter. That moment-that intersection of plane, camera, and subject-can never be duplicated again given the transitory nature of photography. It's what makes Howdy McPhail's pictures so special, so valuable, but most of all, so reflective of a truly remarkable pilot who took aerial obliques to the level of an art form. H. D. McPhail, a character in his own right, left an aerial history of land and life in post WWII Canada. His life and photography are presented through the historical lens of historian Bill Waiser."
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Details

  • Title Portraits of an Era: The Aerial Photography of Howdy Mcphail
  • Author Waiser, Bill
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition, First Printing
  • Pages 184
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Fifth House Publishers, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • Date 2010
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Dust Cover, Illustrated
  • Bookseller's Inventory # 6283
  • ISBN 9781897252581 / 1897252587
  • Dimensions 10 x 9 x 1 in (25.40 x 22.86 x 2.54 cm)
  • Themes
    • Interdisciplinary Studies: Canadiana
  • Library of Congress subjects Cities and towns - Canada, McPhail, H. D
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2009675169
  • Dewey Decimal Code 917.100

Categories

About the author

Bill Waiser is one of Canada's leading historians. In Portraits of an Era, he brings us an unparalleled collection: a Canadian legacy from the air. He is the author of many best-selling books and was nominated for a Governor General's Literary Award.