Though Redman’s book covers a recondite topic, it contains many touchpoints of cultural history and is a timely, engaging read. A more comprehensive title is John Simmons’s 2016 volume Museums: A History.
Ultimately inconclusive on the question of artistic independence from Europe, this interesting time capsule of the American pop art elite is a rewarding deep dive into primary sources, packed with felicitous biographical content.
A universally appealing combination of stunningly beautiful photographs, evocative descriptions, and practical information about some of the nation’s most special places.
From their chubby-cheeked “Gibson Girl” childhood through their sunlit dotage, the Brutons were exemplars of many aspects of California history and, in recent years, overlooked. Good’s book corrects this.
Although it’s fascinating as a history, Webb’s body of work is artistically underwhelming; it resembles a really good Life magazine photo-essay, but it lacks the éclat of photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson or Malick Sidibé. This narrative of Webb’s photos and their creation will engage primarily readers who are already interested in the medium and the message.