The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Photography

In one single, elegant volume, this publication features over 300 iconic photographs and contains more than 1,200 concise yet fully detailed entries on all aspects of the subject. Though much information can today be found online, locating it takes time and sources can have questionable provenance and uncertain academic credentials. All previous dictionaries of photography are now outdated, as well, focusing either on the famous and influential practitioners of the genre or presented as mere glossaries of technical terms. This landmark publication is the culmination of ten years of development and research. Working with an international expert panel of 150 consultants and 77 researchers, Nathalie Herschdorfer has triumphed in creating the first source of information for all scholars, practitioners and collectors of photography to turn to in the future.

• The essential, definitive reference on more than 180 years of photography in one authoritative volume

• More than 1,200 concise yet highly informative and fully cross-referenced entries on the art, history, science, masters and proponents of photography – from ‘Abbas’ to ‘Zoom lens’

• Illustrated throughout with over 300 photographs and diagrams, including major works that have defined the genre

• Fresh scholarship by an international team of 77 researchers

• Elegant, modern design.


Posted on May 13, 2018

The Thames & Hudson Introduction to Art

The Thames & Hudson Introduction to Art is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the visual arts. Part 1 introduces the visual language of art, while Part 2 explains how art is made, from such traditional media and processes as stone carving, fresco and oil painting, to contemporary approaches, such as digital and conceptual art and installations. Part 3 offers an overview of the history of art from prehistoric times to the 21st century in all parts of the world, and Part 4 examines art through the major themes that, across cultures and throughout history, have inspired artists to create great works of art.

More than 800 images of art are shown and discussed in a clear and vivid way, offering stimulating insights into the visual arts. Additionally, the authors have selected eight iconic works that represent the extraordinary variety of art created throughout time and around the world. As these great works are examined from different points of view in the four parts of the book, the reader gains a deeper understanding of the skill involved in artistic creation, and the endless expressive possibilities of art.

This is a beautifully illustrated book that emphasizes the astonishing diversity of art in all its forms. Here the reader encounters the timeless primal power of the Woman from Willendorf, made as long ago as 24,000 BCE; dramatically differing architectural masterpieces, from Temple 1 in the Great Plaza of Tikal in Guatemala, built between 300 and 900 BCE, to the twentieth-century innovations of Le Corbusier; the delicate detail of fifteenth-century portraits by Jan Van Eyck alongside Andy Warhol’s Double Elvis; and contemporary works ranging from the traditionally crafted Japanese kimonos of Sonoko Sasaki to the dynamic and thought-provoking video art of Bill Viola.

The Thames & Hudson Introduction to Art is the most accessible and complete visual arts guide available, and an indispensable resource for art students and enthusiasts alike.


Posted on May 13, 2018

Let’s Talk Type

Have you ever wondered which typeface is used for airport signs? Or about the history behind the Times New Roman font? We are constantly engaging with type, yet many of us struggle to use it effectively or simply to understand the basics.

Let’s Talk Type will help to build your knowledge of type and typeface use with a clear and comprehensive ‘what is it’ and ‘why use it’ approach to the subject. Five chapters explore topics including the anatomy of type, glyphs, typeface classification, and typefaces ranging from serif and sans serif to script and display. The chapter on typefaces pays particular attention to highlighting key design features and, along with illuminating backstories and tips to aid identification, makes this book the perfect companion for all type enthusiasts and practitioners.


Posted on May 13, 2018

Fashion Quotes

From the bestselling authors of Choupette and The World According to Karl, a selection of wise words from Balzac, Oscar Wilde, Diana Vreeland, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen and more. The book pulls together the sharpest wit from the last 300 years, from 18th-century dandies to the latest kings and queens of the catwalk.

Bursting with exuberant illustrations specially created for the book by fashion designer Christian Lacroix.


Posted on May 13, 2018

Pocket Museum: Ancient Greece

Pocket Museum: Ancient Greece presents nearly 200 objects currently housed in public collections around the world that offer both context and immediacy to the rich culture of Ancient Greece. From the
bifacial hand tools of the Lower Paleolithic (300,000 years ago) to the Hellenistic Great Altar of Pergamon (second century BCE), the artifacts described here reflect the cyclical ups and downs of prosperity and poverty, and changing cultural and social norms from epoch to epoch. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of each featured object, this is an absorbing introduction to a culture that has exerted an unparalleled influence on Western civilization.


Posted on May 13, 2018

William Wegman: Being Human

William Wegman is a world-renowned American artist whose paintings, photographs, videos and drawings have been exhibited in museums and galleries internationally. Today he is perhaps best known for his collaborations with his longstanding muses, an ever-expanding cast of Weimaraners, for whom performing elaborate scenarios or merely posing demurely for their portraits comes as second nature. Curated in close collaboration with distinguished photography author William A. Ewing, William Wegman: Being Human is the most extensive collection of Wegman’s photographic work yet to be published. The book is organized thematically, presenting a wealth of exceptional work in such a way as to highlight the versatility of Wegman’s everinventive mind as he explores what it means to be human. From portraits of characters we so easily recognize – a suburban housewife, a famous actor, a nightclub singer, a golfer dressed in plaid – to imagery that toys with a wide range of visual languages, Wegman quotes freely from fashion photography, Cubism, colour theory, the tradition of the nude and the history of art itself. Essays and an interview explore Wegman’s approach to his subjects and their life in the studio.

With over 300 images made over the last four decades, many published here for the first time, William Wegman: Being Human will delight and engage both those who are new to Wegman’s work and those who have admired his art for many years.


Posted on May 13, 2018