Eliot Porter (1901-1990) was an icon of American photography, most
often associated with his outstanding, large-format, color
photographs of the natural world. Porter began his education at
Harvard University but left the school to devote his life to his
photography and to champion the cause of the environment, long
before such matters were recognized as important.
In 1962, Porter created in "In Wildnerness Is the Preservation of
the World," an immensely popular book combining his evocative,
color photographs of New England woods with excerpts from the
writings of Henry David Thoreau. The book revolutionized
photographic book publishing by setting new standards for design
and printing, and proving the commercial viability of fine art
photography books. Its success set Porter on a lifelong path of
creating similar photographic portraits of a wide variety of
ecologically significant places the world over.
Porter's fascination with nature's workings and strong
environmentalist ethic never suspended his passion for art.
Throughout his life, Porter remained committed to making and
exhibiting meticulously rendered dye transfer color prints of his
photographs featured in many solo shows, including the American
Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, and the first,
one-person show of color photographs presented by the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American author, poet,
philospher, abolitionist, and environmentalist. He is best known
for his book "Walden," a reflection upon simple living in natural
surroundings, and his essay "Civil Disobedience," an argument for
individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an
unjust state.
"A new generation has come of age since this elegant volume was
published. ... Word and picture complement each other in a
celebration of the New England countryside through the seasons.
This was a landmark work. Porter's images of woods and streams,
bogs and forests, plant and animal life remind us that Thoreau saw
these things in similar settings more than a century ago. The book
is timeless." --"Publishers Weekly"
"Luckily, Ammo Books just started publishing this book again, and I
was happy to accept a review copy to check out this new edition.
... It's a great inspirational book to start off the new year, and
it's one of those books that belong on every nature photographer's
bookshelf." --"PhotoNaturalist"
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