Covering Photography: Photographers and Book Design

October 4, 2007 7:33 PM

Covering Photography "A web-based archive and resource for the study of the relationship between the history of photography and book cover design," with lots of ways to discover photographers like Arthur Tress.
posted by mediareport (6 comments total)

Via Research Buzz (well, its newsletter, anyway; should be up on the site shortly, too).
posted by mediareport at 7:40 PM on October 4, 2007

This is neat, and the design for the site in general is pretty clever. It’s interesting to look at the differences between photographic book covers from today versus several decades ago. It looks like photos of people and normal objects become more abstract and artful as time goes on. (Although this cover from 1957 is pretty trippy. But it looks like it’s part illustration.)
posted by tepidmonkey at 8:18 PM on October 4, 2007

But it looks like it’s part illustration.

Yeah, lots of the photos have non-photo elements added to create the book covers. That's partly why I've been finding photos I like at the site and then digging around for more elsewhere. Here's more from your photographer, Wynn Bullock, e.g. He's awesome - one of my new favorite photographers. :)
posted by mediareport at 8:43 PM on October 4, 2007

I love the Multiple Uses feature.
posted by Reggie Digest at 10:37 PM on October 4, 2007

I'm always on the prowl for fun design concepts, and 60's typography, of which there appears to be an abundance at that page, is inspring at times. Plus, some of those books might be worth reading.
posted by Devils Rancher at 3:29 AM on October 5, 2007

Thanks, Wynn Bullock is great. I’m a sucker for fog.
posted by tepidmonkey at 2:33 PM on October 5, 2007