The key to collecting photobooks
As a librarian for thirty-five years, I have always been a book collector.
The high end of book collecting is the photo book.
Why?
Because they are on better, archival paper, black and white or in color, paperback or in large format.
Most are produced by the artist and are self-published, which can add to the cost. As a writer myself, I know how much equipment, travel costs, editor expenses, and printing costs mount up.
Topical photobooks are not always by one artist so there is the added expense by the author/publisher to pay royalties to the artists.
Then there is the added expense of marketing and distributing.
The photographer is usually happy to break even.
So what is a collector to do?
My answer is to look at the big picture and get out and do it.
You, as a collector, can make this an exciting adventure.
Know some artists you are interested in.
Educate yourself to know what you want to buy.
There are lists on the internet of top collectable books.
Know them, but also know yourself.
These are things to key in on before you buy.
Know your photographers.
For example, Ansel Adams is one of my favorite photographers.
How he was able to produce such striking black and white photos is beyond me.
Then, go to used book stores. Look for books at the street vendors.
Some bookstores have vaults of rare books. Go look for them.
Who cares if the book has sat on someone’s coffee table gathering dust for a few years? Look it over before buying and clean it up.
Here in America, we have used goods stores.
There is a wealth of photo books in Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other “Thrift Stores.”
My friends and I make a day of it and go “thrifting.”
Not only do you make great finds in books, but you are helping these organizations trying to raise money for many worthwhile causes.
Amazingly enough, public libraries give up many great books if they do not get checked out enough.
They have “Friends of the Library” sales and “Book Barns” where you can buy these discarded books. The money from these sales also go back to the library.
At the big city libraries, it is worthwhile to look at their rare book rooms to see what they have available. You may discover a local photographer and their works.
For new books, National Parks, National Monuments, Museums, and other visitor centers all over the world offer many photo books in their gift shops.
Ansel Adams was famous for his Yosemite Photos, so that would be a place to look for those books.
Look around the gift shop carefully and you may discover a lower shelf or corner with books marked 20% or 30% off. You may luck out a make a real buy.
Not every photographer specializes in landscape. There are many humanist photographers who take stunning photos of people.
Henri Cartier-Bresson took photos of Notre Dame and gift shops around the area offer photo books on this.There is also the HCB Foundation in Paris that also has some of his books available.
A living humanist photographer is Annie Leibovitz. She is more of a portrait photographer, and every photo she takes is like a window to the soul.
Right now, she has an exhibit of new works in Zurich and her photo books would be available there. In fact any exhibit of any artist will have some sort of photo book offering in their gift shop and sometimes at a reception you can get a catalog of the exhibit for free, so look around when you go to them.
Besides collecting or using the books as an investment, the study of these books can enhance your craft as a photographer and give you good ideas about subject and technique.
Another use is to give these books to learning and sight disabled adults. They can enjoy the large format pictures, read the comments and captions, and feel empowered. I give many of these books away to these people as gifts.
As you see, resourcefulness can be the key to collecting photobooks.
Photos by Markus Spiske, Nathan Anderson, Chrissie Kremer, Ansel Adams, Chris Benson.
