Brett Weston and Bill Schwab in the Amon Carter Library

[David Brown]

Recently visited the excellent library at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. Although the stacks are closed - no browsing - they will bring you any book they have, you just have to ask. So, I browsed their catalog listings and got a few random choices. Among them were two Brett Weston portfolio re-prints by Michael A. Smith's Lodima Press and Bill Scwab's Gathering Calm, from his own North Light Press.

These three books are just sterling! I am sure the other offerings in the Weston series are the same, and have no doubt that other North Light books are also just as good. I have a good, small collection of monographs, but I buy at the used book store. (Still waiting for these more expensive types to show up there - but I'm not holding my breath.) However, my usual experience is to buy a monograph, and look at it once or twice before it becomes one with the bookcase; except maybe for a reference now and again. So, visiting a library and viewing these wonderful books (for free) is almost as good.

Although living in North Texas for 24 years, and frequently visiting the Carter, I had not taken advantage of the library in the past. Now retired, I plan to make periodic visits just to sit in the library and be inspired.

Recommended: the library at the Amon Carter http://www.cartermuseum.org/library (catalog list is available on line!)

... and work from North Light Press and Lodima Press.

Cheers.

 

[Merg Ross]

David, that sounds like a wonderful experience.

Have you had an opportunity to view original Brett Weston prints? Which of his portfolio books were available at the library?

Michael Smith does a very good job with the reproductions of Brett's work, certainly a serires worth collecting.

www.mergross.com

 

[David Brown]

Mr. Ross:

Yes, I have been fortunate to see Weston prints. His archive is just up the road in Oklahoma City, and in 2009, they mounted a show of 132 original prints. Also, I have been to the CCP in Tucson, and have seen prints of both Brett and his father there. I can't remember a specific, but I would not be surprised if I have seen prints from Edward for sure, and probably Brett, in various exhibits at the Carter over the years. They show a lot of work! Both are represented in the Amon Carter's collection.

I used to say that I would die happy if ever someone looked at one of my photographs and said that it looked like a Brett Weston. We amateurs all have our models/heroes.

One thing I learned from viewing so many Brett prints: shadow detail is over-rated. If it's black, let it go black in the print!

According to the Carter's online catalog, they have 8 of the portfolios:

Oregon
Europe
Fifteen photographs of Japan
Baja California
Ten photographs
Fifteen photographs
White Sands
San Francisco

Several copies of the actual portfolios are in the Carter's print collection, although I hesitate to list them, since my copy of their print catalog is from 1993. It's not as easy to walk into their vaults as it is their library, however. :confused:

Thanks for the comments.

 

[Merg Ross]

Mr. Ross:

Yes, I have been fortunate to see Weston prints. His archive is just up the road in Oklahoma City, and in 2009, they mounted a show of 132 original prints. Also, I have been to the CCP in Tucson, and have seen prints of both Brett and his father there. I can't remember a specific, but I would not be surprised if I have seen prints from Edward for sure, and probably Brett, in various exhibits at the Carter over the years. They show a lot of work! Both are represented in the Amon Carter's collection.

I used to say that I would die happy if ever someone looked at one of my photographs and said that it looked like a Brett Weston. We amateurs all have our models/heroes.

One thing I learned from viewing so many Brett prints: shadow detail is over-rated. If it's black, let it go black in the print!

According to the Carter's online catalog, they have 8 of the portfolios:

Oregon
Europe
Fifteen photographs of Japan
Baja California
Ten photographs
Fifteen photographs
White Sands
San Francisco

Several copies of the actual portfolios are in the Carter's print collection, although I hesitate to list them, since my copy of their print catalog is from 1993. It's not as easy to walk into their vaults as it is their library, however. :confused:

Thanks for the comments.

Good morning David,

Wonderful to hear that you have had the opportunities to view original prints. Brett was correct in his oft-quoted statement that, "no one can print my negatives the way I can". Yes, those blacks are magnificent, a real master of negative space!

I'm guessing that you are referring to the Out of the Shadow exhibition of a few years ago. I had the opportunity to view it when it was in Santa Barbara, and participated in a panel discussion of Brett and his work on opening night. It truly was a marvelous exhibit, and very well received.

Thanks for writing. You are fortunate to have the Amon Carter nearby.

Merg

 

[doughowk]

"Gathering Calm" is a beautifully printed book. I recently acquired my copy as a reward for contributing to Bill Schwab's kickstarter project.
Brett Weston's portfolio series from Lodima is stunning. I hope they are able to complete the series.
Don't have any good libraries in the area so I indulge myself all too frequently.