DARKROOM: BY LUSTRUM PRESS

[Peter Schrager]

Darkroom by Lustrum Press; edited by Eleanor Lewis. 183pp. Pub. 1977
I just ordered and recieved this book. It is a fascinating trip into the darkroom work and minds of:Wynn Bullock; Jerry Burchard; Linda Conner; Ralph Gibson;
Betty Hahn; Eikoh Hosoe; George Krause; Elaine Mayes; Duane Michaels; W. Eugene Smith; George Tice; and Jerry Uelselmann.
A great meat and potatoes book. Filled with examples and the exact papers and chemistry they used.Everyone just lets loose in these pages. There are even some very interesting formulas for paper developers I will post later in the Chenistry Recipes Section. They just don't make books like this now. Everyone gave open-heartedly in the project. None of the my way is better than yours garbage.
As an aside I want to put a plug in for the bookseller who sold it to me via
Abe's books. His name is Gordon Beckhorn: gbeckhorn@optonline.net and his service was impeccable. I ordered the book on Friday night and got it on Monday.
The book was not cheap and therefore I wouldn't expect everyone to run out and grab a copy but if anyone is sincerely interested than after I'm finished reading it I am willing to put it into "circulation" with the APUG community. Just PM me if interested.
Best, Peter Schrager

 

[mikewhi]

A local half-price bookstore near me has a copy of the other edition for probably $9, softcover. If anyone wants it, let me know and I can get it for you and mail it. The one at the store is the gray book, not the black one. The gray one has the E. Weston 'Head Down Nude' on the cover and has Cole Weston.

I have both in my collection and they are very good books. I recall that George Krause is in one of them. I like his work a lot and I own a print of the birds which I believe he discusses printing in the book.

I have a hardcopy of the black book - the hardback books are hard to find so hang onto them if you find one.

-Mike

 

[Bob Carnie]

Peter
I had this book and it got swiped from my bookshelf, you are right a great read, I have darkroom 2 and it also is good.

 

[Monophoto]

Lustrum Press published several excellent books in the late 1970's. There used to be a book store in town that specialized in remaindered books that was owned by a guy who was himself a photographer, so he made a point of featuring photographic books. I was able to pick up three of the Lustrum books - Contact, Portrait and Nude. As I recall, the main driver behind Lustrum was a photographer, Ralph Gibson.

 

[Helen B]

There's also 'Landscape: Theory' in that series.

 

[John Koehrer]

Can't forget "Nude:Theory" & "Contact:Theory".

 

[Helen B]

Didn't Monophoto mention those?

 

[Jeremy]

Because of the high recommendation I just picked one of these up off of ebay for $15 shipped which was cheaper than the $20 they had it for at the local 1/2 off bookstore.

 

[John Koehrer]

Helen b.
Yep, sorry, I missed the line. Babbling on I do have to include the Gibson books: Infanta, History of France, Days at Sea, The Sonabulist & Deja-vu.
Another Lustrum press book would be SX-70.

 

[doughowk]

Just ordered both Darkroom books thru bookfinder. Hopefully they haven't been grab. Its always helpful to get book recommendations from other photographers.

 

[Innis]

There's also Portrait:Theory - very good. Well, they're all good.