Source for the Haist books?

Hi all,

I'm looking to learn more about the chemistry and was hoping to read the Haist books, but it seems they're out of print (haistpress.com is no more). I know Dr. Haist passed last year. Anyone know if his books are gone forever or if there are plans for a repress? The used prices are prohibitive for my budget.

Thanks for any pointers,
John

John Gnagy said:

Hi all,

I'm looking to learn more about the chemistry and was hoping to read the Haist books, but it seems they're out of print (haistpress.com is no more). I know Dr. Haist passed last year. Anyone know if his books are gone forever or if there are plans for a repress? The used prices are prohibitive for my budget.

Thanks for any pointers,
John

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I bought the set directly from the author for $300 but well worth it.

If you check out AbeBooks regularly and are patient, you can sometimes find them for quite reasonable prices. Right now there's two copies of volume two each available for around $60. I agree with Ralph -- they are very well worth it.

Grant only had 3 or 4 copies left when he passed away and had no plans for reprinting it. He had compiled a whole list of errata and new information that he hoped to put into a new revised edition. Sadly that will never be. He was a great person, photographer, co-worker and friend.

PE

It sure would be nice if the errata list could be made available...

Some alternatives.
An older book fom Kodak labs that has been digitized:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015016032883;view=2up;seq=98
Also from Kodak, Theory of the Photographic Process, Mees and James, 3rd and 4th editions hardback books.
From Ilford, Photographic Processing Chemistry by LFA Mason.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Alan Johnson said:

Also from Kodak, Theory of the Photographic Process, Mees and James, 3rd and 4th editions

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Used copies of these are quite reasonable. I'm a little confused that the 4th edition is credited to James and the 3rd to Mees. Is the 4th just an update of the Mees 3rd or is it a complete rewrite? Are both worth having (they are inexpensive)?

Photo Engineer said:

He was a great person, photographer, co-worker and friend.

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I'm sorry for your loss PE. It's good to know he was a great person - thanks for sharing.

The earlier editions of this book were edited by Mees with contributions from all sectors of KRL. After Mees died, Howard James went forward with newer revisions and they were published under the names Mees and James. The later the edition, the more new material in contained. After Howard's death, there were no further editions issued.

Thanks for your personal touch there. I appreciate it.

PE

Great - I ordered the 4th (final?) edition of Mees/James and the 2nd edition of Mason. Those were both inexpensive and should give me plenty to chew on until I can find a copy of Haist in my price range. Thanks for the tips everyone.

I kept putting off buying his books until he died. Then I had problems finding them. I ended up with two over priced very used books as the best that I could do. Be patient.

Photo Engineer said:

Grant only had 3 or 4 copies left when he passed away and had no plans for reprinting it. He had compiled a whole list of errata and new information that he hoped to put into a new revised edition. Sadly that will never be. He was a great person, photographer, co-worker and friend.

PE

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Back in the 1950s several of us went to the PSA convention which was held that year in Houston, Texas. Several of us wanted to put together 2 albums of pictures of nature subjects to show in the "Nature Room". Not nature photography as such but pictures of nature subjects. We wrote to members of 2 Pictorial Portfolios of nature subjects. Dr Haist was in one of those portfolios and he donated a print of a water-strider walking on the surface tension of water "flowing" over the rocky bottom of a stream. I know most of you older focusers have seen this picture in Kodak publications and I believe it was also published in Time magazine. He was already quite famous at the time and we certainly appreciated him (and the others) going to the trouble and expense of sending prints to us. Personal contact with Dr. Haist was limited but he was evidently a very nice, nice person.........Regards!

I just took two plaques of his many awards over to GEH, and have just given about two dozen of his large prints to them. I still have quite a few more of them to take over. They are beautiful prints.

Thanks for this reminder of his work. He traveled the world taking photos and publishing them.

PE