Paper Cities: Urban Portraits in Photographic Books

Photographic books are almost as old as photography itself, and the city is one of their first and more recurring themes. Cities have been, and they continue to be, intensely photographed under a wide variety of forms, materialities, intentions and genres. This volume examines how a city can be molded through the particularities of a photographic book, suggesting how urban portraits configure an overlooked, yet quite specific, photo-textual practice. Ranging from early photography to contemporary works, Paper Cities gathers thought-provoking case studies from several international contexts, providing new insights into art, material culture, history, heritage, and memory, while simultaneously illuminating the debate on cities, photographs, and books.

Contributors: Chris Balaschak (Flagler College), Johanna M. Blokker (Bamberg University), Hugh Campbell (University College Dublin), Simon Dell (University of East Anglia), Philip Goldswain (University of Western Australia), Steven Humblet (LUCA School of Arts), Steven Jacobs (Ghent University), Douglas Klahr (University of Texas), Cecile Laly (Université Paris I), Mónica Pacheco (University College London), Annarita Teodosio (University of Salerno)