The Book of the Year 2010

The people have spoken, and there's no doubt about it: our "Book of the Year" for 2010 is Bruce Davidson's magnificent Outside Inside. Our readers bought more copies of this set this past year than any other title that came out in calendar 2010. It was published by Steidl in April. I wrote about it here.

I hope you were among the many people who took my advice and purchased yours while you could, because, unfortunately, it's already gone. Out of print. Used copies are selling for $450 on Amazon. The publisher lists it as "SOLD OUT." (You can see a few sample spreads and the three individual book covers at the publisher's site, however.)

If you want it but don't own it yet, don't give up hope. Steidl books tend to go in and out of print with little predictability—a wild-hare chase we've followed along with a time or two—and its popular books often receive additional printings. It's quite possible that another run of Outside Inside is coming. In fact, just as a blind guess, I'd peg the chances at better than 50-50. The reason that a book goes out of print in less than a year is because it's popular—people want it. Why wouldn't a publisher do another printing of a book that people want? Although it's possible it's so expensive to produce that it amounted to a loss-leader. It does weigh 22 lbs. in the shipping box. I'm just guessing, though. Maybe it will do nothing but go up in price from here. I don't know.

I find it nearly incredible that two of our three best-selling books of the year—by unit numbers, not with any kind of conditions applied—were expensive multi-volume sets. I have to say that of the two—this and the bargain-priced seven-volume set of August Sander, which is still available—I have enjoyed, and treasure, the Sander set more. I've long held that how you feel about a great photographer's work is essentially a matter of chemistry, similar to, or analogous to, the way some humans beings appeal to us as objects of desire and others don't. Who clicks for whom is different for everybody. And, even though I found a lot to love in these books, I just don't quite click with the way Bruce sees.  Even though his work is "my type" so to speak (I've noticed that I tend to respond to reportorial-style 35mm B&W most readily, of all kinds of photography). Not a critical condemnation, certainly—but, just as certainly, something I learned from this set.

By Bruce Davidson. Taken in Brooklyn in 1980.

A great many people utterly love Bruce Davidson's work, however, and for them, the Steidl set is a stone masterpiece. It presents a huge amount of work (944 pages, 834 tritone plates) in a form that should be a model for photographic book publishers—a simple, elegant, high-quality presentation that makes the work a pleasure to experience. It's difficult to imagine there will ever be a better summation of Bruce Davidson's distinguished and dedicated career.

...Unless (or until) Outside Inside is reprinted, that is!

Mike

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Original contents copyright 2010 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Ctein: "I bought the Davidson set. One of my very rare expensive book purchases (it's not that I have too many books...I have too many unread books). In fact, the most expensive book purchase I've ever made, not correcting for inflation. Worth every penny. Not only is the art excellent, the books are a serious bargain purely in terms of the number of pages of really high quality photographic reproduction per dollar. And the shipping case was charming (and functional!), I am going to love this book(s) to death, and I am really grateful to TOP for letting me know of its existence; I'd not have learned of it any other way."

Featured Comment by JSL: "I've spent time with both Gerhard Steidl and Bruce Davidson this year—for different reasons—and both say that they hope and expect the book to be reprinted. When it might happen is another question: Steidl's operation is pretty much maxed out: his press (and he only has one) run 24 hours a day, and the company produces close to 300 books a year. That's almost one a day, from one press.  So it's really just a matter of finding time on the press for a reprint—which isn't easy."

Comments

[Stan B.]

Don't have either- you're a cruel, cruel man, Michael C.

[Simon Robinson]

My 'Bruce brick' arrived today. It was my Christmas present to myself but arrived a few days late - but, hey, better late than never!
A tip for people who are still looking for a copy - some online shops list it as "Journey of Consciousness" and not "Outside Inside".

Cheers
Simon

[hugh crawford]

I went and saw Bruce Davidson give a little talk about the book in early December. Tried to get him to autograph one of his earlier publications for a friend, it didn't pan out but he was signing and selling some copies that evening.
http://onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.com/2010/12/11/no-words-daily-pix-at-the-bruce-davidson-talk/
He said that there were still a few signed copies of the books at various Barns and Nobles - once they are signed the stores can't send them back. Someone asked how to break into the photography biz , and he replied with an observation on how hard it is to find someone who can spot prints, so maybe he's hiring print spotters?

[Nikhil Ramkarran]

I have been savouring my copy for several months now. I take whichever volume out only when I can sit at my bay window with a nice scotch and slowly browse through page by page. It was even my daily photo for my 365 (concluded today) a few weeks ago.

[John Lambert]

Interestingly, this was also the #1 book on the Guardian's list in the UK too! Just shows the universal appeal of one of photography's greats.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/dec/10/sean-o-hagan-photography-books-christmas

[Ken Tanaka]

I am delighted that I was able to tip you, and apparently many of my fellow TOPsters, to the Davidson set, Mike. TOP has certainly tipped me toward (too) many terrific books over the years.

You are so right that one's affinity for a particular photographer's work is often a matter of taste and preference. I tend to find nearly any body of Bruce Davidson's work immersively engaging. If I sit down in a quiet room with, say, "Circus" I cannot easily keep from walking through the whole book.

[Paris]

Completely off topic, of course, but it's 9:00 PM EST on December 31st, so a toast:

A happy, prosperous and safe 2011 to Mike, Ctein, and the whole strange crew of commenters.

Be well,
Scott Paris

[Paris]

I get the Darwin award for not buying the Davidson book. (But I did get the August Sander set.)

You'll give us an early heads-up when they do the reprint, right Mike?

[Bernd Reinhardt]

I think I've mentioned this before, but I was able to see the Sander exhibition at the Getty museum a few years back, followed by the Irving Penn exhibition. Both were amazing and such perfect companion exhibitions. If these two shows ever come to a city near you, do yourself a favor and see these beautiful prints in person. Sander is out of this world. He did exactly what the fine art world is after: a body of work that is stylistically cohesive with subtle variations on a common theme... and then there is something to be said for portraiture with a large view camera.

[Dave]

You certainly picked a winning photo to illustrate the article with, Mike. Beautiful!

[richardplondon]

I am still dithering over the Sander book - by the way, I recommend for those who can reach it, the short loan display at Tate Modern in London, UK [ link here ].

Not so sure about the "I'd like to read this book on Kindle" suggestion from Amazon... [grin]

[Ed]

At Paris (not Hilton I presume): the Darwin award is awarded to people who kill themselves in rather let's say unexpected ways. Since you're typing here I presume you are not eligible for the Darwin award as of yet. You could however get the Darwin award for trying to shelve a copy of Helmut Newton's book on the top shelf of abookcase...gravity and that book are a bad combination.

Greetings, Ed

[scott kirkpatrick]

Mike, I wrote this after your original post:

"Ahh, donations. I can't think of a better way to do that than by immediately clicking the provided links and filling the skies with books on their way to me. Mike, using the results for two-ply toilet tissue or even eBay lenses for cameras you hope to have someday is just fine with me. Go for it!"

And I did order "Outside,Inside" immediately. Unfortunately, it is a long way to Jerusalem, and the box never arrived. By the time I got Amazon to admit that it was lost, there were no second chances. So keep the pressure on for a second edition. In the meantime, I have two of Davidson's Steidl repreints, E 100th Street, all of which have good reproductions, and "Subsistence," which might be greatly improved if cast as a photo essay and printed better.

scott