San Francisco underwent a revolution in the 1980s: not only did the city survive a devastating earthquake, it also came into its own as a primary site of photographic activity, innovation, and institutional support. John Bloom, who found himself in the center of the whirlwind, has collected his writings in this congenial anthology. The author transcends the limits of time and place in his essays, vaulting from Civil War tintypes to new-wave experiments. An exhibit of Joel-Peter Witkin's work provides a platform for a discussion of surrealist photography; contemporary German efforts are illuminated by comparisons to Edward Weston and Lee Friedlander.
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