Broecker William Eds (1 results)

Hardback. Condition: Near fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very good. 15th. Leica began printing manuals for its cameras, lenses, and other photographic equipment in 1935. By the time it got to this, its 15th edition and final edition in 1973, the manuals were far from the little users' pamphlets that we're used to finding the box with a new item. This manual"Leica Manual: The Complete Book of 35mm Photography"is a copiously illustrated 528-page hardback book, printed on glossy paper and with a full-color dust jacket. More importantly, as the title suggests, it is not just a how-to guide to using Leica's equipment, though it does provide that information, of course. It is a how-to guide to taking, developing, printing, and storing pictures with film, full stop, with sidetracks into such things as different specialties photographers can go into and the history of photography. Douglas O. Morgan, David Vestal, and William L. Broecker are truly editors, not authors, of this book, as it is a compilation of 35 chapters, each with its own writer or writers. Many of the writers, especially of the chapters on more technical subjects such as on how to use light meters, are probably best known to their fellow technicians, but others are world famous as artists outside the world of photographers and collectors: Ansel Adams, for instance, wrote the chapter titled, "The Zone System for 35mm Photography." Bill Pierce, a photojournalist whose work has appeared in just about all the major international publications and is represented in the National Portrait Gallery, wrote four chapters, including one how to get the most out of available light; Barbara Morgan, an artist who figured out how best to capture modern dancers such as Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham on film, wrote a chapter called "Dynamics of Composition;" William Garnett, who pioneered aerial photography, wrote a chapter on his specialty; and the list goes on. As expected, the book is loaded with excellent photographs, but only a section of them are there simply for their aesthetic appeal. Rather, most appear to demonstrate a concept made in the textfor example, two pictures of the same subject will appear next to each other, each lit differently, to show the effects of techniques the writer describes. Our copy also includes two one-page inserts: a sheet with the heading, "Leica Manual Additions and changes"usually called "errata"and another where one can subscribe to continuous updates to the technical information in the book. This copy is in excellent condition. The only flaw keeping it from being listed as "Fine" is that a previous owner's name is written in the top right corner of the front free endpaper. No other writing or other markings appear anywhere in the pages or on the cover. The text block is tight and square, and none of the pages are loose or missing. Yet, everything about the make of this book suggests it is meant to be usedthe covers are pebbled, for instance, which means there are meant to stand up to wear, and the hinges and joints, while absolutely solid, also allow the book to lay open. There are really no marks or bumps or other signs of damage on the covers. That could be because the dust jacket took the brunt of the wear over the years, though, remarkably in a book this age, the jacket is not torn. There is a good bit of shelf wear along the top and bottom edges of the jacket, and there appears to be some sun damage to the jacket's spine, although some of the color change is intentional shading. Altogether, this would be an excellent reference book for a Leica camera user or collectoror for any other film photographer. See our photos for details. Profusely Illustrated (illustrator).…