Have you ever thought about the painted backgrounds in antique and vintage photographs?
No? Me neither.
Not until I read The Painted Backdrop: Behind the Sitter in American Tintype Photography, by Jim Linderman (with an essay by Kate Bloomquist), that is.
In fact, the story of and between 19th century painters and American photography really has never been told — or, I should say, “hasn’t been explored” until Linderman came along and looked into it via his collection of antique tintype photographs.
If you’re curious now, if you collect antique tintypes, are a collector of photographs and/or cameras, are an artist or have other interest in photographic history, I can’t recommend this book enough.
Technology, commerce, art, and culture collide at a crossroads, supposed “forward progress” exposing values, leaving the role of art and artists themselves as question marks…
My full review of the book is here — and my exclusive interview with the author is here.
Image credits: Jim Linderman
I have tried to find the book “The painted backdrop” by Lim Linderman, can”t find it.
Kevin, I’ll see if I can get Jim Linderman to update us 🙂