Partners with the Sun : South Carolina Photographers, 1840-1940

Rating:
Summary: Partners with the Sun
Review: This is a fairly extensive study of photographers working in the State of South Carolina during the period 1840-1940. The work will appeal to readers interested in the local history of South Carolina and the early history of photography in the South. It will also appeal to those studying the role of southern photography during the Civil War. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs taken from the collection of the author and other sources. These include carte de visites, cabinet cards, and stereo views. Unfortunately, the photographs are not full-page and the print quality is somewhat limited. As such, it may not satisfy readers who are looking for a "fine-art" monograph. In addition, although the work is well-documented, organized, and concise, it reads more like an academic thesis rather than a work of non-fiction. Partners with the Sun is not light reading. It is, however, an essential source of material for serious students of the history of photography.

Rating:
Summary: Partners with the Sun: S.C. Photographers, 1840-1940
Review: This is a well-researched, well-written book that contains a large amount of information about South Carolina's early daguerrotypists and photographers. A multitude of pictures, many representing archival material, illustrate the skills of these early artists of photography. The author also included letters and other biographical material revealing personal information about the sitters or photographers. Some of this material will be useful to those interested in genealogy, but to the rest of us it is a very readable and informative book, nicely printed and appointed.