Saturday, December 20, 2008

Clarence John Laughlin, Louisiana's great photographer

Ghosts along the Mississippi is a classic book of large photos of large plantation houses along the Louisiana run of the Father of Waters.
I always find something new to enjoy when I return to the book.

Wikipedia says, Clarence John Laughlin (1905 - 1985) was a United States photographer best known for his surrealist photographs of the U.S. South.

He worked on personal projects utilizing a wide range of photographic styles and techniques, from simple geometric abstractions of architectural features to elaborately-staged allegories utilizing models, costumes, and props.

Many historians credit Laughlin as being the first true surrealist photographer in the United States. His images are often nostalgic, reflecting the influence of Eugene Atget and other photographers who tried to capture vanishing urban landscapes. Laughlin's best known book, "Ghosts Along the Mississippi", was first published in 1948.

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