Small Town America

by David Plowden, David McCullough

An accomplished photographer of the American scene presents a unique artistic record that captures a vanishing part of our country, the main streets, barber shops, schoolhouses, and inhabitants of our small towns. BOMC Div.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

David Plowden is the author of more than twenty photography books, including Bridges: The Spans of North America, Vanishing Point: Fifty Years of Photography, and Requiem for Steam. He lives in Winnetka, Illinois.

Reviews

[Jeffrey (Akiva) Savett · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful books by one of my favorite photographers. It's difficult to find a nice hardcover version of this, but I ordered one on amazon from a secondary seller. I am thrilled I did for two reasons.

First, though I've seen many of these photographs before (they are some of Plowden's most famous), the secondary but absolute TREASURE of this book is Plowden's 50 page essay preceding the photo plates. In it, he discusses the effect of American progress on the physical and psychological American landscape. Always "one day ahead of the wrecking ball," Plowden argues that small towns are repositories of national purpose and meaning. Thankfully, Plowden doesn't ignore the racism or xenophobia that often accompanies provincialism; rather, he presents the small town as both stricture and escape, prison and freedom.

Second: my GOD this book smells good!!! I'm not sure where it was before it came to me, but I can't help but LOVE that this book on disappearing small towns smells EXACTLY like an old musty bookshop with creaky wooden floors and a cash register that sounds like a train. Obviously, I can't make promises about the scent of the copy you procure...but by all means, seek and find this book somewhere old.

[Joe Spoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a photo book, however I was more intrigued by the writing in the 50 pages or so of text prior to the section with the photos. It was very well written and gave meaning to some of the photos.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Striking photographs of towns past their prime, bypassed by progress, yet retaining a sense of strength and history and infused with the feeling of melancholy and loss. Includes 46 pages of text about Putney VT in particular and small towns in general.

[Paul H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poor man's Walker Evans.