Nice photos from the 1930s
December 30, 2006 9:00 AM Subscribe
An Eye for the World. "Shotaro Shimomura XXI (1883-1944) was Chairman of The Daimaru Inc., a department store chain... He took these photographs on a subsequent trip around the world in 1934 and 1935." Just two pages of photos, but I find them irresistible—worth it for this one alone. (Via wood s lot.)
Yes, that image is stunning.
It's like 'Nighthawks' and the World's Fair.
posted by squidfartz at 9:08 AM on December 30, 2006
It's like 'Nighthawks' and the World's Fair.
posted by squidfartz at 9:08 AM on December 30, 2006
Simply gorgeous. Other artists with such slim but perfectly-attuned portfolios?
posted by mykescipark at 9:32 AM on December 30, 2006
posted by mykescipark at 9:32 AM on December 30, 2006
ahhhh. What a treat languagehat, thanks.
Exquisite is a good word for these really lovely photographs. After going through the exhibit I feel as if I've just read a satisfying book. I love the way this man saw places and people!
There's so much in the spareness. As a group of images it's easy to see Shotaro Shimomura had a kind of zen appreciation, simple but rich at the same time.
Immediately, I got a feeling that he had a keen sense of the geometry of life and this detail confirmed it under the description of the shop window in Copenhagen: To emphasize the angularity of this Art Deco composition, the photographer has waited until 9 o'clock to make his exposure -- a time when the hands of the clock appear at a right angle.
derail: Exploring that site, the American Museum of Photography, I came across the very opposite kind of image collection, Photography as a Fine Arf.
posted by nickyskye at 9:33 AM on December 30, 2006
Exquisite is a good word for these really lovely photographs. After going through the exhibit I feel as if I've just read a satisfying book. I love the way this man saw places and people!
There's so much in the spareness. As a group of images it's easy to see Shotaro Shimomura had a kind of zen appreciation, simple but rich at the same time.
Immediately, I got a feeling that he had a keen sense of the geometry of life and this detail confirmed it under the description of the shop window in Copenhagen: To emphasize the angularity of this Art Deco composition, the photographer has waited until 9 o'clock to make his exposure -- a time when the hands of the clock appear at a right angle.
derail: Exploring that site, the American Museum of Photography, I came across the very opposite kind of image collection, Photography as a Fine Arf.
posted by nickyskye at 9:33 AM on December 30, 2006
To emphasize the angularity of this Art Deco composition, the photographer has waited until 9 o'clock to make his exposure -- a time when the hands of the clock appear at a right angle.
Just a reminder that photography is as much about timing as it is about lighting.
posted by dw at 10:37 AM on December 30, 2006
Just a reminder that photography is as much about timing as it is about lighting.
posted by dw at 10:37 AM on December 30, 2006
thanks so much, these are really fantastic! A perfect example of a picture saying a thousand words.
posted by Holy foxy moxie batman! at 12:04 PM on December 30, 2006
posted by Holy foxy moxie batman! at 12:04 PM on December 30, 2006
This is why I love black and white. Beautiful.
posted by pointilist at 12:54 PM on December 30, 2006
posted by pointilist at 12:54 PM on December 30, 2006
These are beautiful; thanks for the pretties, languagehat!
Formatting question: wood s lot vs. wood_s_lot. Why omit the underscores? If you're gonna edit, why not wood's lot?
Whatever the answer, viva the lot, 'cuz it's the best! of! the! web!
posted by cgc373 at 1:09 PM on December 30, 2006
Formatting question: wood s lot vs. wood_s_lot. Why omit the underscores? If you're gonna edit, why not wood's lot?
Whatever the answer, viva the lot, 'cuz it's the best! of! the! web!
posted by cgc373 at 1:09 PM on December 30, 2006
It's wonderful how different they all are and yet they're all great. I think this one is my favorite; it looks almost like a Pissarro, so painterly.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:28 PM on December 30, 2006
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:28 PM on December 30, 2006
I love that shop window photo. Great post.
posted by found missing at 2:48 PM on December 30, 2006
posted by found missing at 2:48 PM on December 30, 2006
Formatting question: wood s lot vs. wood_s_lot. Why omit the underscores? If you're gonna edit, why not wood's lot?
You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone before who actually prefers words separated by underscores. I was going to separate all the words in my comment by underscores, just for the joke, but then I thought "Fuck it, too much work. Too_much_work."
posted by languagehat at 3:32 PM on December 30, 2006
You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone before who actually prefers words separated by underscores. I was going to separate all the words in my comment by underscores, just for the joke, but then I thought "Fuck it, too much work. Too_much_work."
posted by languagehat at 3:32 PM on December 30, 2006
No preference, languagehat, at least, not on my part. They're ugly, and if omitting 'em makes it prettier, I say, yea. I just wondered what you were thinking, and I think I get it now. But_all_the_words_separated_with_underscores_would_have_been_funny,_all_right. Or mabye not.
But for real, thanks for the photos. They're great.
posted by cgc373 at 3:39 PM on December 30, 2006
But for real, thanks for the photos. They're great.
posted by cgc373 at 3:39 PM on December 30, 2006
What I was thinking? It's Mark Woods' site, and that's the way he spells it. I don't think, I just copy. Actually, I seem to remember he once responded to a complaint (or mock-complaint) about the spelling, but damned if I know how to find it.
posted by languagehat at 3:46 PM on December 30, 2006
posted by languagehat at 3:46 PM on December 30, 2006
[I think it's funny we're talking about his site in <small> but as it's technically off-topic, let's keep it up.] I'm really not criticizing anything about the format. I was just asking and I guess not doing a good job framing what I was curious about. No offense intended at all, lh.
I can't find Woods discussing much of anything personal; his is a pure, lovely, serene place on the web, except for an implied politics that probably obtrudes on some already-biased browsers, but those sorts find their biases confirmed wherever they go, so what can you do? Has wood s lot ever been linked as a main post to the front page? It's been linked so often as a "portal" it would probably count as a double, but I don't see it on its own.
posted by cgc373 at 4:08 PM on December 30, 2006
I can't find Woods discussing much of anything personal; his is a pure, lovely, serene place on the web, except for an implied politics that probably obtrudes on some already-biased browsers, but those sorts find their biases confirmed wherever they go, so what can you do? Has wood s lot ever been linked as a main post to the front page? It's been linked so often as a "portal" it would probably count as a double, but I don't see it on its own.
posted by cgc373 at 4:08 PM on December 30, 2006
Thank you for a lovely new years present, languagehat.
posted by infini at 4:31 AM on January 1, 2007
posted by infini at 4:31 AM on January 1, 2007
You're welcome! And cgc373, I'm sorry if I came across as defensive—I wasn't offended at all, just clarifying that the format of the name was chosen by Mark, not me. I've been enjoying our little (heh) exchange.
posted by languagehat at 7:07 AM on January 1, 2007
posted by languagehat at 7:07 AM on January 1, 2007
Sweetness, languagehat. Here's hopin' 2007 treats you and yours well.
posted by cgc373 at 7:42 AM on January 1, 2007
posted by cgc373 at 7:42 AM on January 1, 2007
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