The book I can't stop looking at lately is Cartier Bresson's "Europeans". Robert Frank's "The Americans" is also a stunning volume, of course. For those who can get to Washington DC before the end of March, there is an incredible exhibition of "The Americans" up right now at the National Gallery of Art. Not only do they have prints of every image from the book (many of them Franks own vintage prints), but they have LOADS of supporting material, including lots of his original contact sheets, many prints that didn't make it into the book, and three rooms featuring lots of Frank's earlier work to provide some context before you get to the galleries with the "Americans" work. The exhibition is also exceptionally well curated. There is plenty of wonderful supporting material and written information which provides plenty of biographical details as well as context for and analysis of the work. There are also some wonderful handmade books on display that Frank made early in his career, including one he made for his first wife, as well as several others that were made as early portfolios. Also on display are several original copies of "The Americans", in different editions for various markets. Not only is the work incredible, but the curating and execution of this exhibition is some of the best I've ever seen. All in all, well worth seeing- even worth making a trip to Washington just for this.
