Factory Photobooks

November 2023 | Available | Redacteur / Editor: Bart Sorgedrager | Auteurs / Authors: Gerry Badger, Flip Bool, Mattie Boom, Frits Gierstberg, Martin Parr, Hans Schoots, Bart Sorgedrager, Kim Timby, Thomas Wiegand | Design: Typography Interiority & Other SeriousMatters | Photography: o.a. Margaret Bourke-White, Piet Zwart, Bruno Munari, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Andr Kertsz, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Jacob Tuggener, Robert Doisneau, Paul Schuitema, Jurriaan Schrofer | English | Hardcover | 24 x 29 cm | 504 pages | Illustrated (1800 full color)

The Self-Representation of the Factory in Photographic Publications 1890-1987

‘Just when we thought the photobook world had been well and truly examined, along comes this book’ - Martin Parr

Massive factory halls, dirty overalls, spinning gears and smoking chimneys: Factory Photobooks is the definitive overview of an extraordinary subgenre of the photobook phenomenon. Factory photobooks were commissioned by companies that sought to use them to showcase their qualities, their innovative drive and pioneering spirit. The ambition to portray the firm in a unique light often led to amazing experiments with book forms, photography and graphic design. These impressive books reflected the design concepts of their time. Many of the photographers were completely unknown, although there are some world-famous names as well.

Besides undiscovered gems, Factory Photobooks presents such iconic photobooks as Vuur aan zee (Fire beside the sea) with photography by Ed van der Elsken, Paul Huf, Ata Kandó and Cas Oorthuys. Acquaint yourself with the factory photobook in an international context with this selection of more than 220 publications, brought together by expert, photographer and collector Bart Sorgedrager.