Description
Book SynopsisMakes use of hundreds of images of Charles M. Russell, many never before published, to explore the role of photography in shaping the artist's public image and the making and selling of his art. More than that, the book shows how the Cowboy Artist personified what he portrayed.
Trade ReviewCharles M. Russell: Photographing the Legend is a coffee-table book offering both an in-depth biography and a wealth of photography about Charles M. Russell (1864 - 1926), an artist, storyteller, and author also known as the 'Cowboy Artist,' famous for capturing iconic memories of the American West. Most of the vintage photographs are in black-and-white, given the technological limitations of Russell's time; occasional reproductions of art and other images are in color. Many of the hundreds of photographs of Russell have never before been published; they capture him riding horses, at his log cabin studio, 'almost cracking a smile' with his infant adopted son, and much more. Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds,
Charles M. Russell: Photographing the Legend is captivating from cover to cover, and a welcome contribution to public and college library biography shelves - as well as a fine gift for any connoisseur of Russell's classic works. Highly recommended."" -
Midwest Book Review""This is a masterful biographical study of Charles M. Russell, one of the most popular and engaging of all artists of the American West. Meticulously printed and organized, and beautifully illustrated with photographs that capture almost every nuance of Russell's life, it portrays the ways in which his art, reputation, and appearance and lasting memories of him were perpetuated by photography. Most distinguished American photographers who traveled west of the Mississippi River during the late 19th and early 20th centuries sought to capture this 'cowboy artist' through their lens; they included Edward S. Curtis, Roland Reed, Harry Pollard, Sumner W. Matteson, Almeron J. Baker, M. O. Hammond, Clarence S. Bull, Hildore C. Eklund, and Dorothea Lange. Also featured are images that were less posed and that bear the whimsical characteristics of photographs made at a given opportunity, with less sophisticated equipment, by less recognized photographers. While the work focuses on the photographs that chronicle Russell's life, this volume by independent scholar/collector Peterson is also an excellent appraisal of Russell's life, career, and accomplishments. Few artists have had their lives so pervasively and poignantly chronicled in photographs."" -
Choice Magazine
