Looking at Death - Softcover

Norfleet, Barbara

4.23

13 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0879239654 ISBN 13: 9780879239657

Publisher: David R. Godine, Publisher, 1994

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David R Godine, Publishers Gripptng and often shocklng photographs of and about deat Before the scientific advances of the 20th century death was a common and close companion, an expected visitor in infancy, childhood and adulthood. But death in our culture has became a taboo subject, the ultimate obscenity, a prospect of terror, and near disbelief. This extraordinary book, assembled from the archives of Harvard University, offers an unflinching look at death by violence, by suicide, by old age and disease. Essays by the author accompan the six sections, probing our responses and raising questions about the images on display in each section.

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From Publishers Weekly:

This collection of 107 black-and-white photographs spanning 150 years, assembled from Harvard University archives, offers an eclectic and often gruesome portrayal of death, whether from violence or disease, at the theater or at home. Photographer Norfleet ( Manscape with Beasts ) contributes several insightful essays on attitudes and portrayals of death, suggesting that "death has not only ceased to be a taboo subject, we once again have become preoccupied with it." The "graceful and romantic" death as portrayed on stage is contrasted to the ironic and graphic photographs taken at or used in medical schools. A stomach-wrenching section portrays violent death, from a grotesque Mussolini to splayed bodies of children murdered by gas. Most arresting are photographs of death's remains, such as one depicting a Capuchin church in Rome decorated with skulls. Family photographs of the dead, as well as photographs of mourning and ritual, conclude the book. The collection's variety can be a drawback; a concentration on one theme would have been more powerful. Norfleet acknowledges that more recent photographs of death are rare, and that the book lacks images of inner-city violence and AIDS.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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