ADEC, Art Prices, Signature Directory, Book Dealers, Booksellers

New Book News

New Biographical Dictionary of Western Photographers
Carl Mautz has been publishing photography reference books for over ten years and his latest achievement, Biographies of Western Photographers, is definitely his best. This comprehensive dictionary covers 15,000 photographers who were active during the 19th and early 20th centuries in 27 states and provinces of the American and Canadian West. Photographers who worked in specific locations are listed alphabetically by state or province. Itinerants are listed in a separate section called 'Traveling'.

All biographical entries tell when and where photographers were active. Many also include birth and death dates, career data, and subject specialties. In addition to biographical entries, an illustrated chapter explains how to identify and categorize information on photographs such as manuscript notes, stamps, logos, and imprints. A photograph dating guide, photographer index, comprehensive bibliography, and small glossary round out this researcher's bonanza. Biographies of Western Photographers is essential for anyone buying, selling, or collecting early American and Canadian western photographs. I highly recommend it.

Biographies of Western Photographers by Carl Mautz, Carl Mautz Publishing, Nevada City, CA, 1997, hardbound, dustjacket, 601 pages, 9 by 11 1/4 inches, $85. Available from Carl Mautz Publishing, 228 Commercial St., # 522, Nevada City, CA 95959 or call 1-916-478-1610.

***

The ADEC/Art Price Annual is the best and most comprehensive auction record compendium published in Europe and one of the best available anywhere. The 1997 Edition contains nearly 140,000 new auction records of art by 40,000 artists that has sold at over 700 auction houses in over 40 countries worldwide in the sixteen-month period ending January, 1997.

Although ADEC includes numerous sales of American art sold at American auctions and is perfectly acceptable for researching American art prices, its real strength lies in its coverage of European art sold at European auctions. It contains results from smaller regional firms, especially in France, that other compendiums do not. Art tends to fetch the highest and most representative prices in the regions where it was created or where the artists lived, so for accurate assessments of market strength, relevant regional sales should always be checked.

The good news is that ADEC 1997 sells for only $99 and that's a major deal. If you occasionally come across European works of art, make sure you have access to ADEC.

ADEC/Art Price Annual 1997 edited by Emilio Sironi, Erhmann, St. Romain au Mt. D'Or, France, 1997, hardbound, 2352 pages, 8 3/4 by 11 3/4 inches, $99. Available from Dealer's Choice Books, Inc., PO Box 710, Land O'Lakes, FL, 34639 or call 1-800-ART-AMER.

***

John Castagno is the undisputed king of artist signature directories. He's authored ones on American artists, European artists, illustrators, and indecipherable problem signatures and now adds one on old masters. Old Masters: Signatures and Monograms, 1400-born 1800 covers 1700 artists and contains 2700 signature examples. Castagno's signature directories are the best available and this one no exception. When researching or verifying old master or any other signatures, check his books first.

Old Masters: Signatures and Monograms, 1400-born 1800 by John Castagno, Scarecrow Press, Inc., Lanham, MD, hardbound, 380 pages, 8 3/4 by 11 1/4 inches, $110. Available from Scarecrow Press, 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706 or call 1-800-462-6420.

***

Artist colonies have played a major role in influencing the course of American art history. Many of America's most important artists have been affiliated with them either briefly or over extended periods of time. Researching such colonies is now easier than ever with the publication of American Art Colonies, 1850-1930 by Steve Shipp. The book covers sixteen of America's most important colonies such as those at Laguna Beach, CA, Gloucester-Rockport, MA, and Santa Fe, NM. Each chapter summarizes the history of one colony and concludes with biographies of that colony's most famous artists. A good bibliography and index round out the book.

American Art Colonies, 1850-1930 by Steve Shipp, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 1996, hardbound, 159 pages, 6 1/4 by 9 1/2 inches, $69.50. Available from Greenwood Publishing Group, 88 Post Road West, Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881. Credit card orders call 1-800-225-5800.

***

I buy and sell rare and collectible art books for a living. I've criss-crossed the country repeatedly in search of exceptional tomes for my clients. This qualifies me to put on my bookdealer's hat for a moment and review a great new directory of American used and rare booksellers. Antiquarian, Specialty, and Used Book Sellers, Second Edition, 1997-98, edited by James and Karen Ethridge, provides extensive information on 5,261 American dealers. Entries are arranged geographically by state and city. Three additional indexes provide quick access to subject specialties, personnel names, and store names. The subject specialty index is especially good because it saves me the time of having to read all 5,261 entries to see who specializes in art books.

Antiquarian, Specialty and Used Book Sellers is comprehensive, well organized, easy to use, and provides more than enough information to get even the best bookhunters started in whatever corner of the country they may find themselves. I tried it; I like it.

Antiquarian, Specialty, and Used Book Sellers, Second Edition, 1997-98, edited by James and Karen Ethridge, Omnigraphics, Inc., Detroit, 1997, soft bound, 861 pages, 6 by 9 inches, $85. Available from Omnigraphics, Inc., Penobscot Building, Detroit, MI 48226 or call 1-800-234-1340.

***