1000 Nudes: Uwe Scheid Collection Paperback – February 1, 1995

An explicitly illustrated historic perspective on nude photography, with brief chapter introductions about the juxtoposition of photography with societal mores, technology, and art. Most depictions of nudes in art and photography are not for the sake of art, this collection is no exception. The models are for the most part ordinary looking women and a few men of their day in curious and revealing poses, but there are some gems within the collection, and a few that might be mistaken for present day centerfolds. As a photographer, historic collector, and artist I found it interesting, enlightening, well printed, and sometimes a bit surprizing. For example, the similarity of appearance, pose, and subject to some of the more famous contemporary painters of the time suggests common sources of inspiration. Compare Reutlinger's 1890 stage girl in this collection to John Collier's 1892 painting of Lilith (or for that matter, Boris Vallejo's 1978 Transfiguration), or compare Huber's 1875 photo with John Singer Sargents fammous painting of a Nude Egyptian Girl. Readers interested in a more complete perspective may also enjoy Vigue's1000 Masterpieces of Painting Nudes and Pearsall's Tell me, pretty maiden: The Victorian and Edwardian nude.

The copy is used but the photos still work just fine. Haven't actually counted them, but there are a lot of nudes here. And, by nude, we mean nude, really nude, full-frontally nude. But that would seem to be the reason for the book, which features photos from the late 1800s and early 1900s. And, while they are really old, the, um, subjects all have the same parts current viewers would recognize.

Maybe not a full hundred years, but certainly mid-19th century to 1939. That period covered enormous changes in photographic technology, starting from daguerrotypes and leading up to modern film photography. Although a few hand-tinted images appear, nearly all are monochrome - either black and white or sepia toned. Even a few stereograms appear.But photography is about the images, not how they're made, and the range of subjects fascinates. Male models appear in a few of these photos, but the overwhelming majority are women - the reason for which is a debate I choose not to enter. And, although the human species has been around for many thousands of years, fashions in how it's presented and seen change every generation. The lush, curvy ideal of the 1800s gives way to the slim, slim-busted flapper of the 1920s, and again to a more athletic look late in the 1930s. This collection steers away from the hard core, but some element of eroticism exists in any nude. At one end of the spectrum, there's the simple fact of the human form, with all the ways its innate elegance can be explored. Then, some scenes offer open invitation, a model flirting with the camera (and the picture's eventual viewer) in sexual invitation. Affection between women has its own gradations, from simple closeness, to embrace, to kisses, to unmistakably erotic acts, the to decidedly kinky. And, of course, intimacy between men and women appears in its own range of moods and activities.Other parts of the imagery change over time as well. Clothing and under-clothing styles shift, of course, as do fashions in hair and makeup. But other lines of development appear too: how much the figure should be draped and with with what; poses that emphasize sculptural features, warm sensuality, bold sexuality, or personal power; model as portraiture or design element in artistic vision; and more.So, this might not be the most titillating collection of figure photos, or exploratory, or intimate, and its modest size lacks the drama of coffee-table books. For me, this one's interest lies in its sense of history, in the styles of different eras, and in the development from early days towards contemporary ways to experience the figure. This is one I'll come back to.-- wiredweird.

Not only are the number of nude photos amazing, their quality is as well. Tintypes were expensive and so was the coloring of them. I have never seen so many hand colored photos of nudes before the invention of color film.

This book is so interesting. I've had a lot of fun going through it learning about the history of nudes in photography

Lots of old photos

What we have forgot in history. Nudes were and have always been looked at. This is a historical view at Nude Photography for the last two centuries

Las gráficas de muy mala calidad. Terminó en la Basura.