Popular Photography. May 1940. Volume 6, Number 5. Giant Directory Issue. Photographer self-portraits.

214 pages, including about 100 pages with the directory listing thousands of cameras, lenses, and other photographic equipment with pictures and names and addresses of distributors.  Also includes instructional articles and Salon Section including 12 self-portraits by prominent photographers: Lejaren a Hiller; George Hurrell, the Hollywood portraitist; Victor Keppler; Charles Kerlee, who would soon join Edward Steichen’s team of Navy photographers; Pirie MacDonald (who called himself “Photographer of Men”; Martin Munkacsi, who revolutionized fashion photography with his pictures of leaping women; Valentino Sarra; Paul Hesse; Ivan Dmitri; James Doolittle; Clarence Sinclair Bull; and Anton Bruehl. Very good with small mailing label lower right of cover.  Summary:

Popular Photography (Vol. 6, No. 5, May 1940), edited by Andrew B. Hecht and published by Ziff-Davis, is a massive, 214-page landmark issue of the premier consumer photography magazine. Serving as the publication's "Giant Directory Issue," the volume functions as both a comprehensive industrial encyclopedia of pre-World War II photographic technology and a platform for mainstream creative practice, featuring a striking cover Kodachrome portrait of model Dorothy Ericksen.

Core Content & Industry Scope

1. The 1940 Directory of Photographic Equipment

The centerpiece of this volume is an exhaustive, 100-page trade directory that lists thousands of consumer and professional products available in the American marketplace. The directory acts as an invaluable time capsule of the era's booming material culture, detailing cameras, lenses, darkroom enlargers, films, and professional cinematography gear, complete with manufacturer data, technical specifications, retail pricing, and distributor addresses.

2. The Masters' "Self-Portraits" Salon

A major editorial highlight of the issue is a curated Salon Section dedicated exclusively to self-portraits created by twelve of the world's leading professional and studio photographers. This feature grants readers rare insight into how iconic image-makers chose to frame their own personas, showcasing self-directed work by Hollywood portraitist George Hurrell, illustrative pioneer Lejaren à Hiller, action innovator Martin Munkácsi, and masters such as Victor Keppler, Clarence Sinclair Bull, Paul Hesse, Anton Bruehl, Ivan Dmitri, Pirie MacDonald, James N. Doolittle, Valentino Sarra, and Charles Kerlee.

3. Instructional Features and Exposure Debunking

True to the magazine's educational mission, the issue balances technical listings with accessible, instructional journalism. Notable features include exposure guides and technical advice alongside investigative pieces, such as Hereward Carrington’s article that systematically deconstructs the darkroom manipulations and double-exposure tricks used by spiritualist mediums to deceive the public, reinforcing the magazine's dedication to photographic reality and technical literacy.

Released on the eve of America's entry into World War II, the May 1940 issue of Popular Photographycaptures the absolute peak of the golden age of American amateur and commercial print photography. It serves as an essential primary reference tool for historians tracing the rapid evolution of mid-century optical technology and the popularization of color film and studio portraiture techniques.