Greenleigh, John. The Days of the Dead. Los Dias de Muertos by John Greenleigh and Rosalind Rosoff Beimler.

HarperCollins, 1991. [Ceremonial life in Mexico, in color.]  Wraps, 1st printing, VG+. Summary:

The Days of the Dead: Los Días de Muertos is a landmark photographic monograph and bilingual cultural study that explores Mexico's annual festival honoring departed ancestors, friends, and family. The book features the vibrant, deeply respectful color photography of John Greenleigh paired with evocative, informative text by cultural scholar Rosalind Rosoff Beimler.

• A Visual Journey Across Mexico: The book captures the multifaceted celebration, documented through Greenleigh’s extensive travels to small towns, rural villages, and vibrant cities across the Mexican states of Michoacán, Oaxaca, Morelos, and Mexico.

• Exploring Sacred Rituals: Through intimate photography and bilingual English-Spanish text, the book guides readers through every phase of the multi-day festival. It traces the community's journey to local cemeteries to clean and decorate graves, the lively markets selling traditional pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and sugar skulls, and the quiet, candlelit graveyard vigils where families await the spirits of their loved ones.

• The Concept of Communion: Rather than treating death as a somber or macabre subject, the monograph illustrates how the festival serves as a joyous, life-affirming reunion. It captures how the living and the dead exist in a temporary state of playful and respectful communion.

• Cultural and Historical Insights: Beimler's commentary provides rich anthropological context, tracing the blending of pre-Hispanic indigenous rituals with Catholic traditions that shape the modern Day of the Dead celebration.