History of Photography. Masters of Early Travel Photography by Rainer Fabian and Hans-Christian-Adam.

Vendome, 1983.  Introduction by Sam Wagstaff. First American edition, folio, 352 pages, profusely illustrated in color and black and white; a few small foxing spots to top edge of text block. Very good, square and tight binding, with small black dot at top of text block. Protected very good dust jacket with short closed tear at base of spine. 269 illustrations, 177 in color. Chapters on the Birth of Photography, Egypt, Greenland, Japan, Brazil, India, China, The American West, The World in Color (Albert Kahn and Burton Holmes).  Photographers: Francis Frith; Maxime Du Camp; Marc Ferrez; Samuel Bourne; Deen Dayal; John Thomson; William Henry Jackson; Carleton Watkins; Eadweard Muybridge; Frederic Gadmer, Stephane Passet, Kusakabe Kimbei; Felice Beato; Baron Stillfried; Dunmore & Critcherson, et al.  Includes portraits of many of the photographers and biographies of most of them. Heavy book, more than average shipping required.  Summary:

Masters of Early Travel Photography is a richly illustrated historical survey of pioneering travel photography from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century. The book documents the work of early photographers who traveled widely to capture distant lands, peoples, and cultures at a time when photography itself was still evolving.

Content and Structure:
The volume is organized geographically and thematically, showcasing major figures in early travel photography and their work across diverse regions such as Egypt, Greenland, Japan, Brazil, India, China, and the American West. Through these selections, the authors explore how photography was used as a tool of visual documentation and cultural encounter in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Photographers and Themes:
The book features well-known early travel photographers, including Francis Frith and Maxime Du Camp in Egypt, photographers in Greenland, Kusakabe Kimbei, Felice Beato, and Baron Stillfried in Japan, and artists like Samuel Bourne and Deen Dayal in India, among others. These photographers traveled with heavy and primitive equipment to record landscapes, architecture, local customs, and people in regions that were largely unknown to Western audiences at the time. By presenting their work side by side, the book highlights both the technical challenges and the artistic achievements of these early photographers, illustrating how travel photography helped shape Western perceptions of “exotic” locales and cultures.

Historical and Cultural Context:
Interwoven with the visual material are contextual insights into the historical circumstances of these journeys, the development of photographic technology, and the cultural impact of these images. In capturing remote places and peoples, these early photographers played a role in forming visual records that were used for both scientific knowledge and public fascination.

Overall, Masters of Early Travel Photography serves as both an art book and a historical reference, celebrating the work of the photographers who expanded the possibilities of the medium while offering a window into the world as it was seen through their lenses during a formative period in photography.