Metzner, Sheila. Inherit the Earth by Sheila Metzner.

Bulfinch/Little Brown, 2000. Color landscape photographs. 1st ed., illustrated boards, not issued with dust jacket. About 11x16.5 inches, heavy book. [Born in 1939, Sheila Metzner's photographs are held by the Museum of Modern Art (NY), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Museum, and other prestigious repositories.] Very good with a few small indentations on front cover and small black dot at top of text block near spine (not a remainder mark, it was used to price the book at a sale).  Summary:

Inherit the Earth is an oversized photographic monograph by acclaimed fine-art and fashion photographer Sheila Metzner. The book compiles full-page color images captured over an 11-year period, serving as a visual testament to the world's most monumental landscapes and ancient structures.

Key Focus Areas

• The Global Scope: The volume documents Metzner's extensive travels to remote and diverse locations across the globe. Her imagery spans from the natural majesty of Alaskan icebergs, the Mojave Desert, and Costa Rican rainforests to iconic, man-made archaeological wonders like the ruins of Easter Island and the pyramids of Egypt.

• The Distinct Aesthetic: The photographs are defined by a deeply romantic, soft-focused, and painterly quality. This signature texture is achieved through Metzner's use of the rare Fresson printing process—a highly guarded, turn-of-the-century carbon printing technique that gives the color gradients a rich, grainy, and timeless patina.

• The Underlying Philosophy: Rather than acting as mere documentary travel photography, the collection uses these immense landscapes as symbols of spiritual transformation. Metzner focuses on the intersection of permanence and change, capturing how ancient stones and changing natural elements interact to inspire environmental stewardship and a sense of wonder.