Meyerowitz, Joel. St. Louis & the Arch by Joel Meyerowitz.

New York Graphic Society, 1980. Fine in wraps, 1st ed., issued simultaneously with hardcover edition. Oblong quarto with foldout panorama. Photographed with 8x10 inch view camera in color. Uncommon.  Summary:

St. Louis & the Arch is a renowned color photography monograph created at the invitation of the St. Louis Art Museum. Commissioned to record the look and spirit of the city, the collection positions Eero Saarinen’s iconic Gateway Arch as both the central subject and an omnipresent background force.

Key Focus Areas

• The Artistic Perspective: Rather than capturing the Gateway Arch merely as a static piece of architecture, Meyerowitz treats the structure as a dynamic, changing presence. Throughout the book, he describes it as a mirror, a sundial, a tuning fork, and a pyramid—a monumental sculpture that constantly alters the light, space, and perspective of the city surrounding it.

• The Visual Structure: The photographs alternate between direct and passive framing. In some frames, the Arch fills the entire composition, dominating the landscape. In others, it is a subtle "nonsubject" tucked away in the background, requiring the viewer to search the urban skyline to find it.

• The Medium: Coming on the heels of his classic book Cape Light, this volume highlights Meyerowitz's mastery of large-format color photography. Shot using an $8\times 10$ view camera over the course of four separate visits and across 400 negatives, the imagery utilizes the precise, luminous gradients of twilight and daylight to document the city.

• The Urban Narrative: Beyond the monument itself, the collection serves as a historic portrait of St. Louis's evolving identity. The photographs document its street corners, local architecture, and daily life, illustrating a cultural shift where the city's identity had moved away from the historic Mississippi River toward the Arch as its modern gateway and central icon.