New Mexico, U.S.A. A Photographic Essay of New Mexico. Created and edited by Barbara Erdman.

Santa Fe Center for Photography, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1985. 1st printing. Designed by Mary Shapiro.  Photographs by Roswell Angier, Raymond Belcher, Kevin Bubriski, Paul Caponigro, Walter Chappell, Rahoul Contractor, Stephen Cooper, William Davis, Orlando Diaz, Helen Doroshow, Barbara Erdman, Richard Erdoes, Michael Fahy, Ike Fordyce, Barbara Gluck, Do Greiser, James Hart, Murrae Haynes, Michael Heller, Bradner Crawford Jones, Douglas Kahn, Douglas Keats, Edward Klamm, Robert Klintworth, Barbaraellen Koch, Lisa Law, J.D. Lincoln, Carm Little Turtle, Paul Logsdon, Herb Lotz, Cissie Ludlow, Judy Ellen Moore, Beaumont Newhall, David Grant Noble, Steve Northup, Jack Parsons, Mary Peck, Deede Phillips, Bernard Plossu, Eliot Porter, Michael Rosenthal, Meridel Rubinstein, James David Ruffner, Janet Russek, Robert Saltzman, David Scheinbaum, Nicholas Secor, Barbara Simpson, Susan Steffy, Alex Traube, Barbara Van Cleve, Willard Van Dyke, Charles Venrick, Nancy Hunter Warren, John Whatley, Richard Wickstrom, Jeannette Williams, Susan Zwinger. ISBN 0-961529806H. Cloth, fine with dust jacket in fine condition, with non-authorial gift inscription on front flyleaf. Scarce in hardcover. Summary:

ew Mexico, U.S.A.: A Photographic Essay of New Mexico (1985/1986), published by the Santa Fe Center for Photography, is a curated regional monograph created and edited by artist, photographer, and board president Barbara Erdman.

The 111-page volume brings together a diverse collective of over fifty regional and national photographers to construct a multi-faceted visual profile of the state, moving past standard, idealized tourism imagery.

Core Themes & Content

• The Duality of the Landscape: Erdman's central editorial premise examines the complex relationship between New Mexico's overwhelming natural beauty and the demanding, often harsh environmental realities forced upon the people who live there.

• A Convergence of Perspectives: Rather than relying on a single artist's viewpoint, the book functions as an expansive group essay. It pairs legendary master photographers with prominent regional documentarians, featuring work from figures such as Eliot Porter, Paul Caponigro, Walter Chappell, Kevin Bubriski, and Roswell Angier.

• Cultural and Architectural Fabric: The essay documents the distinct cultural intersection of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo heritages within the state. The imagery balances pristine wilderness vistas with the textures of everyday life, including historic adobe architecture, street scenes, and intimate local portraits.

New Mexico, U.S.A. moves beyond the boundaries of a traditional postcard picture book. Under Erdman's editorial direction, the compilation serves as a thoughtful, structurally rich portrait of a unique geographic region, highlighting both its timeless topography and the human grit embedded within its communities.