Roth, Andrew. The Book of 101 Books. Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century by Andrew Roth.

PPP Editions/Roth Horowitz LLP. 1st trade edition, 2001. Catalog and essays by Vince Aletti, Richard Benson, May Castleberry, Jeffrey Fraenkel, Daido Moriyama, Shelley Rice, David Levi Strauss, and Neville Wakefield.  [Essential reference, 305 pages, profusely illustrated, commonly cited as "Roth 101" in bookseller listings. Comparable copy sold at Photo-Eye auction in 2010 for $385. Only issued in hardcover. Near fine with small bump at top of spine and corresponding small wrinkle in protected dust jacket.  Summary:

The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century, edited by rare book expert Andrew Roth, is a landmark reference work and anthology that elevates the "photobook" from a simple repository of images to an autonomous art form.

Core Concept and Narrative

The volume argues that the greatest photography of the 20th century was intentionally designed to be consumed in book format, where image sequence, text, typography, and binding coalesce into a singular work of art.

Chronologically, the selection spans nearly the entire century, beginning with Volume One of Edward Curtis’s The North American Indian and concluding with David LaChapelle’s LaChapelle Land. In between, it features masterpieces by era-defining photographers such as Walker Evans, Berenice Abbott, Eugène Atget, Brassaï, Robert Frank, and Garry Winogrand.

Book Structure and Features

• Double-Page Catalogs: Each of the 101 selected titles is given a dedicated double-page spread. This includes full bibliographical data, high-quality reproductions of actual interior page layouts, and critical commentary.

• Expert Catalogue Entries: The analytical texts accompanying the 101 featured books are authored by prominent critics Vince Aletti and David Levi Strauss.

• Scholarly Essays: Beyond the catalog, the book contains extensive essays by respected curators, artists, and historians exploring the medium's cultural and technical evolution.

Key Essay Contributors

• Shelley Rice: Contributes a comprehensive survey tracking the history and societal significance of 20th-century photography through the lens of the book format.

• Richard Benson: Provides a technical breakdown tracking the evolution of photographic printing technologies, from historic photogravure to modern digital printing.

• Daido Moriyama: Offers a personal, retrospective look into the creation of his own avant-garde photobook, Bye, Bye Photography, Dear.

• May Castleberry, Jeffrey Fraenkel, and Neville Wakefield: Discuss the challenges of publishing, curating, and exhibiting photobooks within contemporary art spaces.