Baltz, Lewis. Maryland by Lewis Baltz. The Nation's Capitol in Photographs.

Corcoran Gallery, 1976. [The Nation’s Capital series included Lee Friedlander, John Gossage, Anthony Hernandez, Roy DeCarava, Lewis Baltz, Jan Groover, Robert Cumming, and Joe Cameron.] Softcover, like new, perfect copy. 1st (and only) edition of 3,000 copies. 12 illustrations. Essay by Jane Livingston. Biographical information about the photographer, Lewis Baltz. Fine.summary:

In Maryland: The Nation’s Capital in Photographs, Lewis Baltz offers a stark, "anti-monumental" look at the fringes of American power. Commissioned by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial, the project famously subverted expectations by ignoring the iconic architecture of Washington, D.C., in favor of the bland suburban sprawl of neighboring Maryland.

The Core Concept

While other photographers in the Corcoran series focused on the people or the grandeur of the capital, Baltz turned his lens toward the "non-places"—the nondescript housing tracts, construction sites, and vacant lots where the city’s office workers actually lived. The book is a quintessential example of the New Topographics movement, which favored a "deadpan" or clinical aesthetic over romanticized landscapes.

Key Themes and Characteristics

• Sterility and Anonymity: Baltz famously stated he hoped the photographs were "sterile" and lacked "emotional content." By removing people and using flat, even lighting, he highlighted the repetitive, soul-crushing uniformity of suburban development.

• The Landscape of Bureaucracy: The book suggests that the true "Nation’s Capital" is not found in marble monuments, but in the functional, temporary, and often cheap architecture of the surrounding Maryland suburbs.

• Minimalist Aesthetic: The images are characterized by high-contrast black-and-white tones, geometric precision, and a "bleached" sky. These formal qualities transform mud, plywood, and concrete into abstract compositions.

• Man’s Impact on Nature: Like his earlier work, Maryland documents the moment nature is erased and replaced by "person-made" environments. There is no "wild" nature here—only dirt being leveled for new foundations.

Historical Context

Maryland was part of a larger Bicentennial survey that included photographers like Lee Friedlander and Robert Cumming. In the context of 1976, Baltz’s contribution was a provocative refusal to participate in national myth-making, offering instead a cold, honest look at the physical reality of the American Dream's expansion.