California. Photography in California, 1945-1980 by Louise Katzman.

Hudson Hills Press in association with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1984. Foreword by Henry T. Hopkins. Introduction by Van Deren Coke. 1st ed. An important exhibition catalog including the very innovative work of Lewis Baltz; Ruth Bernhard; Michael Bishop; Ellen Brooks; John Brumfield; Wynn Bullock; Jerry Burchard; Jo Ann Callis; Linda Connor; Eileen Cowin; Robert Cumming; Darryl Curran; Judy Dater; Joe Deal; John Divola; Robert Fichter; Hal Fischer; Robbert Flick; Vida Freeman; Anthony Friedkin; Jack Fulton; Phillip Galgiani; Jim Goldberg; Judith Golden; John Gutmann; Robert Heinecken; Harvey Himelfarb; Pirkle Jones; Barbara Kasten; Victor Landweber; Gregory MacGregor; Mike Mandel; Kenneth McGowan; Jerry McMillan; Roger Minick; Richard Misrach; Patrick Nagatani; Arthur Ollman; Bill Owens; Donna-Lee Phillips; Leland Rice; Larry Sultan; Edmund Teske; Lew Thomas; Todd Walker; Jack Welpott; Henry Wessel, Jr.; Minor White; Don Worth; and Max Yavno. ISBN 093392045. Stiff illustrated wraps with minor wear and slight darkening from light exposure along top edge of front cover.  Summary:

Photography in California, 1945–1980 by Louise Katzman is a major historical overview and exhibition catalog tracing the post–World War II evolution of West Coast fine-art photography.

Key Themes & Content Overview

• Scope and Purpose: The book documents the post-WWII explosion of photographic activity in California, profiling 50 influential photographers whose work defined and redefined the medium’s aesthetics over a 35-year period.

• Shift in Aesthetic Traditions: Katzman examines the transition from California’s early "straight photography" tradition toward more experimental, conceptual, and multi-media approaches.

• Regional Dynamics: The narrative highlights distinct artistic shifts between Northern and Southern California. While Northern California retained ties to landscape and documentary roots, Southern California embraced studio manipulation, staging, mixed media, and pop iconography.

• Institutional Support: Katzman tracks how universities, art schools, galleries, and museums across the state helped establish photography as a legitimate, institutionalized fine art during this era.

• Featured Artists: Profiles landmark works by influential figures including John Baldessari, Robert Heinecken, Lewis Baltz, Larry Sultan, Bill Owens, Jo Ann Callis, Richard Misrach, and Jim Goldberg.

The book serves as a vital retrospective detailing how California transformed from a bastion of classic, purist black-and-white landscape photography into a leading hub for experimental, conceptual, and color photography that fundamentally expanded the boundaries of the medium.