The Coffee-Table Book in the Post-War Anglophone World (New Directions in Book History)

The Coffee-Table Book in the Post-War Anglophone World argues that coffee-table books appeared and became popular in the post-war era at the convergence of three important developments: advances in full colour printing technology, social change, and publishing entrepreneurism and innovation. Examining the coffee-table book through a book history lens acknowledges their significant contribution to post-war visual culture and illustrated publishing. Focussing on post-war America, Great Britain, and Australia during the “golden age” era of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, this history of the coffee-table book takes an interdisciplinary approach to put the coffee-table book in context in regards to materiality, format, printing, status, and genre. Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction Notes Bibliography Chapter 2: Coffee-Table Books: Seriously? Transferring Photographs onto Paper Photobooks Advances in Full-Colour Printing Coffee-Table Books Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 3: What’s in a Name? Furniture and Books Coffee Tables Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 4: A New Book-Buying Market Visual Culture in the Domestic Sphere Books as Gifts Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 5: More Than Meets the Eye Cultural Resonance Zeitgeist Art for the Masses National Identity Producing Objets d’art Format Visual Narratives Authenticity Materiality Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 6: David Brower: An American Environmental Publisher Background Nature and Nurture A Fine Publishing Tradition The First Executive Director The Economics of Book Publishing The Exhibit Format Series This Is the American Earth The Concept Production Marketing to Club Members Reviews An Agent of Influence Browsing the Environment Machinations and Manoeuvrings In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World Production Reception The Commercial Realities of Publishing, Selling and Distribution Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 7: Paul Hamlyn: British Publishing Mould Breaker Background “Business-Like” Not a Business Books as Commodities A Whole New Concept Acquiring Forms of Capital Non-conformity Colours Galore Hamlyn’s Model Hamlyn in Australia More Cookbook Success Another Publishing Venture Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 8: Lloyd O’Neil: Australia in Colour Background The Shaping of a Nationalistic Publisher Exploring Australia and the Book Trade Social Change, Colour Printing Technology and National Identity Lansdowne Press and Offshore Printing Australia in Colour The Australiana Genre Cookbook Success Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 9: Conclusion Notes Bibliography Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Index