At the turn of the twentieth century, the stereograph was king. Its binocular images revealed the world in vivid, three-dimensional detail. Drawing on an enormous, rarely seen collection of stereographic views, Michael Lesy presents images displaying a riot of peoples and cultures, stark class divisions and unsettling glimpses of daily life a century ago.

Lesy's evocative essays reassert the primacy of the stereograph in American visual history. In underscoring the unnerving parallels between that period and our own, Looking Backward reveals a history that shadows us today.

About the Author
Michael Lesy is one of America's leading photographic scholars. His books include Wisconsin Death Trip, Murder City, Angel's World, and Long Time Coming. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he teaches literary journalism at Hampshire College.

Reviews
"The author is one of America's leading photographic historians and so a collection of images selected by him is going to appeal to the professional eye as well as the more casual enquiring reader... A fascinating collection, annotated in great detail, and certainly food for thought and meditation." -- State Media



Book Information
ISBN 9780393239737
Author Michael Lesy
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 1564g
Dimensions(mm) 264mm * 254mm * 28mm