Skip to main content

Albuquerque, NM 87101

I recently ordered a copy of 'Park City' by Lewis Baltz from Vincent Borelli in America.  His bookstore has several copies, the shabbiest of the bunch and unsigned, was on sale, and (after some email negotiation on postage costs) I could just about afford it.  $200 is a lot more than I usually pay for a book, but 'Park City' is THE BIG ONE, for me, and they usually go for $400 - $1000.  It was published in 1981, and Baltz toured it around Europe. I saw him present the work in slide-show form at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham.

I got a dispatch email yesterday with a tracking link and can now watch it's progress halfway around the world over the next few days.  It's currently at the  USPS Sort Facility, which appears to be just off Lewis Avenue in Albuquerque, NM 87101.

One thing that I will probably fail to negotiate when it arrives is that it comes in the remnants of its original shrink wrap.  Usually if a photo book arrives shrink wrapped I shrink from removing it, and tend instead to admire its fine cover, the shape and weightiness and remain at a distance, outside the actual pages, sort of anxious the images might not be a good enough but simultaneously elevating them (and being inspired by them) in my imagination.

Vincent Borrelli, the bookstore owner mentioned admiring the essay in the book by Gus Blaisdell, so I asked him a few questions, such as how he started selling photo books and what five were his personal faves, and here's his reply:


I came across the book ('Park City') while photographing in the early 80s in New Mexico.. I actually, by chance, bought it from Gus who owned a bookstore in Albuquerque at the time (in addition to being one of the best writers and critical thinkers of the time)... totally by chance. I tell the story in a recent newsletter which I'll forward you.

I started out 30ish years ago making photographs, had shows in the 80s and 90s before turning to video, but have been a lover of photography books from the very start. I started the book business about 13-14 years ago and have been doing it full time (plus a lot more) since. Here is some info. about me and the business:
http://www.vincentborrelli.com/cgi-bin/vbb/about.html

As for 5 books, that's very difficult... this would be a pretty good list for me personally:
* Daido Moriyama: Shashin yo sayonara (Bye, bye photography, dear / Farewell photography)
* William Eggleston's Guide
* Walker Evans: American Photographs
* Bill Burke: I Want to Take Picture
* Robertt Adams: From The Missouri West (a personal favorite)

...can't just pick 5, so...
* Hiroshi Sugimoto: Theaters AND Sugimoto (Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston and Hara Museum)
* Rineke Dijkstra: Beach Portraits AND Israel Portraits
* Mike Mandel & Larry Sultan: Evidence
* Masao Mochizuki: Television 1975-1976
* Cindy Sherman: Untitled Film Stills

I would rank the Park City essay by Gus at the top of the list.