Books

April 4, 2024

Photojournalist Celebrates Black Rodeo Culture in New Book

When photojournalist Ivan McClellan was invited to America's longest-running Black rodeo in 2015, he wasn't sure what to expect. Having grown up in an urban setting, McClellan was unfamiliar with the culture. But he was soon entranced by the atmosphere, and that singular experience kicked off a long-term look at Black rodeo culture. Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, published by Damiani Books, is the culmination of that experience.

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March 23, 2024

Vast Archive of Rare Japanese Textbooks Now Online To Explore for Free

What did your school textbooks look like? Chances are they were old, ripped, and written in. Their computer-printed images were certainly not fine art, especially with other students' layering doodles over the years. However, textbooks do not always have to be boring; they can be works of art. An online archive of historic Japanese textbooks from the 19th and 20th centuries—hosted by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research—exemplifies the textbook as an art form.

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February 23, 2024

Massive Book Explores the Vibrant History of How We Catalog Color

We all know how important color is to our world. And a new book pays homage to the different ways that it can be arranged, presented, and preserved. Color Charts is an incredible journey through the different devices that have been developed since the 15th century to help us organize and catalog color. Color theory enthusiasts will marvel at the opportunity to view nearly 200 diverse color charts, many of which were previously unpublished.

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January 26, 2024

Ernest Cole’s Lost American Photos From the 1960s and 1970s Published for the First Time

Born in 1940 in South Africa, photographer Ernest Cole is known for his early work detailing the horrors of apartheid. As South Africa's first Black freelance photographer, he was in a unique position to detail what was happening. But in 1966, he was labeled a “banned person” and fled the country. His work as a photographer continued. He resettled in New York and, in 1967, published his landmark book of apartheid photos, House of Bondage.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.