Art in Photography - European and American Work 1905

Art in Photography — With Selected Examples of European and American Work is a landmark 284-page illustrated album edited by Charles Holme and published by The Studio in London, Paris, and New York in 1905. This foundational portfolio documents the finest pictorialist photography of the early twentieth century through carefully curated reproductions that preserve the tonal quality of original prints.

The volume opens with Holme's prefatory essay tracing the artistic progress of photography through the late nineteenth century, highlighting the pioneering Scottish calotypes of D.O. Hill, whose body of 430 portraits created for a single painting demonstrates photography's emerging status as a fine art medium. The collection then unfolds across two complementary sections showcasing the leading photographic artists of Europe and America, featuring work by Alfred Stieglitz, Eduard J. Steichen, Alvin L. Coburn, Clarence H. White, J. Craig Annan, F.H. Evans, Frederick Hollyer, Gertrude Käsebier, Eva Watson-Schütze, and Max Ferrars among others.

The British section presents thirty-four plates with landscape, portrait, and genre subjects, while the American section comprises twenty-four plates. Multiple reproductions appear in photogravure and colour, heightening their fidelity to the photographic originals. This album serves as both a historical record of pictorialist achievement and a visual reference for understanding the medium's artistic aspirations during this transitional period.