Memphis Reads Archive

Nonfiction/Memphis

G. Wayne Dowdy reviews HISTORIC PHOTOS OF MEMPHIS by Gina Cordell and Patrick O'Daniel (Turner Publishing Company, 2006)

Often when I purchase a volume of photographs, I feel that I have wasted my money on a book that took me all of two minutes to 'read.' Mind you I like looking at photographs, particularly historic ones, but most photographic books leave me a bit dissatisfied. Not so this book. It is not an exaggeration to say that Historic Photos of Memphis is so much more than a conventional book of old photographs. Cordell and O'Daniel have done a excellent job of choosing images that illustrate the growth and development of Memphis, Tennessee. Equally significant are the chapter introductions and detailed captions which provide a wealth of information on the history of the Bluff City. Taken together, the photos and text included in this volume are a major contribution to our understanding of urban history in the American South.

G. Wayne Dowdy, History Department

Labels: Memphis