Synopsis
The fascinating aura of place captured in photographs of a decaying crossroads store
Library Journal
One of the best applications of photography is in documenting vanishing aspects of a culture. Here, Imes (Juke Joint, Univ. Pr. of Mississippi, 1990) portrays an old roadside cafe, in decline since the 1940s, and aging proprietor Blume C. Triplett, as well as the sundry clientele of the rural establishment. The series began in the 1970s, when Imes was just starting his career, and the resulting book serves as a personal essay wherein he revisits his youth. An elegiac quality pervades the photographs, which are gritty, idiosyncratic, and moving. This wonderfully revealing collection is enhanced by Trudy Wilner Stack's introduction and a remembrance by the photographer, which serve to further establish the work in the context of time and place. An essential acquisition for all fine arts collections, this should be considered by public and academic libraries wishing to offer their patrons varied examples of the finest contemporary American photography.-Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, Ill.