The Camera I Always Wanted is included in a 5-book series “The Plume House of Prayer Series” a series that was thoughtfully curated by Nick, emotionally photographed by all of the artists, carefully designed by Chantal, and painstakingly printed in risograph format by Anthony with the help of Shelly and Devyn. (see previous post for more info).
A huge thank you to The Met Museum Library and the Newark Library for including this in their collections, as well as to Shine Publishing for seeing and supporting me.
The Plume House of Prayer Series, 2019, is Shine’s newly published edition of books referencing a historic site in Newark, NJ. Once a ”cozy farmhouse on the outskirts of a little town on the riverside,” and rectory to The House of Prayer church, is the Plume House. Built in approximately 1725, and the second oldest home in the city of Newark, now has its foundation visibly shaken by the vehicles driving on I-280, constructed a few feet from the house.
On this site, in 1887, Reverend Hannibal Goodwin invented celluloid photographic film in the attic. This invention was motivated by the frequent breakage of his glass lantern slides, which Goodwin used to teach children bible stories. The book covers in this series are designed to invoke a House of Prayer sermon pamphlet from 1852, on the life of statesman and slaveholder Henry Clay, delivered to “The Young Men of Newark, N.J.”
Five books feature the work by artists: Anthony Alvarez, Dominique Duroseau, Colleen Gutwein, Nick Kline and Scheherazade Tillet. Designed by Chantal Fischzang.
The books published in this series vibrate with the various histories and nature of this site, including the intersection of American independence, slavery, gender, church, state, Newark’s role in the history of photography, obsolescence, and hope.
October 11, 6-8pm Book Release Event and fundraiser at Shine.
On October 11, 6-8pm, 100% of sales, of Shine’s 5 book edition, will be donated to support a foundation in Bolivia, working on projects of reforestation, environmental education and rehabilitation of the flora and fauna lost during the Amazon fires. Please help this effort which is being organized by our designer and colleague, Rutgers Professor Chantal Fischzang, who is from Bolivia and knows this landscape and volunteer group intimately.
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