Picturing the Century: One Hundred Years of Photography from the National Archives.

Picturing the Century: One Hundred Years of Photography from the National Archives. Bruce Bustard. Seattle: University of Washington Press (206-543-4050), 1999. Illus., 144 pp., softcover, $24.95.

As the twentieth century nears the end of its 100 year run, bookstores are being inundated by publications listing and describing key events, individuals and accomplishments of the century. All three of these areas are represented in this book with images drawn from one of the world's largest photographic archives, the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. An exhibit of 151 duotone and twenty-two color photographs with the same title that that continues through January 7, 2001 at the National Archives. Organized in a chronological format and with a historically-oriented text comprising the opening chapter of the book, the reader will note an interesting segue with the next six chapters defining historical periods through the eyes and portfolios of distinguished American photographers. These include Lewis Hine (A New Century), Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams (The Great Depression and the New Deal), Charles Fenno Jacobs (A World in Flames) and Danny Lyon (Century's End). While many respected and art-oriented photographers are represented, there are also many outstanding photos by unknown photographers. Whether the selected photographs fit into a fine art category, or as visual evidence of a momentous event in our nation's history, all are gripping images and deserving of our attention.