The Body

"Through thoughtful essays, Ewing transforms a fantastic collection of photographs into a history of photography itself. With careful arrangement and stylish writing free of art-critic blather, Ewing has rendered accessible an almost intimidatingly wide range of works. The introduction covers attitudes toward photographed nudity (and therefore toward sexuality), beginning with a photograph of two topless Zulu women published in a British magazine circa 1879. Setting a pattern for the remainder of the book, Ewing discusses how these photographs reproduced their subjects and simultaneously served as a mirror for contemporary British culture. Chapters carry vague titles like 'Probes' and 'Metamorphosis,'' which are pithily defined (in these cases as 'the realm of scientific exploration'' and 'the body transformed,'' respectively). Each section starts with a mini-essay expounding a basic principle and tying together the photos. For example, 'Flesh' links Regina DeLuise's nude woman gripping the heavy, knotted rope of a tire swing and Robert Davies's close- up of a navel. 'Eros' ponders the personal nature of sexuality, and an 1865 photograph of one woman inserting an umbrella in a second, tuba-playing model's behind is grouped with some squeaky clean, pin-up-style shots from the 1950s.