Recently I was surprised by one of my dear friends who sent me On Reading by André Kertész. This gorgeous little book by captures readers reading. There are children reading comics, women reading, men reading. Readers on balconies, on benches, on sofas and even walking.
The photographs were taken between 1915 and 1970 and feature readers from Tokyo, Paris, Hungary, New York, etc. I love imagining what books held their attention then. Was it a thriller, a political book, a classic novel, some erotica, who knows and how wonderful isn’t it?
Here is one of my favorite photographs.
I know my husband has taken pictures of me reading on trains. I love those pictures because not only am I with a book but traveling which I love to do. If someone could take a picture of you reading, where would you be and what would you be reading?
I love the sound of that book! Hm, I think I’d want any picture of me reading to be spontaneous, just of sort caught in the act. There’s a picture like that of me reading Bridge to Terabithia that my boyfriend took, and it makes me smile. I also remember that this was the first picture I ever posted on my blog.
Pretty. I wish there was some way to know what they were reading though…
OH! I will have to see if I can scan in the photo of me reading on the train from Paris to Brussels! Anyway, this post reminded me. I am always trying to figure out what books people are reading when at the pool or on a plane. I bet it looks like I’m stalking or staring trying to will them to turn the book cover my way.
What a fabulous little gem. I love to watch people read and have a terrible habit of staring at the books until I can work out what they are reading. Someday, someone is going to accuse me of stalking!
I would be sitting on the balcony of the cabin in Colorado looking at the lake occasionally. Ahhhh!
Nymeth – Oh I want to see that picture! I must have missed it. This book really is dreamy. Put it on your TBR list 🙂
Jodie – I know! I would love to find out.
Care – I’d love to see that! I have several of pictures of me on trains in Germany. There’s one which is actually the reflection of me from the window and it’s rainy. I think I posted it on my blog one time but I should post it again. I love it.
vivienne – I love to find out what people are reading too! I want to know if it’s something I’ve read or something I should 🙂
janie – Oh that sounds lovely. You have to make that happen!
This looks like a very nice book. I think I have a photo my husband took of me somewhere of me reading in bed with cats and a dog piled on top of me.
This looks wonderful!
And now I must find a copy of this little gem! If it was an actual picture, I would probably be reading on the subway, a paperback, something easy to carry. If it was an imagined picture, I would be reading next to a cold-water lake with a rocky shore, something late1800s with those deliciously wide margins and fancy typeface.
I would be on the beach and I could be reading just about anything! This book of photographs sounds lovely.
Beautiful. I love Kertesz but haven’t seen this book. I have a train-reading photograph as well. One of my dearest friends loves to tell the story of how we first met – I was in his photography class and read while developing film; he thinks that is the funniest thing! Now he knows it’s my almost desperation to read.
I am so glad you liked the book. I would certainly be on a train or cafe somewhere in Europe. Not only lost in my reading but lost in the landscape surrounding me….
I found a copy of this one in a box of books someone gave me recently. It’s a great book. 🙂
Stefanie – You need to find that picture and share with us. Sounds totally cute!
Tiffany – It really is!
Buried In Print – Oh I love it. You’ve got a real and imagined. My imagined picture would be me in some world famous library with a good book and sneaking in a cup of coffee 🙂
Kathleen – Oh yes, that’s a good one too!
jrav – Haha.. I love that! We should all post our train reading photographs. Wouldn’t that be a hoot. Sort of like our own bloggers reading books sort of thing.
Christine – You outdid yourself chica. I love my book and have looked through a lot already. It’s definitely going on my keeper shelf 🙂
Literary Feline – Oh I bet you were excited to get that! How cool 🙂
What a great photo!
I found this book in a used bookstore a few years ago and was happy to see they brought it back into print. It has some wonderful photos!