Synopses & Reviews
Today most people view the outhouse with a mixture of horror, amusement, nostalgia and awe. Yet outhouses were used all over the country not that long ago. In some remote areas, they're still used -- with the same mixed emotions.
Here and there these useful little buildings are still treasured and preserved. Most outhouses, though, are slowly being reclaimed by the earth through the effects of neglect, weather and gravity.
Fortunately, before the last of their kind succumbed to the effects of wind, rain and indoor plumbing, Sherman Hines captured them on film. Outhouses of the West contains some of the most unusual and fascinating images from his extensive collection. A little known but vital part of our history is preserved forever in this book, and described and memorialized by Silver Donald Cameron's wry and witty text.
Outhouses of the West is a fitting tribute to an earlier, sturdier time. Here are photographs from across the west -- some of the outhouses remain in use everyday and many have not welcomed a guest for years. But all have one thing in common -- they were built to fill a noble function and can stand with pride.
Synopsis
Following the success of his classic monograph,
Outhouses of the East. published in 1978 and now in its sixth printing, Sherman Hines came under considerable pressure to photograph for posterity the last specimens of early Western architecture, the little Houses on the Prairie.
Always equal to the challenge, Sherman scattered for the West, camera in hand, seeking out and capturing forever this vanishing fragment of Western heritage. This book is his tribute to those restless, imaginative spirits who first caught the scent of opportunity in the western breeze; especially the early founders of the Western gas industry.
About the Author
Born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Sherman Hines graduated from the Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, California, in 1968 with the highest honors ever awarded by the Institute. At one time named Canadian and Marine Photographer of the year, he holds Master's degrees from both Canadian and American Associations of Professional Photographers.