Vote for Some Great Books!

MY GOOD FRIEND JIM LINDERMAN creates unusual, uncommon and authentic Art and Photography Books. I have bought several and they are rare and wonderful additions to my library.

Jim Linderman’s first book “Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950” was published by Dust-to-Digital and nominated for a Grammy in the Best Historical Release category. It is available from the publisher or Amazon.

Jim is up for an award through Blurb Books and I’d be right happy and darned proud if all you Accidental Mysteries readers would click on each one of his book images below, check ’em out and VOTE in the spot where it says “vote.” And while you’re at it, if you see a book you like, you can order your own copy.

As always, if any reader finds the images of 1950’s nude camera girls like the immortal Bettie Page offensive in any way, please just move forward and vote for the next book!

By the way, for this limited time (and during the voting process) you can look at every page of the entire book for free by clicking “preview” at Blurb, then “full screen” and use their page turning software to read and check out the books.

Camera Club Girls

Bettie Page and her...

By Jim Linderman

Book Preview

(ABOVE; Camera Club Girls, Click on book above and VOTE inside)

For over 50 years, the extraordinary Hand-Painted Original Photographs of Bettie Page and nude models of the 1950s taken by Rudolph Rossi lay hidden. Now, for the first time, over 100 have been published in Camera Club Girls by Jim Linderman. 114 pages, 35 pages of text and 180 pictures, the book tells the story of the informal groups of early camera enthusiasts in New York City who paid ten dollars each to photograph naked women, including Bettie Page, in dingy studios and outdoor excursions. As much the history of early erotic photography and Times Square smut as it is the story of the exceptional personal vision of an artist, master photographer and painter which has not been told until now. The photographic find of the decade, and an amazing story which combines passion, painting, photography and early porno in a tale never told.

187 Photographs, 114 Pages Hardcover or Softcover.
By Jim Linderman and Dull Tool Dim Bulb Books

The Painted Ba...

Behind the Sitter i...

By Jim Linderman DUL...

(ABOVE; The Painted Backdrop, Click on book above and VOTE inside)

The previously untold story of 19th century painters and their influence on American photography during the tintype era. Never before examined in detail, the book contains over 75 rare, unpublished original tintype photographs from the Jim Linderman collection. A Grammy nominated writer and collector who has been called “the perfect subject for a Harvey Pekar comic” this book is informed with Linderman’s wit and continues his examination of previously overlooked art and photography subjects. 80 Pages, 8’ x 10” with essays by Jim Linderman and Kate Bloomquist. Linderman’s most recent photography book was Camera Club Girls which tells the story of the amateur photographers who met to take nude photographs during the 1950s, discovered model Bettie Page, and started a revolution in erotic art...all through the work of one never before published artist.

By Jim Linderman and Dull Tool Dim Bulb Books

The Jim Linderman hub site is Dull Tool Dim Bulb and his daily blog (one of many he maintains) is here.

In Situ: American Folk Art in Place

Click on image for larger view.


Click on image for larger view.


A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, HIMSELF A NOTED AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER, with over a dozen books and monographs to his name, his work held in the most famous museums in the world, told me just a short time ago: “I rarely collect actual images anymore by other photographers. I collect their books. Books are the new collectible.”

That statement took me by surprise. Not to say that actual images are not collectible—but a lot of what he said is true. Which is why you should run, not walk—to your computer and consider buying this book “In Situ: American Folk Art in Place.” It is written by noted folk art collector and scholar Jim Linderman and it will someday be considered a rare book.

This book shows Jim’s longtime private collection of the most unusual, curious and beautiful American folk art in location—as it was made long ago. Many pieces have long since vanished, in fact most were never meant to last but a short time. Sometimes the best in situ folk art environments were made spontaneously and with great inspiration. Others took years to make, the product of careful planning and hard work.

Jim is a Grammy-nominated artist and photos from his collection were used to produce the well-known Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950 release. This is the third book of photographs in the Dull Tool Dim Bulb series.

More information on the author is available at his incredible Web site www.dulltooldimbulb.com and on his many other art, culture and photography sites. “In Situ: American Folk Art in Place” is a 112-page book available both in hardcover, with jacket, and softcover. In fact, by going to his site you can see the book and click on the image to buy it. Your book will be delivered in a couple of weeks if not sooner.

Many of the photographs are real photo postcards which are over 100 years old and have never been seen before. This is a major collection being shown and shared together for the first time.