Iconic images of the American West – from magnificent canyons to galloping broncos
- Ernst Haas: The American West, written by Paul Lowe, features the work of the late photographer Ernst Haas
- His images, taken in the mid to late 20th century, document the cultural and geographic landscapes of the United States
- The book “offers a vision of America that feels both poignantly distant and reassuringly familiar”
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Step back into the American West of yesteryear with this fascinating new book.
Ernst Haas: The American West, written by Paul Lowe and published by Prestel, is a revealing compendium of vintage photographs of Western America taken by the late photographer and photojournalist Ernst Haas.
The Austrian photographer, who had already established himself as a talented black and white photographer in Europe, moved to America in 1951 and soon gained a reputation for his iconic color photographs of US geographic and cultural landscapes
The book delves into the archives of his black and white and color photographs from the mid to late 20th century and features spectacular images of scenes including the bright lights of Route 66, vast canyons in Arizona and rows of cowgirls in New Mexico.
In the introduction to the book, photography professor Lowe writes, “This book chronicles Ernst Haas’ 34-year love affair with the myth and reality of the American West. Haas celebrated the grandeur of the landscape but also criticized the excesses of American culture and found solace in Native American traditions. Haas used his exceptional mastery of color to great effect.”
And the editor notes, “The remarkable book offers a vision of America that feels both poignantly distant and reassuringly familiar.” Below are photos from the book that embody this vision…
This colorful 1969 photo, titled Route 66 Albuquerque, shows traffic on the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a heavy downpour
This stunning photo by Haas was taken in August 1977 and shows Arizona’s Spider Rock casting its shadow in Canyon de Chelly. It is titled Rock Mountain
In this striking 1966 Haas image entitled “Buffalo Winter,” a buffalo seeks shelter under trees during a snowstorm in Yellowstone National Park
This fascinating 1963 photo titled Flood Lands shows a section of Utah’s Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
This dynamic image of wild horses galloping across the landscape was captured in 1978 and is titled Free Spirits
This curious 1960 photo shows a house being towed by a trailer along a Nevada road. Haas titled the recording Snail’s Pace
LEFT: This stunning image shows a little girl dressed in Native American clothing standing in front of a Plymouth Valiant car and tipi in 1975 in Seattle, Washington State. Haas called the recording the Seattle Settlement. RIGHT: This beautifully lit image, titled TV and Shadows, shows a television set in a window in California, circa 1975
This striking photo, titled “Santa Fe Cowgirls,” shows a line of five young women wearing identical cowboy hats in New Mexico in 1952
In this epic 1960 photo, Haas captured an aerial view of cloud and rock formations in western America