Rome Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay)

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Photographic Journey Through The Eternal City
Review: I recently had the pleasure of obtaining a copy of this newly released photographic study of Rome and I have to say it fulfilled all my hopes in it's exploration of one of my favourite cities in the world. "Rome Then And Now", is not just a book filled with photos of favourite monuments or streetscapes, it goes much further and in its unique format explores the ever changing look of one of Europe's oldest cities. Frederica D'Orazio has chosen the most interesting idea of devoting two photos to the one chosen area or building and provided shots often taken over a hundred years apart to show the changes that have occured to the subject being examined. The left hand side photos generally come from the 1800's in black and white or sepia, while those on the right hand page are recent shots in glorious colour.

Of course Rome being the "eternal city", there is alot of history to capture in this type of photographic journey. The topics chosen are those that obviously have the two contrasting photos available but they in themselves are also very well chosen to display the rich and varied heritage that makes up a cosmopolitan city like Rome. Featured prominently are such well known sites as St. Peters, The Colosseum, The River Tiber, The Pantheon, The Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain and The Spanish Steps. The real fascination however is in the lesser known streetscapes where the real development and alterations to the City can be seen. Of particular interst are the contrasting shots of such places as the Via Condotti, Piazza Barberini, Trajan's Market, Circus Maximus and the Jewish Ghetto. So fascinating are the contrasting photos that you will find yourself sitting for hours comparing every piece of masonary, changed window frame, or different view achieved from a demolition carried out between the time of the two photos.

Obviously in a book devoted to photographic views the quality of the pictures is of paramount importance and "Rome Then And Now", has gathered together some of the best cityscape photos one could expect. The older left hand side photos obviously drawn from numerous sources are wonderfully clear and sharp considering their age and their often deep sepia tones contrast vividly with the superb and very sharp modern photos of each site on the right hand side. These modern shots really succeed in capturing the charm of Rome as a colourful, historic, but also very active and modern city filled with a vibrant population. The photography is clear and makes great use of light and shadow to bring out the best in each site being examined.

"Rome Then And Now", is a photographic gem and is ideally suited to the armchair traveller or those like myself who want to revisit many of the much loved places in Rome that they might have seen first hand. The opening historical run down of Rome's history from a humble settlement on the Tiber to the great city of both the Roman Empire and now as capital of modern Italy is also informative and well worth spending time reading. I highly recommend "Rome Then And Now", devoted to the ever changing environment of this special city. Rome is a city of vivid contrasts and unique qualities and all of them are present in this superb photographic study. Enjoy