Double take The world's most iconic photographys meticulously re-created in miniature

Of the many ways to understand the history of photography, the work of the two Swiss artists featured in this fascinating title must be among the most unusual. The team of Cortis and Sonderegger give new meaning to the term constructed images. They build three-dimensional maquettes, precise and detailed models of historic, indeed iconic, photographs, which they then carefully light and photograph in their studio. Each page shows an image of an individual maquette in-studio, with text describing the original piece's significance. The results manage both to pay homage to the source material while at the same time maintaining an ironic and playful stance. Among the 39 maquettes included are the flag raising on Iwo Jima, a still frame from the Zapruder JFK assassination film, and the Hindenburg disaster, all meticulous "appropriations" that draw in viewers, inviting us in to a deeper understanding of how photographs are made. VERDICT A delightful take on photography history and process.--Michael Dashkin, New York (MD)