Factory Photobooks

Massive factory halls, dirty overalls, spinning gears and smoking chimneys: Factory Photobooks is the definitive overview of an extraordinary subgenre of the photobook phenomenon. Factory photobooks were commissioned by companies that sought to use them to showcase their qualities, their innovative drive and pioneering spirit. The ambition to portray the firm in a unique light often led to amazing experiments with book forms, photography and graphic design. These impressive books reflected the design concepts of their time. Many of the photographers were completely unknown, although there are some world-famous names as well.

Besides undiscovered gems, Factory Photobooks presents such iconic photobooks as Vuur aan zee (Fire beside the sea) with photography by Ed van der Elsken, Paul Huf, Ata Kandó and Cas Oorthuys. Acquaint yourself with the factory photobook in an international context with this selection of more than 220 publications, brought together by expert, photographer and collector Bart Sorgedrager