The book is filled with Haunting Tintype Photographs of many lesser known Blues Musicians. The author explains his technique and then presents the photographs with a little bit of text. The photographs really capture the souls of the musicians. Any fan of music and photography will enjoy this book. This book will make a great gift

The Blue Muse is a collection of astonishing likenesses of blues masters from near and far, now and then. Timothy Duffy manages to get the soul of the music in these portraits. Those personal notes he picked up while visiting with these blues greats are even more special. The Blue Muse is art in and of itself.

I received a free electronic copy of this collection from Netgalley, Timothy Duffy, and University of North Carolina in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

My only experience with tintypes is from historical photographs. I am hardly a photography expert, but before this book I had not seen modern photos using this technique. The tintype process was patented in the United States in 1856. Images are produced on sheets of tin and there is no negative, although the pictures can be rephotographed using a process that creates a negative. The pictures are taken with a really big camera and lots of artificial light.

The author of this book is a folklorist, musician and photographer. It includes tintypes of "the makers of America roots music — jazz, gospel, folk and rock." They are from the South and are primarily African Americans, but some are Native American and white musicians. Most are elderly and not well known. "They have used music to make the world right again — to make sense of hate and privation and strife and joy and the love and the absurdity of it all." The author wants to preserve their legacy. The subjects of the photos are identified by name and the date of the photo, but no biographical information is adjacent to the pictures. At the end of the book there is a section that gives very brief descriptions of the subjects of the photos. It would be inconvenient to have to keep flipping back and forth in the physical book, and really too much trouble to try in an ebook. Other than these descriptions and a short introduction, there is no text in the book.

The images are very striking, with some extreme detail. There are a few still lifes and landscapes included in the book, but the human subjects are all staring straight at the camera. The background is often distorted and there is a surreal quality to the photos. While I admire the artistry of the endeavor, I confess that I'm not in love with the tintype technique. The look is a little harsh for me, but the pictures are certainly arresting.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Any blues lover will find this haunting book of tintype photographs evocative of the history of blues music and musicians. The photographs seem to be of subjects from the early 20th century, but are actually taken in the past five years. Gorgeous, smoky backgrounds, ramshackle trailers and shacks, funky speakeasies are on display throughout. The musicians themselves are of many ages and include male and female musicians.

Blue Muse contains fifty photographs of blues, jazz, folk, and gospel musicians. It also includes ten more landscapes and close-ups of musical instruments. All use a tintype process that was popular during the Civil War.

The long exposures and judicious use of light and shadow make statements about the life of those depicted. All appear to be traveling a hard-luck road, whether from poverty or poor choices. The use of the old tintype process enhances this feeling. Some subjects clearly enjoy being photographed—others not so much.

Blue Muse is recommended for both photography and traditional music fans. The photographs are intense and beautiful. 4 stars!

Thanks to University of North Carolina Press and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.