Laughlin’s work is often called surreal because of his ghostly double exposures . . . or his signature use of those shadowy figures of desire and fear that haunt his photographs of the graves and ruined plantations of Louisiana.
Haunter of Ruins
The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin
with essays by Jon Kukla, John H. Lawrence, Andrei Codrescu, Ellen Gilchrist, Shirley Ann Grau, Jonathan Williams, Albert Belisle Davis, and John Wood
A stunning volume featuring 65 master images by the celebrated photographer and eight accompanying essays
Haunter of Ruins: The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin
This publication is out of print.
A Bulfinch Press Book, Little, Brown and Company, in association with HNOC 1997
clothbound with slipcase and print
9" x 12" • 112 pp.
70 b&w images
ISBN 978-0-821223-61-1
Clarence John Laughlin (1905–1985), who spent most of his career in and around New Orleans, was dubbed “Edgar Allan Poe with a camera.” His images capture the weathered elegance and dreamy decadence of Louisiana’s buildings, streets, and cemeteries. This stunning volume brings together 65 master images by the celebrated photographer and essays by eight distinguished writers—Jon Kukla, John H. Lawrence, Andrei Codrescu, Ellen Gilchrist, Shirley Ann Grau, Jonathan Williams, Albert Belisle Davis, and John Wood. Haunter of Ruins showcases classic and previously unpublished photographs complemented by Laughlin’s own words, as well as those of his correspondents.
The limited edition of Haunter of Ruins combines the bookcrafter’s art with the beauty of Laughlin’s photographs. The edition of 100 numbered copies, presented in a handsome slipcase, celebrates Laughlin’s genius and his mastery of photography. Under Loops of Moss (1940), a photoprint from an original Laughlin negative, is included with purchase.
Praise for Haunter of Ruins
“Laughlin’s surreal vision profoundly influenced not only fellow photographers but also writers and artists, as evident in the fine essays by Andrei Codrescu, Ellen Gilchrist, Shirley Ann Grau, and others included in this superb volume. Laughlin was a man of words as well as pictures, and his writings on photography and the modern world's mechanization of life eloquently illuminate his artistic intentions.”
Booklist
Related Stories
First Draft
The 19th-Century Family Found in an Attic
When one New Orleans couple unsealed the attic of their Algiers house, they discovered a remarkable set of family portraits going back 135 years.
First Draft
The Intimate Eye of George Dureau
Prospect.5 spotlights the New Orleans photographer’s “othered” portraits.
Related Collection Highlights
Clarence John Laughlin Archive
Through his dreamlike black-and-white images, the surrealist Louisiana photographer explored, amplified, and commented on the mystique of the South.
Michael P. Smith Collection
Smith documented the music, parading, and Black folk traditions of New Orleans for decades.
Pops Whitesell Photographs
The artist was an important figure in the French Quarter Renaissance, an effort by artists, authors, and architects to preserve and reinvigorate life in the historic neighborhood.
Related Virtual Exhibitions
Photography & Photographers
From Daguerreotype to Digital
A look at over 20 different photographic processes and techniques represented in HNOC’s holdings, from the daguerreotype to the digital prints of today.
Industry & Natural Resources
Enigmatic Stream: Industrial Landscapes of the Lower Mississippi River
Photographs by Richard Sexton capture the essence of a complicated, often mysterious section of the country’s largest waterway.
Related Books
Louisiana Lens: Photographs from the Historic New Orleans Collection
by John H. Lawrence
with a foreword by Jeff L. Rosenheim
Stay Connected
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
