AWARDS AND REVIEW EXTRACTS

GALLEY CLUB OF SYDNEY - AWARDS 2007

    Awarded first prize “For excellence in book production and manufacture”, making PATTERNS OF STEAM 2007’s best-printed Australian black-and-white book.

ASIAN PRINT AWARDS 2007

    Awarded Bronze Medal in the category “Book printing – less than four colours”

STEAM WORLD (U.K.) AUGUST 2007:

   

    From the lens of one of Australia’s best-known railway photographers, this magnificent book captures the last glorious years of Australian and New Zealand steam from 1964 to 1985…this [is] the best-reproduced book to have crossed our desk for a long time. …the photographs – what this book is all about - are superb. Recommended.

THE BULLETIN (AUSTRALIAN NEWS MAGAZINE) JULY 24 2007:

    When a gifted photographer is mad about steam trains, the result is a stunning tribute to a lost era of majestic fire-breathing steel beasts.

TRAINS (U.S.A.) NOVEMBER 2007:

    In a world of color railway books, “Patterns of Steam” stands out…because it is 100 percent black and white, [and] because of Shane McCarthy’s eye for strong composition and his use of light and shadow to create stunning black and white images dramatically illustrating the glory and grit of steam. Recommended reading.

NEWSRAIL (VICTORIAN RAIL NEWS MAGAZINE) OCTOBER 2007:

    The photographs published are absolutely stunning and are a testament to not only the skill of the photographer in composing them but also to his darkroom technique...The night photographs are particularly evocative and there are many stunning silhouettes … there are several magical images taken in the rain or in low light. The grime and sweat of steam railway work is wonderfully captured in several close up images of men working on the locomotives. Highly recommended. 

HERALD SUN (MELBOURNE DAILY NEWSPAPER) SEPTEMBER 1, 2007:

    Patterns of Steam is a stunning collection of images from the dying days of the steam era.

KEITH CHESTER (WEBSITE http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/newbooks.htm):

Patterns of Steam… is a classic photo album of exceptional quality, one which breaks many rules of modern taste and yet which succeeds brilliantly… [It] is perhaps the most beautifully printed black and white railway photo album I can recall ever seeing. We can but hope it will inspire publishers everywhere… The book is unreservedly recommended.

THE WEEKLY TIMES (AUSTRALIAN RURAL NEWSPAPER) SEPTEMBER 26, 2007

[The] book reminds readers of the pivotal and dominant role steam trains once played in the Australian transport industry…[t]he pictures demonstrate the author’s accomplished photographic skills…this book will show you a variety of locos in all their choofing glory.

AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY ENTHUSIAST SEPTEMBER 2007

What a beautiful book! ...This book is evocative. It is a work of art…For those of us who frantically expanded our travel horizons during the sunset of Australian steam, this book will bring back endless memories…Highly recommended!

JAPAN RAILFAN MAGAZINE NO. 12, 2007, VOL. 47, NO 560 (DRAFT REVIEW)

本書は，オーストラリアとニュージーランドで1964～1985年の間に活躍していた蒸気機関車の姿を捉えた，モノクロ写真集だが，本書をとくに本欄で紹介するのは，これまでの写真集には見られなかった世界最高峰を極めるといっても過言ではない，印象的な作画と，そのページ展開，印刷仕上りといった三つの要素でいずれも特筆に値するものだからである．とにかく，わが国の蒸機ファン，写真ファンにもぜひ手に取ってほしい．著者のシェーン･マッカーティ氏は弁護士として活躍されていた方だが，本書の印刷に向けての最終段階の作業は引退後に始められ，2005年初めに印刷を開始，2006年末に印刷が終了したという，すみずみまでに注意深く目が注がれた，まさに手作りの1冊．日本の書店には同書は置いていないので，本誌読者の方々は，著者のウェブサイトhttp://www.patternsofsteam.com で注文書をダウンロードして，所定事項（クレジットカード番号など）を記入した注文書を郵送すれば注文できる．また，同ウェブサイトには著者のEメールアドレスも掲載されている．同書の価格は125オーストラリアドルで，日本への送料は36オーストラリアドルです．したがって，1冊あたり161オーストラリアドル（日本円で約16500円，1オーストラリアドル=約102円として計算）かかることになります．

COMMENTS - EXTRACTS           

ANDREW CHAPMAN (AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER):

    I sat down and read "Patterns of Steam" last night. Firstly, I want to tell you what a beautifully reproduced book you have created. Your time, effort and no doubt, endless patience has paid of[f] handsomely. Secondly, the photography is beautiful, first rate, and I am sure, one of the best shot and reproduced volumes on steam, anywhere!!! The light and drama you have captured bring your book way above the standard of many other photographers that I know of. (Email to author 11.6.2007)

COLIN T. GIFFORD (BRITISH RAILWAY PHOTOGRAPHER):

The ‘feel’ embodies class, the B/W cover is striking (in a time when the prevailing plethora of colour confuses the eye, it will stand out), the format is ideal as is the paper on which it is so beautifully printed (how could one improve on 198/9?). Tien Wah Press has done justice to your printing, and both set an example to aspire to……Picture selection and picture priorities, trimming, image relationship, caption placement and folio all show considerable thought and reasoning. …congratulations Shane, I am inspired!  (Letter to author 1.6.2007)

ERRATA

The following are corrections to captions in the book:

87.  A Fowler 0-4-2T at the locomotive shed at Qunaba, 4 August 1965.

105. A Perry 0-6-2T and a Fowler 0-6-2T on shed at Qunaba Sugar Mill near Bundaberg, 6 November

        1967. 

146. J1211 and Ja1262 near Puketeraki with the Christchurch-Invercargill South Island Limited express, 16 April 1968.

195. J1211 and Ja1262 approach Seacliff with the South Island Limited for Invercargill, 16 April 1968. 

159, 165, 228 and 229. The date is 11 August 1968, and the locomotives are Australian-built copies of an

       H.K. Porter original. 

300. BB18¼ 1081 shunts oil tank wagons at Harristown, 11 November 1967.

Patterns of Steam © Shane McCarthy 2007