An American Century of Photography is an introduction to, and an original exploration of, the most vital age of American photography, which began just over a century ago with the advent of the dry-plate technology and the hand camera. Now, at the turn of the twenty-first century, photography is in the midst of another major technological change, one brought on by the impact of the computer. This remarkable evolution is documented here through a detailed discussion of important artists, images, and ideas.

Accompanying the definitive text are state-of-the-art reproductions of 499 works, ranging from such iconic photographs as Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother to a host of previously little-known or unpublished images. The variety of the selection greatly expands our understanding of the complexities and riches of American photography from the late nineteenth century to the present.

The book accompanies a major traveling exhibition of masterworks from the Hallmark Photographic Collection, one of the most renowned holdings of its kind in the world.