Ghosts Along the Mississippi

This is a stunning portrait of history gone of the graceful architecture that was to epitomise the South in the US - the antebellum ladies. The oversize black and white photos so the decay nipping at the great ladies (some now sadly lost) with the haunting skill of a painter. Not just the houses themselves, but the smaller touches like the decorations, the outer buildings, the grave-markers. And not, pictures of perfection, so showing with time's ravage has done to them. He effectively catches the by-gone slice of history with a little camera magic, so at the superimposed image of a ghostly woman in the a mirror on the wall pf Parlange Plantation or the pencil portrait of the child of Voisin Plantation. There are other plantation books that go into more detail of the history of these dying giants of America. But but none captured their spirit as well, and it's too late in many cases for anyone else to even try.A beautiful work.

The Old South and particularly the Plantation homes is a subject that always interested me. This particular book is the best I have ever seen. Some of Mr. Laughlin's comments are a bit flowery, but for the most part, he captures the spirit of this time in history. I think it is wonderful that people have restored some of these homes back to their original splendor, but the pictures and the history of the homes that have long since been destroyed are the most interesting and are truly the "Ghosts Along the Mississippi".

This book contains heart breaking photos of mostly Louisiana Plantations, some Beautifully restored but most are tragic beauties gone for ever, it is the only source for most of these homes to still exist, many of these photos are the only images of these magnificent homes ever taken, read the book front to back and you will agree, it reads like a novel of the tragic queens of the old south.

Laughlin's work is truly inspiring of the imagination; definite piece for the book lover of art and architecture.