Photography researchers and enthusiasts now have another major tool at their disposal. The Photography Book Database (BDLF) has just been launched: a bibliographic reference platform exclusively dedicated to photography books. Conceived by photographer and researcher Leonardo Wen, the project began development in 2018 with funding from the Federal District's Cultural Support Fund.
This unprecedented tool, both in Brazil and internationally, stands out for bringing readers closer to the cataloged works. Each title has its own dedicated page on the platform, which, in addition to bibliographic details, provides direct access to the book: whether by viewing scanned pages, virtually flipping through PDF versions, or watching demonstration videos.
Each photographer and publisher featured also has a dedicated profile listing the publications associated with their name. The website also features an Articles section. Thus, in addition to serving as a database and digital library, the BDLF acts as a space for critical reflection on photography and graphic arts. All 280 publications cataloged in this phase focus on Brasília and were released between the city's construction and the present day. These works span various formats, including anthologies, catalogs (exhibition, tourism, and institutional), interviews, zines, magazines, newspapers, and artist books.
However, the BDLF is not limited to Brasília; the long-term goal is to encompass Brazil's entire publishing output of photography books, with the potential to expand to other Latin American countries. The second phase of the project, scheduled for launch in October 2020, will cover books on photography theory, criticism, and history produced by Brazilian researchers since 1970. The third phase, planned for February 2021, will focus on photography books published nationwide between 2010 and 2020, with an emphasis on small and medium-sized publishers and self-published works. The fourth phase, planned for 2022, will cover publishing production from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
The platform's goal is to contribute to the documentation, dissemination, and protection of photography books as a segment of national bibliographic heritage.
Access the Photography Book Database and browse the collection of photography books.
This article was written by Romullo Baratto. The translation is powered by AI.
