Book Reviews (4)

One for the young; one autobiography that reads like an emotional rollercoaster of a film; rip-roaring tales from the life of a wildlife film-maker. And to start with, the truly bizarre: Photobooth Dogs by Cameron Wu is unique. It is an idiosyncratic collection of photos of pets and their owners taken in photo booths from the 1930s to the 1980s. Although it sounds unlikely, this slim, nicely produced volume allows us a glimpse of the last century.

Photo booths were launched in 1927 and within a year we have one of the first photo of owner and pet — Anatol Josepho and his terrier. The booth produces a quite distinct type of photo because there is no one behind the camera to influence the picture. As a consequence this collection shows us people in old photos really being themselves. The owners are off-guard and fooling around, which makes the funny, faded sepia and white photos from the 1930s and 40s feel like they could have been taken yesterday. The people's affection for their pets brings them alive. This is an eccentric book and a timeless testament to the love people can feel for animals.