Andrew David Lytle produced thousands of photographic images in the sixty years during which he lived in Baton Rouge and operated Lytle Studio. His heirs, alas, reportedly shattered his glass-plate negatives by dropping them down a dry well soon after his death, not realizing their value. Andrew D. Lytle's Baton Rouge preserves some of theonly images that remain, a vintage treasure for contemporary viewers. These 120 photographs give entrée into life in Louisiana's capital city from the 18060s through the early 1900s. They compose the largest extant collection of photos created in a professional studio in nineteenth century Baton Rouge. Together they capture the day-to-day existence of the community, fleeting moments of great importance, and long-term changes over time, revealing not only the perceptions of the photographer but also the self-perceptions of his subjects.

Mark E. Martin is assistant curator of image resources for the LSU Libraries.

ISBN: 9778-0-807132-96-8

10.75 x 10.25, hardcover

144 pages, 100+photograph reproductions, bibliography

Published: LSU Press, 2008

 

Historic Photos of Louisiana

 

Enrique Alférez, Sculptor

 

Images of Depression-Era Louisiana: The FSA Photographs of Ben Shahn, Russell Lee, Marion Post Wolcott