Made in America - (Hardcover)

About the Book

"For ten years, Christopher Payne embarked on a photographic journey to learn more about American manufacturing and the industries that built this country. He has gained access to a world that continues to thrive, although not many have been privy to its history and intricacies until now. Showcasing the past, present, and the future, Payne explores both old-school factories, such as New England's textile mills that have survived by staying exactly the same and proudly producing on vintage equipment, and newer factories that embrace the evolution of technology--for example, Corning's bendable glass or GE's next-generation wind turbines. From the tip of a pencil to the sleek lines of an airplane, or from a classical guitar to a communications satellite, diverse forms of manufacturing, including the very small and the incredibly large, are revealed as beautiful examples of American ingenuity. Regardless of their differences, these factories share the common bonds of craftsmanship and a commitment to quality that can't be outsourced. Beautifully showcasing Payne's dynamic color photographs in an oversize format, Made in America is a celebration of the making of things, the transformation of raw materials into useful objects, and the human skill and mechanical precision brought to bear on these materials that give them form and purpose"--Publisher's website.

Book Synopsis

A photographic celebration of how things are created, honoring the workers who bring craft, passion, and technological savvy to American manufacturing--both traditional and cutting-edge.

Beautifully showcasing Christopher Payne's dynamic color photographs in an oversize format, Made in America is a celebration of the making of things, the transformation of raw materials into useful objects, and the human skill and mechanical precision brought to bear on these materials that give them form and purpose.

For ten years, Christopher Payne embarked on a photographic journey to learn more about American manufacturing and the industries that built this country. He has gained access to a world that continues to thrive, although not many have been privy to its history and intricacies until now.

Showcasing the past, present, and the future, Payne explores both old-school factories, such as New England's textile mills that have survived by staying exactly the same and proudly producing on vintage equipment, and newer factories that embrace the evolution of technology--for example, Corning's bendable glass or GE's next-generation wind turbines.

From the tip of a pencil to the sleek lines of an airplane, or from a classical guitar to a communications satellite, diverse forms of manufacturing, including the very small and the incredibly large, are revealed as beautiful examples of American ingenuity. Regardless of their differences, these factories share the common bonds of craftsmanship and a commitment to quality that can't be outsourced.

Includes a foreword by Kathy Ryan, Director of Photography, New York Times Magazine, and an introduction by New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester, OBE.

About the Author

Christopher Payne specializes in architectural and industrial photography. Trained as an architect, he is fascinated by design, assembly, and the built form. He is the author of New York's Forgotten Substations: The Power Behind the Subway; Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals; North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City; and Making Steinway: An American Workplace. His work has been featured in publications around the world, with frequent appearances in special presentations by the New York Times Magazine.
Simon Winchester is the New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman and The Perfectionists. His recent titles include Atlantic and The Men Who United the States. Winchester was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to journalism and literature. He lives in Massachusetts and New York City.
Kathy Ryan is director of photography at the New York Times Magazine.