The rise of the internet coincided with the death of film photography, and as a result, much of the knowledge around analog photography is locked away in books, many of which have not made it online. We’ll attempt to catalog books and other useful reading material here.
Educational Books
Darkroom – Lustrum Press – 1977
Interviews with Gene Smith, Larry Clarke, Wynn Bullock, and many others on the topic of their darkroom practice. This extraordinary book should be in the collection of anyone who’s seriously interested in film photography.
ISBN10: 0912810203
ISBN13: 9780912810201
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5141811
Black & White Photography: a basic manual – Henry Horenstein – 1974
This is a great and concise book that covers all the fundamental aspects of film photography, from cameras to print finishing. This book is readily available on sites like abe.com and other used book market places. I’ve found three copies of it here in Sydney at various OP shops.
As of 01/10/2024 The first edition is available at the Internet Archive here:
https://archive.org/details/blackwhitephotog00hore/mode/2up
Third edition: ISBN-10: 0316373052
ISBN-13: 978-0316373050
Beyond Basic Photography: A Technical Manual – Henry Horenstein – 1977
As a followup to his previous Black & White Photography (above) Horenstein takes a more technical approach and covers more advanced aspects of film developing, print making, lighting, and more.
ISBN13: 9780316373128
ISBN10: 0316373125
Available at the Internet Archive here:
https://archive.org/details/beyondbasicphoto00hore
Photography – Peter Catrell – 2005
A pretty thorough little textbook that includes a great overview of film photography and darkroom printing. Available very cheaply on abe.com.
ISBN13: 9781844032211
ISBN10: 1844032213