American image: Photographing one hundred fifty years in the life of a nation

Among the many salutes to photography's sesquicentennial published this year, here are two more. Images of America lacks a clear purpose or audience and is further marred by confusing organization and design. It purports to "honor the private legacy" of American images from family albums and personal treasures, yet famous photographs from public collections are included. Introductory and text prose (by "14 distinguished writers, historians and curators") is bombastic and sentimental, e.g., "Smithsonian experts and their colleagues throughout the country are the masters who create the mirror in which the nation can see and know its heart and soul." Expository picture captions omit photographers' names and locations of originals (listed inconveniently in the end matter) and are usually without dates, sizes, or other useful historical information.