Ghosts Along The Mississippi: The Magic of the Old Houses of Louisiana, New Revised Edition

From dust jacket notes: "Ghosts along the Mississippi presents a vivid history of the rise and fall of the Louisiana plantation, as revealed through the architectural forms of the region. It is clear from the one hundred superb photographs contained in this volume that beauty resides amid ruins just as it does at restoration sites. The imaginative scope of the photographs and the often poetic nature of the accompanying text leave an indelible impression of the grandeur and graciousness that were embodied in these beautiful southern homes. Clarence John Laughlin does not assert that these plantation structures were inherently original in design. Rather, he acknowledges certain derivations of style from French and classical forms. Tracing the modification, adaptation, and refinement of these forms, he chronicles the development of an architecture peculiar to Louisiana. Through word and picture, Mr. Laughlin demonstrates how climate and indigenous building materials played such an important role in this evolution; for the first time in nineteenth-century America, certain houses appeared in the lower Mississippi valley whose design actually grew out of the nature of the materials used - plastered brick and cypress wood. Since one of the fundamental concerns of the modern architect is to respect the innate character of materials, certain Louisiana plantation houses may be considered important native roots of modern architecture. In this sense, these houses possess a significance that extends beyond aesthetic appeal, romantic legend, or historical fact. Combining a deep feeling for his native Louisiana with his imaginative and masterful photography, Mr. Laughlin has produced a magnificent volume that belongs in the collection of photography buffs and admirers of fine architecture everywhere...."