People Knitting: A Century of Photographs

A slim, charming book of random photographs of random people knitting (mostly socks and scarves, it seems?).

PROs:
- We need more books like this: illuminating and celebrating the quotidian crafts! Knitting is amazing! I want to learn more about its anthropology. SOMEONE TELL ME ABOUT DIFFERENT KNITTING THINGS. I have a brain that is yearning to learn. But, ALAS, knitting knowledge seems to be locked in the craft itself: in words like “Fair Isle” and “Selbu” etc. And yes, it is true that, in practicing it, you do feel connected to these mysterious ancestors and their folkways. But srs, Ravelry.com cannot be the only way I learn about the world of knitting!
- The photos are, indeed, really interesting and charming. They leave you wanting more!

CONs:
- The index, as has been mentioned in other reviews, is not terribly helpful, and so you're presented with, essentially, a semi-random collection of photos that have no context or explanation. You can GUESS that, okay, this looks like a daguerreotype and so I guess it's the 1800s. But that's it and that's a shame. More information is DESPERATELY needed, and better placement of that info.
- I had assumed that the “century” being referred to would be the 20th century, but it's actually more like 1850-1950. Which made me, again, WANT MORE - i.e. I would love to see modern knitting! I am often the only knitter in a sea of smartphone-absorbed people on public transport or in waiting rooms. But I would love to catch glimpses of more present-day knitters! Wherever they may be! Even just sweet pics from, e.g. stitch n bitch/knitting meetups.
- Similarly, the book leaned very heavy on Anglo contexts: whenever you could see the hands well, it looked like people were knitting English style. I would have loved to see more diversity in the knitters (and, to this book's credit, there IS quite a bit of diversity), and maybe even some organization into chapters: English style, continental style, modern techniques, etc.

So it's a sweet book, it's heart is in the right place, but it also made me think that the author (and collector of photos), Levine, is not, indeed, a passionate practitioner herself - and so a LOT is missing. Still, I will kinda take what I can get in this regard!