Conversations with the Dead by Danny Lyon

Conversations with the Dead by Danny Lyon 

This is a second printing of the critically acclaimed “Conversations with the Dead -Photographs of Prison Life with the Letters and Drawings of Billy McCune #122054” published by Holt, Reinhart & Winston, NY in 1971. Danny Lyon photographed in six prisons over a fourteen month period in 1967 to 1968 and was able to document the reality of incarceration. The book also includes texts taken from prison records, letters from the convicts, and inmate artwork. In particular, the book focuses on the case of Billy McCune, a convicted rapist whose death sentence was commuted to life in prison during the climax of the book's popularity.

Measuring 11” x 8”, the book is in photographic wraps and is 196 pages. The condition of the book is Very Good + condition with light overall wear and age toning to the wraps. The internals are excellent with the previous owners name written in small blue ink on the half-title page. Overall, this is a very nice copy in collectible condition of one of the true photo book classics included in Andrew Roth’s “The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the 20^th Century”.

Photographs of the book cover and examples of photographs contained in the book appear below. Please note that although the photographs appear digitized as thumbnails, they are viewable in the photo viewer by running your mouse over the thumbnail. You can also click on the thumbnail to open a separate window where the picture is viewable.