Chromes is the long-awaited three-volume boxed set that serves as the first in an ongoing series examining the entirety of William Eggleston’s seminal work. This archive, consisting of more than 5,000 Kodachromes and Ektachromes found in chronologically ordered binders in a safe at the Eggleston Artistic Trust, was once the source for John Szarkowski’s selections in the legendary “William Eggleston’s Guide.” Most of the imagery in this set remained entirely unpublished for decades. The collection presents Eggleston’s early Memphis imagery, documenting his rigorous testing of color and compositional strategies that would eventually lead to the “poetic snapshot.” It reveals a master in the making, capturing the vivid, raw energy of the American South through the saturated depth of the transparency film era.
