An Attic Full of Trains
Alberto di Leonardo
MACK Books
English & Italian
Softcover
232 pages
150 x 210 mm
2020
At the top of Carlotta di Lenardo grandparents’ house in Italy there is a room which houses the library. A hidden door amongst the bookshelves opens into a secret attic, a large room dominated by an enormous model railway, which her grandfather built and added to throughout his life.
Significant though it was for her relationship with him, one day during a family lunch he revealed her another of his not very secret passions – his enduring love for photography – and shared with her his archive of more than 8,000 photographs: a body of vernacular work capturing over half a century of life in vivid colour.
About the Artist
Unknown in his lifetime, Alberto di Lenardo’s work offers a precursor to some of Italy’s best-loved photographers, from Luigi Ghirri to Guido Guidi, with work made across Italy, the USA, Brasil, Morocco, Greece and beyond. In Carlotta’s scrupulous sequencing, An Attic Full of Trains shows us a joyous cross-section of life in the 20th Century: one of beaches and bars, mountains, road trips, lovers and friends.
About the Publisher
MACK is an independent publisher of award-winning books on visual arts, working with the world’s leading artists, writers, curators and cultural institutions.
Established in London in 2010, founder Michael Mack wanted to create a publishing house that connects new and established authors to a wider audience in beautifully designed editions. Rooted primarily in photography books, their publishing has expanded into art, literature and critical studies, working with some of the world’s most pioneering creative minds and institutions. Over this time, they have sought to build an extensive cultural programme, bringing our authors to audiences across the world in talks, workshops, fairs and signings.
From the beginning, MACK have held several core principles close to our heart: to make new, established and largely unavailable books accessible to everyone. Alongside maintaining their long-standing relationships with some of the worlds’ most established artists, they strive to bring long out-of-print books back into the market. They are also dedicated to supporting new and emerging voices in contemporary art, and our annual First Book Award gives artists anywhere in the world the opportunity to submit their work for publication, without any fees or referrals.
In the 10 years they have been around, MACK has come to represent an innovative and open-minded approach to publishing.
