A book cover titled "When in the Lone Star State" by Edward Thompson features a person in a denim shirt holding a can of beer or soda with a blurred outdoor background.

When In The Lone Star State

Sixteen years ago I photographed a long-term photo project about the Texas Hill Country. It was shot entirely on medium format film and was the first long form photo-essay I ever produced. It’s the same size and scale as my previous photo book In-A-Gadda-Da-England and is the second in a series of photo books from my archive.

The book is the collection of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, although I am not American (I nearly was, but that’s another story) the work was seen as significant enough to be included in their archive.  

One of the best books on America by a non-American I’ve ever seen.

Dan Wood / PhotobookJunkies.com


When In The Lone Star State Monograph
Offset printed
Hardback cover
Debossed photograph and gold foil text
296mm x 296mm
144 pages
500 copies (92 copies left)
ISBN 9781739781613

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Full of wit, tenderness and empathy, it reminds me of Lee Friedlander’s book, ‘American Musicians’.

I’m going to relish looking at this time and time again, finding inspiration on every turn of the page.


Chris Floyd
Photographer

The key to understanding America lies not in New York or in Washington, but in the hinterland, in the interior of this vast land. Nowhere is this truer than the lone star State of Texas, homeland of Bush's America.The surreal cast of characters and locations Ed has discovered on his odyssey offer a unique perspective on America's relationship to itself and to the rest of the planet.

Professor Paul Lowe, 2008
London College of Communication 

Reading my copy of Ed’s ‘When in the Lone Star State’. Incredibly moved by the photography and personal and warm captions running through the book. What an absolute pleasure it is to appreciate the generosity of spirit and humility that guides his photography. 

Jon Levy 
Formerly HOST Gallery and Foto8 Magazine

A weathered, vintage deer statue with a yellowish-orange body and white accents, leaning against a concrete block wall outdoors.
A person wearing a blue denim shirt holding a can of Bud Light beer, with their hand covered in mud or dirt.
A young girl with blonde hair in a ponytail, wearing a blue T-shirt, gray shorts, and sneakers, stands outdoors near a black metal fence, holding a torn American flag. Behind her, there is a house with gray siding, a satellite dish, trees, and bushes
Pink house with a rusty metal roof surrounded by greenery and pink flowering bushes, situated near a gravel road.
An elderly woman with white hair and glasses, sitting in a booth at a fast-food restaurant, eating a sandwich and enjoying a drink. There are ketchup and mustard bottles, and other food items on the table. Outside the window, a sign says 'Just like Y
Two elderly women standing side by side; one is smiling and holding a small object, the other has a serious expression, wearing glasses and a bright green cardigan with accessories.
Group of young football players practicing on a field, with blue sky overhead, some kneeling and others standing in various positions.
A person wearing a cowboy hat sitting on a horse inside an indoor riding arena, with bright overhead lights and a metal railing.
Blue Buick Electra car parked in front of a convenience store with a sign that says 'All For Him' on the rear window.
A green road sign with white letters that reads 'Utopia' standing in a grassy field with trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
Group of veterans performing a reenactment of the raising of the flag on the pavement in front of an audience, including children and elderly people, with some waving flags and clapping, outside a large brick building.
An old wooden farmhouse with a tin roof and multiple windows, standing in a grassy field. A large leafless tree is to the right, and a windmill with metal blades is nearby. The sky is clear, suggesting late afternoon or early evening.
A person wearing a blue denim shirt with metallic buttons, holding a can of Bud Light beer in their right hand. The person is standing outdoors and their face is not visible.

British Journal of Photography. 2023

A collage of various people and activities. Top left shows a man in a suit holding a can, bottom left features a dog and your owner, top right depicts an elderly couple with sunglasses, middle right shows children playing soccer on a field, bottom right has a girl smiling with a Rocky statue.

British Journal of Photography. 2008.

An elderly woman with white hair and glasses sitting in a diner, enjoying a meal with a soft drink and fries, with a window behind her showing greenery and a sign that says 'LIKE'.

PRESS

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Isle of Thanet News (Book Review)

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The British Journal of Photography

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