cover image American Hydrant

American Hydrant

Sean Crane. Santa Monica Press, $24.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-1-891661-46-4

In this gimmicky collection of photographs, Detroit artist Crane shares pictures of fire hydrants in cities and towns across the country. Hydrants, he says, are ""the perfect device to document America""--after all, there's one on almost every street corner of the country. Through urban and rural American landscapes, Crane depicts hydrants in color photographs, showing how they differ regionally, in terms of color, shape, size and, of course, surroundings. A New York City hydrant has a pigeon pecking nearby and a subway station in the background; a Detroit hydrant is reflected in the hubcap of a Buick; a Chicago hydrant has a newspaper, blown by a gust of wind, plastered to its side. The approach is initially attention-grabbing, but ultimately the photos of these hydrants--rusted or shiny, bright silver or faded red--take a backseat to their backgrounds, which show off the true colors of America, through falling leaves in New Hampshire, a seafood restaurant in Maryland, a Baptist convalescent center in Kentucky and a sun-drenched wall in Arizona.