Much Loved

Dublin-based photographer Nixon collects 65 portraits of well-worn stuffed animals and shares their ages and stories of their origins. Claiming Irving Penn as an influence to this project, Nixon embraces "the idea of making an everyday [familiar and invisible] object become visible again." These "much-loved" objects are world travelers, defenders against unruly terriers, pirate adventurers, and comforters of the ailing. The youngest is 5 years old, the oldest is 102. Some are tattered and dread-locked, missing ears, limbs, eyes, and stuffing. One owner claims hers suffers from "teddy leprosy," another mild Tourette's. In addition to Bono's and Mr. Bean's bears, Nixon also includes his own childhood panda, as well as his son's Peter Rabbit, both of which inspired the project. He also introduces readers to Dublin's Dolls Hospital, a business specializing in the repair of dolls and stuffed toys. Finally, the book contains a blank page for the reader to add an image of his or her own special stuffed animal. The photographs range from hilarious, like the cover image of a bright pink bear with a pronounced frown, to monstrous, like the remnants of a giraffe that resemble a horror movie prop. The project is both aesthetically pleasing and exceedingly charming. (Nov.)