This country may be young in terms of its years of history as a “New World”, but that doesn’t speak any less of its capacity for volumes of photographic documentation. With the photochrom postcard of the late 19th and early twentieth century, the significance and possibilities of photography rose immeasurably. As the marking point in history when color photographs could be printed in mass quantity, with the advance came a library of images which document an explosive phase in the life of this nascent nation. From majestic frontiers to saloons to Coney Island, Taschen’s An American Odyssey offers a glimpse not only at the history of the photograph, but also offers a glimpse at a vibrant America itself. With contributions from vintage photograph collector Marc Walters and author/documentarian Sabine Arqué, the 612-page multi-language hardcover (with foldouts) is loaded with some jaw-dropping images of a world we’ve seen very little of. An American Odyssey will be available later this month for $200.