This volume accompanies the first major retrospective of photographer Fred Herzog, as assembled by the Vancouver Art Gallery. Arriving in Vancouver in 1953, Herzog captured, in a uniquely colourful style, the buzz and energy of a young, emerging West Coast city. And yet, for the past 50 years, he’s been overlooked by art critics and patrons.

Why? In an introductory essay, curator Grant Arnold theorizes that Herzog’s early marginalization was mostly a result of his choice to work in colour at a time when “serious” photographers worked only in black and white. By the time colour photography was accepted by the art community, most were clamouring for conceptual work completely unlike Herzog’s style. And yet the brilliant colour and candid nature of Herzog’s images make this collection feel vibrant and contemporary.

The photographs are organized in a roughly chronological fashion. Most were taken by Herzog on long meanders along Granville, Robson, and Hastings in the 1950s and ’60s, when the streets were packed with young working-class families, new wealth, and the promise of cheap and plentiful goods. The bustling streets are neon-clad, covered from top to bottom with hand-lettered signs and billboards featuring cars, shops, and soda pop.

Yet for all the bravado of this era, many of Herzog’s images are surprisingly quiet and contemplative. Figures stroll, smoke, or sit, rarely acknowledging the photographer, not rushing to get anywhere. Some streetscapes are completely barren, containing no people at all.

There are a few flaws. For a retrospective of Herzog’s career, this collection has surprisingly few images from the past three decades. And the concluding essay by Michael Turner is weak and unnecessary. But these are minor quibbles. This is an impressive book, and it provides long-overdue recognition for one of the West Coast’s finest photographers.