Paris—Few people know the SEINE River, the scene of the Opening Ceremonies for the Paris Olympics, as well as an American, Gary Zuercher who published The Glow of Paris, The Bridges of Paris at Night, an award-winning book. www.parisbridges.com

Over a period of five years American author­ photographer Gary Zuercher went out in the Paris night equipped with his camera to capture remarkably evocative images of the bridges that span the Seine. He created these photos in black and white, rich in detail, clear and luminous. He shot the photos on film then made silver gelatin prints from the negatives.

This collection is unique and remarkable. The use of black and white showcases a wealth of detail: architectural elements, works of art, the buildings nearby, the trees along the banks and the lamps drawing light trails on the water.

The book contains 85 photos of the 35 bridges presented in his book, The Glow of Paris, The Bridges of Paris at Night The book is also available in French with the Title: Paris s'illumine, Les Ponts de Paris Ia nuit.

Love, weddings, funeral marches, revolution and murder all took place on the bridges that cross the Seine in Paris. The history of these bridges begins before the birth of Christ - in 52 BC when Julius Caesar conquered Paris.

The Glow of Paris book is an eclectic collection of extraordinary gelatin-silver photographic prints of the bridges of Paris—nighttime images that are breathtaking. Accompanied by a fascinating historical portrayal, the book presents a unique and aesthetic vision of Paris because no one else has ever photographed and written about the bridges that cross the Seine in this way.

• The New York Times said, "A lifelong photographer, Zuercher was so passionate about the way the bridges look at night that he spent more than five years photographing them in black and white."
• The Paris Voice said, "With stunning black and white photos in the Ansel Adams tradition and stories about Paris' legendary bridges this is a real Pari book gem."
• The National Geographic Society said, "This book presents sumptuous photographs of the great bridges of Paris in all their nocturnal splendor, glowing and poetic. You can almost hear the gentle lap of the Seine. A must for collectors of fine photography."
• The San Francisco Book Review said, "The Glow of Paris is a spectacular collection of photos that creates a new meaning to `Paris, the city of lights.' The black and white photos provide an Ansel Adams-esque view of Paris that can't be seen any other way."
• Apogee Photo Magazine says, "This book should definitely be a part of the library of any architect, historian or photographer.  Simply stunning!"
• Kirkus Reviews called The Glow of Paris one of "Nine Best Books Out This Week." (Jan 20) and further stated: "A superb pictorial evocation of the City of Light, full of dazzling images and intriguing lore."
• The Columbus Dispatch said, "His style is reminiscent of American landscape photographer Ansel Adams."
• The Virginia Peninsula Daily Press said, "The photographs are just so visually splendid, . . . it's almost like you've pre-staged artwork because it is lit by the City of Paris."

"For the most part Parisians take these architectural wonders for granted, relying on their functionality to get them where they want to go each day," says author Zuercher. "They don't fully appreciate the beauty because most don't see the glow of the bridges at night. And most have forgotten that from the time of Julius Caesar for more than 2000 years, the bridges of Paris have played an important role in world history."

Many of the images are now on exhibition in Paris at:

GADCOLLECTION Gallery

4 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe

75004 Paris, France

Tuesday - Friday: 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday: 2:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

+33 1 43 70 72 59

info@gadcollection.com

https://www.gadcollection.com/fr/g/photographes/gary-zuercher/

The London Book Festival and The Los Angeles Book Festival proclaimed The Glow of Paris one of the best books in the photography/art category in the 2015 competitions. The Independent Publisher Book Awards bestowed a First Place award for Best Non-Fiction in Europe and the book has attained Amazon Bestselling status in numerous categories.

About the Bridges of Paris

The fascinating narrative that accompanies the artistic black and white photos includes historical facts and little-known tidbits about the bridges, such as:

• The history of these bridges precedes the birth of Christ. In 52 BC Julius Caesar conquered Paris; the earliest recorded mention of the bridges is found in Caesar's Gallic War commentaries. Most of the later history evolves from around the time of the Middle Ages and thereafter.
• On the morning of October 3, 1943, an aircraft hit the Pont de Tolbiac Bridge and crashed into the Seine, killing the four Frenchmen on board. The four were members of the Free French Air Force who had flown from an airfield in England to participate in the allied bombing of a power station outside of Paris.  
• Bridges constructed prior to the late eighteenth century normally had houses and shops built directly on them. Floods, ice floes, fires, boat collisions, and structural failures frequently destroyed the bridges. The collapsing bridges took the houses and shops down with them, and often their occupants as well. In 1769 Louis XV finally outlawed the construction of houses on the bridges, but it took until 1808 for the last building to be removed.
• Early on, the Pont Neuf was the center of a permanent fair, a meeting point for all the sophisticated as well as the vulgar pleasures of the capital. At any moment you would find street performers—acrobats, fire-eaters, and musicians— charlatans and quacks, as well as hustlers and pickpockets, not to mention a lively trade in prostitution. Among the many businesses were several famous "tooth pullers."

"This information will be of great interest to not only tourists and historians but also to Parisians who have limited knowledge of the 35 bridges in their city and are surprised at the number of islands in the Seine," says Zuercher. "There is a great deal of truth in the words of author Monique Marty who wrote of the bridges – 'They are the extension of the streets, the hyphens between the two river-banks. We cross them on foot, by car, by Metro. We see them without looking at them and that's a shame'."

The stories related to the project are rich enough to fill another book, such as the time Zuercher was refused access to a church roof to photograph an aerial shot because he could not be there while the nuns were sleeping. Or when he had to use mountain climbing equipment and the aid of city firefighters to climb to the top of city hall to shoot seven bridges from the air. Or when young thugs threatened him while Zuercher was working at night but were defused when he offered to take their pictures and email it to them.

The Glow of Paris: The Bridges of Paris at Night (ISBN 978-0-9906309-0-6, Marcorp Editions, 2015, 208 pages, $49.95 is available on Amazon and at: www.marcorp-editions.com).

About Gary Zuercher: Gary Zuercher's career path has been quite different than that of most professional photographers because he has simultaneously combined a highly successful business career with a successful career as a professional photographer.

For more than thirty years Zuercher provided photography for numerous companies and advertising agencies needing commercial images for publications, advertising, brochures, media, and marketing.

During the same period Zuercher produced 15 company and product promotional films in which he worked as editor or co-editor and as cameraman and/or photographer. While doing this, he successfully founded, built, and developed both the WaveTek group of companies that pioneered the development of the waterpark industry.

USA Media Contact: To arrange an interview with Gary Zuercher contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 248-705-2214.