Richard Avedon (1923–2004) was one of the most influential photographers of the second half of the 20th century. His portrait work comprises an authoritative record of the era, and his many books set a standard for photographic publishing. As a staff photographer for Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and The New Yorker, Avedon defined the medium of photography for his own and future generations. Laura Wilson is a photographer whose previous books are Hutterites of Montana, Watt Matthews of Lambshead, and Avedon at Work, which covers the five years she worked with Avedon making In the American West. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, the Washington Post Magazine, and London’s Sunday Times Magazine. She lives in Dallas.