Cataloging his first ten years of work, Tony Ward's recent book BEST OF EROTICA presents three hundred of Ward's most enticing images that turn pornography into art and art into pornography-images that combine erotic art with fashion, design, and portraiture. From the painterly tones of his color work to gritty black-and-white, Westonesque portraits to truly uninhibited encounters, Helmut Newton glamorous to redlight district tawdry, this collection shows why Tony Ward has become a household name in the world of erotica. America's premiere erotio photographer, Ward has become the Robert Mapplethorpe for the heterosexual world. When he first threw himself into erotic art, Ward began by photographing his wife and first muse, Sandy. Ward soon began branching out, looking for models who would travel to his Philadelphia studio to pose for his camera and indulge their own exhibitionism. As he discovered that "Philadelphia may have been founded by the Quakers but is currently occupied by hedonists" new models were soon arriving in droves. Ward's reputation as a practitioner of erotica grew and grew, but America's Puritan past took notice and his corporate clients trickled away. Undaunted, Ward pursued his passions, finally meeting the legendary photography agent Henrietta Brackman. Although unable to take Ward on, Brackman was impressed by his powerful images and recommended him to the German agent Ursula Kreis. After a whiriwind of attention in Europe, Ward's distinctive brand of erotic art found another eager patron, but this time back in the U.S. with Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione. With his no-holds-barred approach to sex, Guccione quickly became Ward's biggest fan and patron, publishing numerous portfolios in his magazine and bringing Ward international renown.