The Family of Man
by Edward Steichen for the Museum of Modern Art
Overview
From the Publisher
This now classic book is the permanent embodiment of Edward Steichen's masterpiece - a creation that has been hailed as the most successful and inspiring exhibition of photography ever assembled. The Family of Man opened at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, in January 1955 and thereafter traveled throughout the United States and much of the world. In the pages of this book are reproduced all of the 503 images that Steichen described as "photographs, made in all parts of the world, of the gamut of life from birth to death with emphasis on... daily relationships.... Photographs of lovers and marriage and child-bearing, of the family unit with its joys, trials and tribulations.... Photographs concerned with man's dreams and aspirations and photographs of the flaming creative forces of love and truth and the corrosive evil inherent in the lie."
My thoughts
If you know me very well, you know that I'm drawn to photographs. When I came across this book from an estate sale, I just had to put it on my own shelf rather than listing it on eBay with other books I've acquired.
The book is a collection of 503 pictures from 68 countries. At the time it was presented for the Museum of Modern Art it was called "the greatest photograhic exhibition of all time". It's copyright date is 1955.
It does indeed have some lovely photography. The entire book is published in B/W, which doesn't necessarily detract from the subject matter. I'd prefer to see some of the photos in color but they are stunning just as they are.
On an interesting side note, the book sold for a mere dollar.
Favorite Passage
...the wise man looks into space, and does not regard the small as too little, nor the great as too big; for he knows that there is no limit to dimensions. -- Lao-tse
