Presumed Innocence

by Anne Higonnet, Rachel Lafo, Bruce Davidson (Photographer)

From Ansel Adams' harrowing 1940s documentary photographs of transient migrant workers' children to Sally Mann's simultaneously erotic and innocent portraits of her adolescent children and other pre- and postpubescent girls, images of children have fascinated and frustrated viewers since the inception of the medium. This excellent collection of vintage and contemporary photographs, spanning from the early twentieth century until now, covers all of the relevant genres, from documentary reportage to digitally manipulated constructions. It includes well-known black-and-white images by renowned masters, as well as very recent color work by American and European photographers alike. Among the 85 photographers included are Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Julie Blackmon, Manual Alvarez Bravo, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bruce Davidson, Rineke Dijkstra, Elliot Erwitt, Lalla Essaydi, Larry Fink, Robert Frank, Emmet Gowin, Pieter Hugo, Dorothea Lange, Gillian Laub, Helen Levitt, Sally Mann, Mary Ellen Mark, Tina Modotti, Abelardo Morell, Martin Parr and Doris Ulmann. Scholarly essays by Rachel Rosenfield Lafo of the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park and Barnard College's Anne Higonnet discuss the history of photography and changing concepts of childhood in visual imagery, respectively.

Genres: Photography

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2008

Reviews

[Sissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

best pictures in here, in my little opinion, are mike brodie's. too bad he doesn't have a book yet...

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some absolutely amazing pictures. Some I didn't like as well, but still well worth looking through. Am curious to see more from some of the individual photographers.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting and not helpful for my research, but the images are amazing depictions of children is all kinds of poses, moments, experiences. Some of the usual photographers are included, such as Ansel Adams, Sally Mann, and Dorothea Lange, but most I had (unsurprisingly) never heard of. One, Lewis Hine, was born in Oshkosh! That was cool.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Features a collection of children from around the world.