The Black House

by Colin Jones, Mike Phillips (Foreword by)

A stunning record of black life and culture in 1970s London from one of the most celebrated photographers of his generation.

One of the most explosive photography projects of the 1970s was a series shot by Colin Jones for the London Sunday Times. The pictures record life at the Black House, a hostel for troubled black youth in the northern end of the city. Appearing for the first time in book form, these images are no less haunting today than they were nearly thirty years ago. In rich duotone and color, they capture the dignity and fierce beauty of a community shunned by society, and faced with a bleak future. "They were the hardest people I've ever had to photograph," comments Jones on the assignment. "They trusted no one." The intimacy of these images belies that statement, for clearly the inhabitants of the Black House trusted him. Narrated with an illuminating text from Mike Phillips, The Black House is at once a searing portrait of social unrest and a powerful testament to the camera's eloquence.

Colin Jones began his career as a photographer with the London Observer but has since worked for many international magazines, including Life, Geo, Nova, and National Geographic.

120 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Colin Jones is Professor of Estate Management, School of the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt University