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Streetwise Through the Ages

Magnum Streetwise, a new tome published by Thames & Hudson, is a deep rummage through Magnum Photo’s extensive archives bringing together over 300 images from some of the genres greatest street photography practitioners.

As a discipline, it’s intrinsic to Magnum’s core, given that co-founder Henri Cartier-Bresson doubles as one of the forefathers of modern street photography. A rich seam of street photography has always run through the veins of the agency with Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden and Richard Kalvar sitting in the front seat. But this book is not just dedicated to the old school practitioners, nor the obvious gang of suspects. You’ll also see work by Bieke Depoorter, Carolyn Drake, Thomas Dworzak, Sohrab Hura, Paolo Pellegrin, Moises Saman, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Alec Soth and Newsha Tavakolian.

Magnum Streetwise is a true visual delight – introducing the lesser-known corners of the photographers’ portfolios – interleaving insightful text and anecdotes within an intuitive blend of photographer and theme-focused sections.

Editor Stephen McLaren has organized the book so that each photographer has their own section comprising a selection of their street photography highlights as well as written insights that bring stories to light. Alongside individual artist sections, Streetwise rounds up photographs into four pivotal locations within the realm of street photography: London, New York, Paris and Tokyo, each city with its own visual language. There are also sections on some of street photography’s core subject areas – In Transit, Days Off and Playing the Markets – which allows for a thorough exploration of how the photographers’ varying styles and motifs diverge.

This book is an essential addition to the bibliography of street photography, showcasing hidden gems alongside many of the genre’s most famous images.

— Samantha Reinders

Magnum Streetwise
Edited by Stephen McLaren
Thames & Hudson (November, 2019)

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