The Photo League and its influences.

[kbg32]

In my love of all things photographic, and middle age aproaching in the next 6 months, I have been looking at images and movements in photography that in some way influenced me directly or indirectly. The work of the New York Photo League was one of those photographic movements that I really enjoyed looking at. For those not familar, a bit of their history can be found here - http://photography.about.com/library/weekly/aa100801a.htm.

There is never anything wrong in looking back, as long as it helps you to move forward. Maybe this can help spark some different discussions here on RFF.

 

[canonetc]

Hi Keith, yeah that is one book I wish I could afford:

http://cgi.ebay.com/This-Was-The-Ph...ryZ29223QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I lke this info:

"The Photo League School was at the time, as Hal Greenwood noted in 1947, the 'only non-commercial photo school in America', and in the years it was open, trained over 1500 photographers. It used a 'progressive educational method: the student learns by doing' which was a revolutionary approach for its time and aimed 'to help the student 'discover the world; to develop a personal, philosophic, and visual perception which would lead to an individual direction in photography'."

Like Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair, they were brave people of their times. In our times, photographers who break the rules, like those who snuck past the Ground Zero police on 9/11, and those who refused to be "embedded" in Irag kind of do the same thing but without a "risky" poltical affiliation. The shooters of VII (www.viiphoto.com) come to mind.

Interesting how much of the Photo League's influence still survives today.

Chris
canonetc

 

[kbg32]

It is a great book. One that I wished I owned as well. Such wonderful images done by great photographers. The influences survive more then we know.

 

[dll927]

I'm somewhat put off by a 176-page book costing $125.00. Why do publishers like to put out "limited" editions - are they afraid that more copies would cheapen the product?

When I lived in the L. A. area, there used to be a huge Dalton's book store on Hollywood Blvd. that was three stories high. (At one time it was called Pickwick). The top story was almost exclusively populated by "publishers returns" i.e., books that hadn't sold well and were deeply discounted.

As for the idea that some photographers' work has 'stood the test of time', this is no surprise. A similar idea is the reason I have never been one to follow so-called "popular" music. At one time there was a snide remark about not wanting to listen to music written by "dead men". The only problem with that is that their music has lasted far and away longer than anything on this week's "top 40". Read the "Music" section in TIME magazine, and you quickly see that they have no use for anything laong-lasting - or at least anything done prior to about the 1960's. Balderdash!!

 

[ddunn]

Hi Keith, yeah that is one book I wish I could afford:

http://cgi.ebay.com/This-Was-The-Ph...ryZ29223QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

<snip>
Interesting how much of the Photo League's influence still survives today.

Chris
canonetc

You can get it cheaper at:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=701938380

I bought a copy last year (at under $50) and its worth every penny.