The appeal of black and white photography in the visual arts is enduring. The term is rather misleading as the images are actually black, white and various shades of grey, but a powerful image without color can carry many messages.
Monochromatic photography can be haunting (Walker Evans’ Great Depression photos of impoverished farmers, awe-inspiring (Ansel Adams’ images of Yosemite) or intimate (Michael Montford’s Charles Bukowski pictures).
This selection of photo-books spans 80 years of photography. There are portraits, nudes, animals and landscapes, industrial scenery, fashion, celebrities and many ordinary people, but no-one is really ordinary when they are being photographed by artists like Lewis Hine and Edouard Boubat. Some of these books are pushing the boundaries of art, while others record the lives of the poor and the powerful.
Browse the work of David Bailey, Richard Avedon, Man Ray, Howard Bingham and many other legendary photographers.
Related Video
Vivian Maier: Street Photographer, Edited by John Maloof › Play Video
