The Family of Man

The Family of Man is the title of an exhibit of photos collected by Edward Steichen in the 1950s and first presented in 1955 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. According to Steichen, the exhibition represented the 'culmination of his career'. The 503 photos were selected from almost 2 million pictures taken by 273 photographers, famous and unknown, in 68 countries, and offer a striking snapshot of the human experience which lingers on birth, love, and joy, but also touches war, privation, illness and death. His intention was to prove visually the universality of human experience and photography's role in its documentation.

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The exhibit was turned into a book by the same name which became an instant classic. The book was reproduced in a variety of formats (most popularly a pocket-sized volume) in the 50s, with an introduction by Carl Sandburg, and was reprinted in large format for its 40th anniversary.

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It is now displayed in Clervaux, Luxembourg.

Related Topics:
Clervaux - Luxembourg

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