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''Street Incidents'' 1881 Photo Book

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:NA
''Street Incidents'' 1881 Photo Book
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Landmark photojournalism book of 21 mounted Woodburytype photo plates depicting fascinating British street scenes from the 1800's. ''Street Incidents: A Series of Twenty-One Permanent Photographs with Descriptive Letter'' by John Thompson, published by Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington: London: 1881. This artistic, anthropological book documents the life of the poor and working classes in London's poverty-stricken neighborhoods. According to John Thomson, the author and creator of the project, the anthropologists ventured ''into London's poorest areas, interviewing their subjects and writing about them as 'characters' or 'types'''. A new direction in photojournalism, the book's portrayals of blue collar workers, homeless and even criminals were intended to inform the middle and upper classes, both via the street portraiture and interviews with the subjects of the photos. According to the Museum of London it was the first published collection of social documentary photographs anywhere in the world. The Woodburytype photo processing creates incredibly sharp images because they were printed photomechanically from the dry-plate negatives. Book is bound in original green cloth boards with gilt. Chipping to backstrip, cracked hinges, rubber stamp on front free endpaper and contents page and label on front pastedown. The pictures themselves are in near fine condition and the book is overall in good condition.