Customer Reviews

Enduring Justice: Photographs by Thomas Roma

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It is hard to believe that it took Thomas Roma fourteen months, roaming the grimy corridors of the Brooklyn Criminal Court Building, to take the eighty black and white photographs that appear in this book. There is nothing special about them. On any given day, one can see faces like these in the Brooklyn Criminal Court Building, which is located at 120 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn, NY. Perhaps, this is what the photographer intended. I am only surprised that it took him fourteen months to capture what should have been all in a day's work. As a practitioner in Brooklyn, I am disappointed that the portraits are, for the most part, so very ordinary, but, perhaps, that is his intended silent commentary.

The foreword by Norman Mailer is ridiculous, as he talks about the ubiquitous attorney who "...charges more than you can afford while all the while he emanates his profound dissatisfaction with what he is being paid." In Brooklyn Criminal Court, the majority of defendants are assisted by public defenders or court appointed attorneys who do not charge the defendants for their services. It is taxpayers who are footing the bill. Moreover, Mailer also assumes in his foreword that lawyers and judges are men. He would be shocked to discover that many are women. He also further assumes that defendants are all men. Although, the majority are men, women are also increasingly appearing as defendants. I do not know whether his perceptions are born from an inbred misogyny or from simply not having done his homework before writing this foreword. The introduction by Robert Coles is much better written, as it is more substantive and seemingly better informed, though he, too, assumes, as does Mailer, that all the photographs in the book are those of defendants in a criminal case, as well as those of their families.

As to the photographs themselves, the problem is that it is not clear whether they are photographs of just defendants and their families, or whether the photographs include police officers, victims, and witnesses, as well. From the book cover flap one would think that it was inclusive, but the text from the foreword and introduction would lead the reader to think otherwise. There is no text accompanying the photographs that clarifies this issue. The photographs themselves are divided into two parts. Other than part one presents predominately male portraits and part two presents predominantly female portraits, I do not really understand the bifurcation or why it was necessary, as it does not add to the cohesion of the book. The problems inherent in this book may be chalked up to poor editing but, considering the price of the book, that is really no excuse. The end result is that the book is merely another overpriced art book that is nothing more than an empty shell.

thomas roma's photographs represent some of the most challenging, enlightening work of the past few decades. each of his books is worth whatever price they ask, but this project i find particularly brilliant and powerful, as he photographs victims, criminals, family member of both, employees, lawyers - the whole world of a new york city courthouse which must be one of the most intriguing mixes of people and all their telling details. this is just a great book.