The Great LIFE Photographers (Hardcover)

~ The Editors of LIFE (Author), John Loengard (Contributor), Gordon Parks (Contributor) "Photographers working for LIFE like to photograph the world around them, especially the people in it and what those people do..." (more)
Key Phrases: staff photographer, New York City, World War, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book represents the work of every LIFE magazine staff photographer from the 20th century, as well as a handful of others closely affiliated with the magazine, including Alfred Eisenstadt, Margaret Bourke-White, Gordon Parks, Eugene Smith, and Joe McNally. THE GREAT LIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS presents the most iconic images of the past century, as well as little-known gems from the LIFE archives.

Many of these images are markers of the major milestones of history--the first pictures from inside the womb or from outer space, Robert Capas falling soldier, and memorable scenes from Tiananmen Square. Defining celebrity portraits of Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson are also featured.

This startingly rich collection of both color and black-and-white photographs is a vivid fulfillment of Henry Luces charge: To see life; to see the world....To be amazed!

About the Author

LIFE magazine was founded by Henry Luce in 1936 and chronicled every aspect of the human condition through the end of the 20th century.

Gordon Parks is an early LIFE photographer and among the most esteemed photographers of our time. He has published several books with Bulfinch, most recently Half Past Autumn (1997).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821228927
• ISBN-13: 978-0821228920
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #303,110 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captured: compassion and compositions., November 13, 2004

By	Robin Benson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

On page 558 of this stunning photo book there is a studio shot taken in 1960 by Bill Sumits of thirty-eight Life photographers, surely the only time in history that so many great photographers have been together in one place and it is amazing to think that the ninety-nine featured in the book were all on the staff of this one publication.

The book is arranged alphabetically and each photographer gets between five and eight images plus their photo and short hundred or so word biography. Now it's possible to see who took so many images that defined a moment and became classic examples of photojournalism and also to see other examples of their great work. John Loengard's introduction does not say so but I assume all the photos did appear in Life and they cover the years from 1936 (when the title started) to 1997. The book is well designed with mostly one photo per page (well printed in 175 dpi) and a caption and nicely some photos get longer captions where a photographer reveals some background detail about their images.

There are a lot of news type photos here, especially from the Second World War years but equally as many taken from the photo-essay style work that Life became famous for. Others show celebrities and ordinary folk going about their lives. These photos are so good that you have to stop and really take notice of what they are telling you. I think this wonderful book is a strong visual reminder of how great Life was.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb retrospective of the golden age of photo journalism, January 3, 2007

By	Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

It's not fashionable these days to speak of Henry Luce as great because his political views weren't left-wing. But the truth is Luce was a brilliant man who built a publishing empire based on delivering information in a concise way. His empire began with Time, then Fortune and next Life, a magazine that told its stories through pictures. (Sports Illustrated and the abominable People followed, the latter after Luce's death.)

Life editors perfected the photo essay. To do this, they hired some of the finest photographers in the world. This work showcases the work of 99 of those photographers in 698 color and black-and-white photos.

It is a glorious work. Life photographers were perfectionists. The technicians at the Life labs who printed their work were perfectionists. The editors who selected, cropped and laid out the work of the photographers and lab techs were perfectionists.

The result was for nearly sixty years a collection of some of the finest photography created in the 20th Century. It is sad that public tastes changed, that television overwhelmed the desire to leaf through the pages of magazines like Life.

The news in those days was largely captured in the still photograph. And here many of them are. The young Shah of Iran talking with Wendell Wilkie, the 1940 Republican Presidential candidate on a flight somewhere. An iconic photo of fashion-plate Jacqueline Kennedy and nattily-clad toddler son John, Jr. walking along the ocean in Palm Beach. American soldiers passing by a fallen comrade on a brige across the Roer River.The dazzingly beautiful 16 year old Elizabeth Taylor and incredibly intense 24 year old Marlon Brando two years before his first film role. The crowded Saturday night main street in small town Franklin, Indiana in 1940. All these and more were grist for the weekly Life Magazine, the equivalent then of a dozen or more cable television stations today.

It isn't mentioned in this book how many photos exist in the Life archives. Probably a million and maybe far more. But these 698 are a fair representation of the skill, talent and greatness of the 99 Life photographers seen here. (Not included are the many free-lancers whose work also appeared in Life.)

For anyone who appreciates photography as an art, this is a must-have.

Jerry

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Photography and History, June 25, 2009

By	The Christopher "chris00nj" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This book profiles all of the Life's photographers and showcases their best work.

It has lots of full page pictures. There are many amazing photos that I have never seen before. It's great for people who like photography, history, or both.