“Bystander: A History of Street Photography” is a book by Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz, first published in 1994 and subsequently revised and expanded in 2001 and 2017. The book is a comprehensive survey of the street photography genre, featuring key innovators, styles, and trends from both European and American perspectives. Westerbeck’s text explores various subjects including the ethics of photographing human suffering and the role of images in shaping collective perception of events, while Meyerowitz curated the images in the book, which include sections of photographs from different periods.
The 1994 edition of “Bystander” includes work by significant late 19th and 20th-century photographers like Eugène Atget, Alfred Stieglitz, Brassaï, André Kertész, Lewis Hine, Paul Strand, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, Helen Levitt, Robert Frank, Walker Evans, Robert Capa, Ben Shahn, and others. The 2001 edition added contemporary street photographers like Melanie Einzig and Gus Powell, while the 2017 edition further expanded the historical material, added more photographers, and included a new chapter examining developments in the genre since 1994 and discussing the rise of digital photography.
The book has been described as a landmark work and is often referred to as the ‘bible’ of street photography. It covers a wide array of work, from lesser-known photographers of the late 19th century to well-acknowledged masters of the 20th century. The latest edition brings the story of street photography up to the present day with a complete re-evaluation of historical material and the inclusion of contemporary photographers oai_citation:1,Bystander: A History of Street Photography – Wikipedia oai_citation:2,Bystander: A history of street photography by Joel Meyerowitz and Colin Westerbeck | Creative Boom.
Eugene Atget
Eugène Atget, a French commercial photographer, is renowned for his work documenting the architecture and related arts of Paris around the turn of the 20th century. His early works included rural scenes and farming technology, intended as studies for painters and illustrators. By the 1890s, Atget shifted his focus to Paris, capturing its houses, streets, shops, and architectural details. He aimed to build a comprehensive visual catalog of French culture, selling prints to architects, artisans, libraries, archives, and amateurs of the ancient city. Atget’s photography is characterized by its use of wide-angle lenses, intimate vantage points, and diverse lighting conditions, including shooting directly into the sun oai_citation:1,Eugène Atget | French Street Photographer & Documentarian | Britannica.
Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz was a pioneering figure in photography, greatly influential in establishing photography as a fine art. Born on January 1, 1864, in Hoboken, New Jersey, he later moved to Germany for education, where he developed a profound interest in photography under the tutelage of photochemist Hermann Vogel. His early work, using an 8×10 plate film camera, included landscapes and laborers across Europe. In the 1890s, Stieglitz shifted to a hand-held camera, producing notable works like “Winter, Fifth Avenue” and “The Terminal.”
Stieglitz was a key figure in the Photo-Secession movement, which he founded in 1902. This movement aimed to establish photography as an art form, emphasizing the creative potential of photography beyond its documentary function. He also introduced the influential photographic journal “Camera Work” in 1903, which ran until 1917, showcasing hand-pulled photogravures and critical writings on photography.
In addition to his photographic endeavors, Stieglitz was an art dealer and advocate for the Modernist movement. He operated the ‘291’ gallery in New York, showcasing and promoting modern art and photography. His later works took a more Modernist approach, particularly noted in his series of cloud photographs, “Equivalents,” which are considered some of the first intentionally abstract photographic artworks.
Stieglitz’s relationship with painter Georgia O’Keeffe was both personal and collaborative. They influenced each other’s work significantly, with Stieglitz producing over 300 photographs of O’Keeffe, blending portraiture with artistic experimentation. These works not only captured O’Keeffe’s persona but also symbolized their creative and romantic synergy.
Stieglitz’s contributions to photography are monumental, not only in terms of his artistic output but also in his role as a promoter and curator of photography as a legitimate art form oai_citation:1,Alfred Stieglitz | International Photography Hall of Fame oai_citation:2,Alfred Stieglitz | American Photographer, Modernist & Art Activist | Britannica oai_citation:3,Alfred Stieglitz – pioneer of modern photography · V&A.
Brassaï
Brassaï, born Gyula Halász in 1899 in Transylvania, was a Hungarian-French photographer who became renowned for his extensive photographic work capturing the essence of Paris. He adopted the pseudonym “Brassaï” from his hometown, Brasso, and moved to Paris in 1924. Initially working as a journalist, Brassaï’s fascination with the city led him to explore photography more seriously, mentored by fellow Hungarian photographer André Kertész.
Brassaï is best known for his collection “Paris de nuit” (Paris by Night), published in 1933, which brought him international acclaim. This work depicted the seedier side of Paris as well as scenes from the city’s high society, ballet, and grand operas. He was adept at capturing the beauty of Parisian streets in various weather conditions and at night. His photography was characterized by its focus on the mundane details of Paris, like pavements and street lamps, and its ability to capture the behavior of different social classes.
Apart from street photography, Brassaï also photographed many of his artist friends, including Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Alberto Giacometti, as well as prominent writers of his time. His work extended beyond photography to include contributions to the surrealist magazine “Minotaure,” where he provided photographs for articles by surrealists like Salvador Dali and André Breton.
Brassaï’s work in commercial photography also included capturing the Parisian night, graffiti, and even high-profile commissions for Harper’s Bazaar, among others. He was a founding member of the Rapho agency in Paris and had several exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and other prestigious venues.
Brassaï’s work continues to be influential and is held in high regard, with his photographs being part of collections in major museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. His ability to capture the essence of his subjects, whether human, architectural, or environmental, made him a significant figure in 20th-century photography oai_citation:1,Brassaï Photography, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory oai_citation:2,Brassaï (Gyula Halász) | International Photography Hall of Fame oai_citation:3,Brassaï – Wikipedia.
André Kertész
André Kertész, born on July 2, 1894, in Budapest, Hungary, and died on September 28, 1985, in New York, U.S., was a Hungarian-born American photographer known for his innovative and influential contributions to photographic composition and the photo essay. He started his photography career in 1912, while working as a clerk at the Giro Bank of the Budapest Stock Exchange.
During World War I, Kertész served in the Austro-Hungarian army, where he continued taking pictures on the Eastern Front, despite being severely wounded. His early work often involved unexpected juxtapositions and made frequent use of reflections and shadows, which was a unique and defining characteristic of his style. In 1925, due to limited opportunities in Hungary, Kertész moved to Paris to work as a freelance photographer, capturing poetic images of Parisian street life from high vantage points. His work was well-received, with a notable show at the Au Sacre du Printemps Gallery in Paris in 1927, and participation in the influential First Independent Salon of Photography the following year.
Kertész’s photographs from this period, blending romantic sensibility with modernist attitudes, were often cited as proof that photography could be considered a fine art. He also took portraits of notable figures such as Russian filmmaker Sergey Eisenstein, Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, French writer Colette, and others, while working as a lead photographer for the French picture magazine Vu.
In 1928, Kertész purchased a Leica, a small handheld camera, which allowed him greater freedom of movement and enhanced his ability to capture candid moments, earning him recognition as a pioneering street photographer. His influence extended to other renowned photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Brassaï, who he mentored.
Kertész’s first marriage was to Hungarian-born painter Rozsa Klein in 1928, who became a respected photographic portraitist known as Rogi André. They later divorced, and in 1933, Kertész remarried Erzsé
Lewis Hine
Lewis Hine, born on September 26, 1874, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was a sociologist and photographer known for using his camera as a tool for social reform. His work was instrumental in changing child labor laws in the United States.
Hine began his career by photographing immigrants at Ellis Island between 1904 and 1909, capturing over 200 images. He aimed to change perceptions about immigrants and their reception by society. In 1907, he worked for the Russell Sage Foundation, photographing life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for a sociological study called The Pittsburgh Survey.
Hine’s most significant contribution to photography and social reform came in 1908 when he became the photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC). He documented child labor conditions across the United States, often disguising himself to gain access to factories, mills, and mines. His images of young children working under harsh conditions were powerful and evocative, drawing public attention to the issue of child labor.
His work was not without risk; he often faced threats of violence and death for exposing the realities of child labor. Despite these challenges, his photographs were successful in aiding the NCLC’s lobbying efforts to end child labor practices. His documentation was pivotal in enacting significant changes in child labor laws.
Hine also photographed for the American Red Cross during World War I and later documented the construction of the Empire State Building. His images of workers in precarious positions high above the city streets are some of his most famous works, showcasing the human contribution to modern industry.
During the Great Depression, Hine worked for the Red Cross again, documenting drought relief in the American South, and for the Tennessee Valley Authority, capturing life in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. He served as chief photographer for the Works Progress Administration’s National Research Project, which studied changes in industry and their effect on employment.
Despite his contributions, Hine faced financial struggles later in life and passed away on November 3, 1940, in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. His legacy lives on, and his photographs continue to be celebrated for their impact on social justice and labor reform in the United States oai_citation:1,Lewis W. Hine | Biography, Photography, & Facts | Britannica oai_citation:2,Lewis Hine, Early 20th Century Photography For Social Change oai_citation:3,Lewis Hine – 22 artworks – photography.
Paul Strand
Paul Strand was an influential American photographer known for his significant impact on 20th-century photography. Born on October 16, 1890, in New York, he died on March 31, 1976, in Orgeval, France. Strand’s work is characterized by its emphasis on sharp-focused, objective images, which played a crucial role in shaping the direction of American photography.
Strand began his photographic journey at 17, studying with Lewis W. Hine, who introduced him to the Photo-Secession group and the gallery “291,” led by Alfred Stieglitz. His exposure to avant-garde paintings at the gallery, including works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, and Georges Braque, inspired him to emphasize abstract form and pattern in his photographs. One of his notable works, “White Fence” (1916), exemplifies this approach by deliberately distorting perspective to create a powerful composition from tonal planes and rhythmic patterns.
Rejecting the Pictorialism style popular at the time, Strand embraced large-format cameras to achieve minute detail and rich tonal range, focusing on natural forms and architecture. His objective photographs of urban subjects were published in Camera Work, the last two issues of which were dedicated to his works.
In his later years, Strand traveled extensively, producing significant photographic
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) was a French photographer widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the history of photography. He is best known for pioneering the genre of street photography and for his philosophy of capturing the “decisive moment,” a concept that emphasizes capturing an event at its peak of expression.
Cartier-Bresson’s career spanned over three decades, during which he traveled extensively, capturing significant historical events, cultures, and notable figures around the world. His work is characterized by its spontaneity, simplicity, and its ability to capture the essence of a moment or the truth behind a subject.
He began his photography career in the early 1930s after discovering the Leica camera, which would become his preferred tool. The camera’s compact size and quiet operation allowed him to photograph discreetly, capturing candid moments of everyday life.
In 1947, Cartier-Bresson co-founded Magnum Photos, the first cooperative agency for worldwide freelance photographers, alongside Robert Capa, David Seymour, George Rodger, and William Vandivert. This agency allowed photographers to have control over their work, giving them the freedom to approach subjects in their unique styles.
Cartier-Bresson’s work includes iconic images from the Spanish Civil War, the liberation of Paris in 1944, the death of Mahatma Gandhi, and the Chinese revolution. He had a profound influence on modern photojournalism and documentary photography, with his work often published in major magazines such as Life and Vogue.
After the early 1970s, he turned away from photography and returned to his first passion, drawing. However, his photographic legacy continues to be celebrated for its profound impact on visual arts.
For more information, you can visit his dedicated page on the Magnum Photos website.
Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus, born Diane Nemerov on March 14, 1923, in New York, was an American photographer renowned for her compelling and often disturbing portraits. She is best known for capturing images of individuals on the fringes of society, such as circus performers, transgender people, and people with unique physical attributes. Her work is characterized by its intense and direct gaze into the lives of her subjects, offering a stark and often controversial perspective on American life.
Arbus began her career in photography after taking brief courses with Berenice Abbott and then studying with Lisette Model, who encouraged her to pursue fine-art photography. She shifted from commercial photography to a more personal form of expression around 1956, influenced by her study with Model. Her first major photo essay was published in Esquire in 1960, juxtaposing privilege and squalor in New York City.
Her work is notable for its use of a square format, emphasizing the subject more than the composition. Arbus received Guggenheim fellowships in 1963 and 1966 to be part of a project titled “American Rites, Manners, and Customs.” During this period, she refined her technique, focusing on a wide range of subjects that often included people from marginalized and overlooked communities.
Arbus’s method involved developing close relationships with her subjects, often photographing them repeatedly to capture their essence in a more profound way. Her portraits are celebrated for their unique ability to bring out the inner life of the subjects, often challenging societal norms and perceptions.
Tragically, Arbus took her own life in 1971, but her influence on photography and art is enduring. A year after her death, she became the first photographer to be included in the Venice Biennale, and her work was the subject of a major retrospective at MoMA in 1972. This exhibition was the highest attended in MoMA’s history to that date, and the accompanying book, “Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph,” has never been out of print oai_citation:1,Diane Arbus Photography, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory oai_citation:2,Diane Arbus | American Portrait Photographer & Photojournalist | Britannica oai_citation:3,Diane Arbus – Wikipedia.
For more detailed information on Diane Arbus and her work, you can visit her Britannica page here.
Garry Winogrand
Garry Winogrand was a prominent American street photographer, born in the Bronx, New York City, on January 14, 1928. He is best known for his portrayal of American life in the mid-20th century and is regarded as one of the pioneers of American street photography.
Winogrand’s work often captured the essence of urban life in the United States, particularly in New York City during the 1960s. His photographs are characterized by a sense of spontaneity, often featuring bustling city streets, political rallies, and the social issues of his time. He had a distinctive style of shooting quickly and intuitively, without looking through the viewfinder, which allowed him to capture candid moments.
He was also known for his significant contribution to the “snapshot aesthetic,” a style of photography that emphasizes spontaneity over precision, blurring the line between accidental and purposefully composed images. This approach resulted in dynamic compositions that often included unconventional framing and a sense of immediacy.
Throughout his career, Winogrand received numerous grants and fellowships, including three Guggenheim Fellowships and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. His work was widely exhibited and remains influential in the field of photography.
Winogrand was prolific in his photography, leaving behind a vast body of work, including thousands of undeveloped rolls of film at the time of his death on March 19, 1984. His posthumous exhibitions and publications have continued to contribute to his legacy as a key figure in American photography.
For more information, you can explore the International Center of Photography’s page on Garry Winogrand and his Wikipedia page.
Helen Levitt
Helen Levitt was an American street photographer and filmmaker renowned for her work capturing the bustle and beauty of everyday life in New York City. Born on August 31, 1913, in Brooklyn, New York, she began her career in photography at the age of 18. Levitt’s early inspiration came from the works of French photographer Henri-Cartier Bresson, which led her to purchase a 35-mm Leica camera and explore the neighborhoods of New York for subject matter.
Levitt’s photography often focused on children, particularly the underprivileged, as her subjects. Her first show, “Photographs of Children,” held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1943, featured the humanity that infused much of her work. This exhibition included photographs from her 1941 visit to Mexico City, where she captured the city’s street life.
In the late 1940s, Levitt also made significant contributions to documentary filmmaking. She collaborated with Janice Loeb and James Agee on two documentary films: “In the Street” (1948) and “The Quiet One” (1948), the latter receiving an Academy Award nomination. Levitt’s filmmaking spanned nearly 25 years, with her final film credit as an editor for John Cohen’s documentary “The End of an Old Song” in 1972.
Levitt’s style and themes in photography often portrayed children playing in the streets, particularly in areas of Harlem and the Lower East Side with minority populations. She moved away from the journalistic depiction of suffering, common at the time, choosing instead to show life from the perspective of children. Levitt captured the essence of street life, highlighting the joy, creativity, and resilience of her subjects against the backdrop of urban environments. Her work often depicted social and racial inequalities, and she used photography as a means to challenge misconceptions about race and class.
Despite her significant contributions to photography and film, Levitt lived a private and introverted life. She rarely gave interviews and preferred to let her work speak for itself. She continued to be active as a photographer for nearly 70 years, lamenting the changing scenery of New York City over time. Levitt passed away in her sleep on March 29, 2009, at the age of 95.
For more detailed information about Helen Levitt and her work, you can visit her page on TheArtStory here, the Britannica here, and her Wikipedia page here.
Robert Frank
Robert Frank was a highly influential Swiss-American photographer and documentary filmmaker, best known for his photographic book “The Americans.” This seminal work, first published in 1958, offered a profound, sometimes bleak view of American society. Frank’s candid photography style captured the raw, unvarnished essence of American life, particularly focusing on the mundane, everyday moments.
Frank’s approach differed significantly from the idealized images of America that were common at the time. He utilized a quick, intuitive approach to photography, often focusing on outsiders and marginalized groups. This perspective provided a stark contrast to the more polished, optimistic images seen in mainstream media, making his work pioneering and controversial.
Apart from “The Americans,” Frank also worked in filmmaking, creating several important films that contributed to the evolution of the documentary and avant-garde genres. His style, characterized by a loose, improvisational approach, had a significant influence on future generations of photographers and filmmakers.
Overall, Robert Frank’s work is celebrated for its authentic portrayal of American life and its influence on the development of documentary photography and film.
Walker Evans
Walker Evans was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work documenting the effects of the Great Depression. His photographs are among the most iconic images of this era, capturing the raw, unvarnished reality of American life during a time of profound economic and social turmoil.
Evans’ most famous work was produced in the 1930s, particularly his collaboration with writer James Agee on the 1941 book “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.” This book detailed the lives of impoverished tenant farmers in the American South and combined Agee’s prose with Evans’ stark, clear photographs. These images, characterized by their simplicity, detail, and empathy, became defining representations of the Depression era.
His photographic style was marked by a commitment to clarity and detail. He often used large-format cameras to capture his subjects, which ranged from rural poverty and the plight of sharecroppers to urban street scenes and architectural studies. Evans aimed to capture the essence of American life, documenting both its hardships and its enduring spirit.
Evans’ influence extended beyond his Depression-era work. He later became a staff writer at Time magazine and an editor at Fortune. He also became one of the first photographers to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His work has been celebrated for its historical importance and artistic merit, and he is considered one of the founders of documentary photography.
Robert Capa
Robert Capa was a Hungarian-born photojournalist and war photographer, widely regarded as one of the greatest combat photographers of the 20th century. He gained fame for his powerful and often perilous coverage of five different wars: the Spanish Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II across various European theaters, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War.
Capa’s most famous work is arguably his coverage of the Spanish Civil War, particularly the iconic photograph known as “The Falling Soldier,” which purportedly shows a Republican soldier at the moment of his death. This image became one of the most famous war photographs and was emblematic of the struggle and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War.
During World War II, Capa was in the thick of several key moments, including the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, where he captured harrowing images of the Allied invasion under intense enemy fire. His photos from this event, although few survived due to a darkroom accident, are some of the most visceral and immediate representations of the chaos and brutality of that day.
Capa’s approach to war photography was summarized in his famous phrase, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” He was known for his practice of getting up close to the action, which often placed him in great danger. This approach brought a palpable intimacy and immediacy to his images, making the horror and heroism of war starkly relatable to his audience.
In 1947, along with Henri Cartier-Bresson, David Seymour, George Rodger, and William Vandivert, he founded Magnum Photos, a cooperative agency for worldwide freelance photographers. This agency played a significant role in bringing the work of many photojournalists to a broader audience.
Tragically, Capa’s dedication to capturing conflict firsthand led to his death in 1954, when he stepped on a landmine while photographing in Indochina. Despite his relatively short life, his legacy endures, both in his dramatic photographs and in his influence on photojournalism and war photography.
Ben Shahn
Ben Shahn was a Lithuanian-born American artist, primarily known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as “The Shape of Content.” Born on September 12, 1898, in Kaunas, Lithuania (then part of the Russian Empire), Shahn emigrated to the United States in 1906.
His work often reflected his strong concern for social and political issues and portrayed the struggles of the working class and the poor. Shahn’s style was unique, combining elements of realism with a personal symbolism, often featuring elongated, distorted figures and an expressive use of line and color.
During the Great Depression, Shahn worked for the Farm Security Administration (FSA), documenting the impact of the economic downturn on American life. His photographs and paintings from this period are some of his most famous works, providing a poignant, humanistic view of the struggles faced by many Americans during this era.
Shahn’s work was not limited to painting and photography. He was also a graphic artist, creating posters, murals, and illustrations. His most famous mural, “The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti,” is a tribute to two Italian immigrants and anarchists whose controversial trial and execution sparked international protests. This mural, located at Syracuse University, exemplifies Shahn’s commitment to social justice and his skill in combining art and activism.
Throughout his career, Shahn remained committed to using his art as a tool for social commentary, reflecting his deep concerns about inequality, injustice, and human rights. His work continues to be celebrated for its powerful storytelling and its capacity to provoke thought and stir empathy for the human condition.