An epic visual history of the places people mythologies and realities of the United States
across eight decades from the renowned photography collective Magnum Photos. What is "America"?
What does it look like? Where can it be found? What does "America" mean and for whom? This
ambitious publication does not attempt to present a comprehensive photographic history of the
United States but uses the stories and photographs in the Magnum Archive to offer potential
answers to those questions. In doing so it presents a compelling visual portrait of the USA
past and present as it stands once again at a crossroads of history. Magnum America is
arranged into decade-by-decade chapters from the 1940s to the present day. Each chapter
includes individual "Moments" capturing that decade deeper views through "Collective
Portfolios" where multiple Magnum photographers documented a major historic event and
long-form story-led individual portfolios that examine issues peoples and events as
portrayed by Magnum photographers. Commentaries and texts appear throughout and there are
innovative metadata visualizations based on the Magnum archives highlighting the multiple
voices and perspectives that define both Magnum and the United States. The book looks beyond
the fifty states to invite us to consider the concept of "America as Empire " with military and
political adventures and misadventures abroad including Vietnam Iraq and Afghanistan as
well as soft power and "America" as a cultural export. Breathtaking in scope and abundant with
the photographic riches and intelligent insightful authorship for which Magnum's photographers
are renowned as well as texts by Professor Laura Wexler alongside other contributing writers
Magnum America is a vital contribution to the documentation of contemporary American history
and a future classic.--Provided by publisher.
