Brooklyn Promenade, Brooklyn, New York, 1954 © Louis Stettner Estate.
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Louis Stettner is considered one of the great, yet underappreciated, 20th-century American photographers. His evocative images, shot in New York, Paris, and other cities around the world, capture the clashing yet contemplative feeling that only living in a large metropolis can inspire. Now, Thames & Hudson has put out a monograph that compiles the most iconic images of his storied career.
The book, simply titled Louis Stettner, features about 190 photographs arranged chronologically. Guiding the expedition through Stettner’s work is the insightful commentary of authors Sally Martin Katz, David Campany, Karl Orend, and James Iffland. They touch on many subjects, such as his experience with the Photo League cooperative, where he learned from and studied alongside Sid Grossman, who would become his friend.
Stettner’s images demonstrate how every element of architecture and infrastructure shapes our experience with the city. Surely, the sweeping New York City skyline can inspire and intimidate at the same time, but the rattle of a subway or the rustling of newspapers may just be as defining to the city’s aura. While these aren’t caught by Stettner’s camera, the dynamic nature of his pictures somehow captures the entire atmosphere—and yet, they are also a snapshot of the each subject’s inner world.
“Why is Louis Stettner not a household name? When we think of twentieth-century photography, a number of greats come to mind—Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, to mention but a few,” writes Katz in the opening essay. “But the name of Louis Stettner is less frequently invoked, and then perhaps only by academics and scholars of the history of photography. Stettner is a major photographer, worthy of continued study and exhibition, but his profile and position within the public imagination rarely match his talent, his originality, and his contributions to the development of the photographic art. As he liked to say of himself, ‘I am the world’s best-known unknown photographer.’”
While Stettner is best known for his black-and-white photography, the curating team also included some of Stettner’s images in color, many of which were previously unpublished and unknown. Together with his more well-known images, Louis Stettner paints a full picture of a legendary photographer—and hopes to put him in the spotlight he deserves. You can order a copy of Louis Stettner on Bookshop.
Thames & Hudson has published a monograph honoring photographer Louis Stettner’s storied career.
Courtesy of Thames & Hudson
The book, simply titled Louis Stettner, features about 190 photographs arranged chronologically.
Concentric Circles, Construction Site, New York, 1952 © Louis Stettner Estate
Pepe & Tony, Spanish Fishermen, Ibiza, Spain, 1956 © Louis Stettner Estate
Guiding the expedition through Stettner’s work is the insightful commentary of authors Sally Martin Katz, David Campany, Karl Orend, and James Iffland.
Commuters, Evening Train, Penn Station, New York, 1958 © Louis Stettner Estate
Stettner’s images show how every element of architecture and infrastructure shapes how we experience the city.
Boulevard de Clichy, Paris, 1951 © Louis Stettner Estate
Self-Portrait, Santiago, Chile, 2000–2001 © Louis Stettner Estate
The dynamic nature of his pictures somehow captures the entire atmosphere—and yet, they are also a snapshot of each subject’s inner world.
Women from Texas, Fifth Avenue, New York, 1975 © Louis Stettner Estate
Nancy Listening to Jazz, Greenwich Village, New York, 1958 © Louis Stettner Estate
Woman Holding Newspaper, New York, 1946 © Louis Stettner Estate
Mixing previously unpublished color images with his more well-known black and white works, Louis Stettner paints a full picture of a legendary photographer–and hopes to put him in the spotlight he deserves.
Train Station Near Málaga, Spain, 1951 © Louis Stettner Estate
Demonstrators on March in Support of United Farm Workers, New York, 1975– 1976 © Louis Stettner Estate
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Thames & Hudson Inc.
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