Black Star: 60 Years of Photojournalism

Konemann, 1998. Illustrated. Hard cover. Very Good/Good. Black Star's catalogue of photos reflects the diversity of themes found in the history of photojournalism: from the International Brigade of the Spanish civil war to the misery of Rwandan refugees in a Zairean camp; from the Stone Age tribes living in the Philippine rain forest to the criminal gangs in the jungle of Los Angeles. Black Star's immortal photographs rage from a tramp sleeping on a Parisian shop window ledge to the back rooms of the Bank of England. No journey was too long or too arduous, no situation too dangerous. Black Star, also known as Black Star Publishing Company, was started by refugees from Germany who had established photographic agencies there in the 1930s. Today it is a New York City-based photographic agency with offices in London and in White Plains, New York. It is known for photojournalism, corporate assignment photography and stock photography services worldwide. It is noted for its contribution to the history of photojournalism in the United States. It was the first privately owned picture agency in the United States, and introduced numerous new techniques in photography and illustrated journalism. The agency was closely identified with Henry Luce's magazines Life and Time.