Bystander: A History of Street Photography
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Photography, Publishing |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Colin Westerbeck, Joel Meyerowitz |
| Products | Book on street photography |
Bystander: A History of Street Photography is a 1994 publication authored by Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz. This work presents an exploration of street photography through a combination of essays and visual examples, emphasizing influential figures, stylistic developments, and evolving trends. The book underwent revisions and expansions in 2001 and again in 2017.
Book content
Bystander delivers a sequential survey of street photography across Europe and America. The written portion, crafted by Westerbeck, delves into subjects such as the moral considerations involved in capturing images of human distress and the influence photographs exert on societal viewpoints. Critic Blake Andrews highlights Westerbeck’s focus on the intrinsic qualities that make street photography appealing—its straightforwardness, approachability, sincerity, and open-ended intentions—which stand in contrast to dominant currents within the art world. Meyerowitz was responsible for selecting the photographic material, which features extensive image galleries.
The initial 1994 edition showcases photographers from the late 1800s through the 20th century, including Eugène Atget, 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, Lucien Aigner, William Klein, Dan Weiner, Saul Leiter, Jeff Mermelstein, Alex Webb, Martin Parr, Harry Gruyaert, Peter Kayafas, and Meyerowitz himself.
In the 2001 update, a new afterword was included addressing street photography developments since the 1970s, alongside additions of contemporary photographers such as Melanie Einzig and Gus Powell. The 2017 revision involved a complete rewrite by Westerbeck, reassessing historical content and incorporating artists like Richard Bram, Maciej Dakowicz, Vivian Maier, Trent Parke, Matt Stuart, and Nick Turpin. This edition also introduced a chapter examining changes since 1994 and explored the effects of digital technology on the genre.
Reviews
Blake Andrews remarked that both the 1994 and 2001 editions of Bystander offered a distinctive historical and scholarly context for street photography, setting them apart from predominantly contemporary-focused collections. He commended Meyerowitz’s photographic selections as insightful and illuminating. Concerning the 2017 version, Andrews noted that although street photography has experienced rapid growth, the book largely remains a survey centered on European and white male photographers, leaving many areas insufficiently addressed. Nonetheless, he affirmed that Bystander continues to be an indispensable resource for practitioners of street photography.
Publication details
- Bystander: A History of Street Photography. Boston; London: Bulfinch, 1994; ISBN 0-82121-755-0. London: Thames & Hudson; ISBN 9780500541906. By Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz. Hardcover.
- Bystander: A History of Street Photography: with a new afterword on street photography since the 1970s. Boston; London: Bulfinch, 2001. By Westerbeck and Meyerowitz. ISBN 9780821217559. Revised paperback edition with expansions.
- Bystander: A History of Street Photography. London: Laurence King, 2017. By Westerbeck and Meyerowitz. ISBN 978-1-78627-066-5. Revised and expanded hardcover edition.