Saturday, July 26, 2008
Great New Book: Breach of Peace
Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders by Eric Etheridge was published last May and, if your local bookstore doesn't already have it on the shelf, you should ask them to order it. The book juxtaposes contemporary portraits of the original Freedom Riders with their mug shots from 1961, along with interviews and reflections about American culture then and now. Not only is that a unique idea, it's an aesthetic jolt to see the modern nuanced portraits side-by-side with the older shots, often stark and badly lit but, nevertheless, heroic. The book raises questions about the uses of photography, the uses of memory, and the importance of documentary photography to capture the essence of a moment. The book contains more than 100 modern portraits/interviews and says as much about 21st century America as it does about the 1960's.
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3 comments:
This book is a great idea. Something like this should be done for every social justice movement.
I think there is another new book out called "Road to Freedom." What do you think of that book and in what ways is it different from "Breach of Peace?" Maybe I'm confused and these are the same book? Please clarify...
I think the other book--Road to Freedom--was published in conjunction with a gallery exhibit to mark the 40th anniversary of the murders of King and RFK. The images it contains are familiar ones from the time--probably photos you've seen before. Still, it's great to have them all in one book. So, no, this is not the same book as Breach of Peace, which contains individual photos of the Freedom Riders, "then" and now.
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