Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Photos with Bite

Take a look at the selections from the Stanley Burns photo archive, pictured here in slideshow form. Burns was an opthalmologist  who collected unusual photos -- many of them documenting important events (like the presentation of the Emancipation Proclamation) or unusual people. (Or, even more importantly, miscarriages of justice.)
    Dr. Burns recognized, back in the 1970s, that few people were collecting photos of the different cultural groups in the U.S., as well as "dark" images about jails, medical conditions, lynchings, and so on. He decided to do something about it, eventually amassing more than 70,000 images. (More about Dr. Burns and his collection here.)
    Take a moment to page through some of the photos in the archive -- good, memorable stuff here. (Beware: some of these photos are creepy and unsettling -- and some show nudes. Stay away from the medical photos, if these are issues for you.)

No comments:

Figures...