Magnum Streetwise: The Ultimate Collection of Street Photography

An unmissable tour through the photographs and practices that have helped define what street photography is.

Ambitious in scope, democratic in nature, Magnum Streetwise is an unmissable tour through the photographs and practices that have helped define what street photography is and can be. Magnum photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson pioneered ‘modern’ concepts of street photography before the term was even coined. But their influence is far from historic. A rich seam of street photography runs through the heart of Magnum to this day, both in the work of recognized masters of street photography – such as Erwitt, Parr, Gilden and Kalvar – and of those who might not even consider themselves street photographers; a continued influence that has not gone unnoticed among the current generation of budding street photographers and fans.

Magnum Streetwise is a true visual feast, interleaving insightful texts and anecdotes within an intuitive blend of photographer- and theme-based portfolios, exploring not only the work of outstanding photographers, but how common subject matter (places of leisure, marketplaces, travel) and locations (Paris, New York, Tokyo) have been addressed, conceptually and practically, across the agency and through the ages. Magnum Streetwise is an essential addition to the bibliography of street photography, showcasing hidden gems alongside many of the genre’s most famous images.

'This book delves into the archive and presents us with unparalleled works by photographers including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bruce Gilden and Christopher Anderson'
Monocle

'McLaren has excelled in presenting to us many previously unpublished images alongside portfolios from less known members … Magnum Streetwise offers an excellent overview as well as a tantalising glimpse of what other treasures are in store'
Cellophaneland

'Informative, visually compelling and genuinely exciting to thumb through, it’s a substantial tome that illuminates the work of some of street photography’s masters'
Creative Review

'Image-driven but with passages of text that offer insight into featured photographers’ practices, the book whisks readers off on a tour through history and across many parts of the world'
Royal Photographic Society Journal

About the Author

Stephen McLaren is a photographer, writer and curator based in Los Angeles. He is the co-author of three previous Thames & Hudson titles: Street Photography Now, Photographers’ Sketchbooks and Family Photography Now.