Photo League
New York 1936-1951
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Jewish Museum
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Address:
Joods Cultureel Kwartier
Postbus 16737
1001 RE Amsterdam
Armed with cameras, the Photo League, a collective active in New York, used radical photography as a tool for social justice. They documented marginalised communities and exposed the harsh realities of the big city.
In an earlier era of economic crisis, migration, and social inequality, the members of the Photo League – composed largely of women and Jewish photographers – took to the streets to capture images of marginalised groups. Black communities in New York were particularly connected to the League’s Jewish members through shared experiences of racism and exclusion. With an artistic eye and political awareness, the Photo League portrayed people in an intimate way, showing empathy and personal connection through their photography. The innovative perspectives and techniques developed by the Photo League sparked discussions about social inequality and discrimination – topics that were still uncommon at that time.
Image: Walter Rosenblum, Boy On Roof, Pitt Street, New York, 1938 | © Rosenblum Photography Collection, Courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York.