Magnum Photos Now—Photobooks: History, Future, Form. Photobooks on Social and Political Conflict

From Henri Cartier-Bresson’s creative partnership with the publisher Robert Delpire, to Alec Soth’s experimental publishing house Little Brown Mushroom, the photobook as a means of expressing a body of work has been a critical preoccupation of Magnum’s membership since the agency’s inception in 1947.

As part of Magnum’s 70th anniversary celebration and in conjunction with the ICP Museum exhibition Magnum Manifesto, ICP hosted a special one-day photobook symposium with Martin Parr, Fred Ritchin, Susan Meiselas, and other Magnum photographers, critics, and publishers. Panels covered the history and future of photobooks, the photobook in relation to social and political conflict, and the trend of personal narratives invigorating the form.

Panel Discussions

• The Magnum Founders' First Books: moderated by Kristen Lubben, with Inge Bondi, Jinx Rodger, and Cynthia Young.
• Photobooks on Social and Political Conflict: moderated by Fred Ritchin, with Bruce Davidson, Susan Meiselas, and Larry Towell.
• Personal Narratives: moderated by Carole Naggar, with Michael Christopher Brown, Bieke Depoorter, and Sohrab Hura.
• The Future of Photobooks: moderated by Martin Parr, with Olivia Arthur, Lesley Martin, and Alec Soth.