A man of the highest caliber.

Go to the web site of Walter Rosenblum and you will find this description in his bio:

“Walter Rosenblum has been a photographer for fifty years, as well as an important figure in the advancement of twentieth century photography. His early involvement with photography began when he was seventeen years old, when he joined the Photo League where he met Lewis Hine and studied with Paul Strand.

As a World War II U.S. Army combat photographer, Rosenblum landed in Normandy on D-Day morning. There, he joined the anti-tank battalion that drove through France, Germany and Austria; he took the first motion picture footage of the Dachau concentration camp. Rosenblum was one of the most decorated WWII photographers, receiving the Silver Star, Bronze Star, five battle stars, a Purple Heart and a Presidential Unit Citation. The Simon Weisenthal Center has honored him as a liberator of Dachau in WWII.”

Rosenblum’s street photography, frequently dealing with the poor, is exceptionally sensitive and introspective. As the son of immigrant parents brought up in a cold water apartment in the slums of the lower East side, it’s little wonder that he had empathy with the poor people whome he portrayed. The words ‘classical pictorial photojournalism’ come to mind as an apt description of his Å“uvre.

His book is available from Amazon – click the image below to go there:

Click for Amazon.

The images are well printed, with satisfying richness. The book includes a fine history of social conscience photography from Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine through the FSA and Rosenblum, written by the photographer’s wife, Naomi Rosenblum.

Recommended for all fans of quality street photojournalism.

While the book is out of print, used copies remain available. My mint copy cost $50.

For more in this genre see also the work of Helen Levitt.