Consuelo Kanaga

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A substantial new appraisal of Consuelo Kanaga (1894–1978), one of the pioneers of modern American photography

Consuelo Kanaga (1894–1978) was one of the pioneers of modern American photography. Beginning her career in 1915 as a photojournalist for the San Francisco Chronicle, Kanaga quickly became a highly skilled darkroom technician, developing a distinctly artistic aesthetic style inspired by the photography of Alfred Stieglitz. Over the next six decades, she produced beautifully composed images over a wide range of subjects, characterized by an abiding interest in the social conflicts of her time including urban poverty, workers’ rights, racial segregation and prevailing inequality. She became especially known for her emotional and introspective portraits of African Americans, which combined modernist formal technique and radical documentary commentary.

Featuring 200 photographs from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, this substantial new appraisal of Consuelo Kanaga’s work establishes her place as one of America’s most vital 20th-century photographers.

Published to accompany a major touring exhibition from 2024–2026 at Fundación MAPFRE, Barcelona; Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco; and Brooklyn Museum, New York.
Extent: 280 pp
Format: Quarterbound (no jacket)
Illustrations: 150
Publication date: 2024-10-03
Size: 28.0 x 24.0 cm
ISBN: 9780500028360
‘Catch the Spirit: Worker Photography, Race, and Portraiture’, Drew Sawyer • ‘Blackness, Beauty, and Desirability’, Shalon Parker • ‘Photographing the Faces of Others: Consuelo Kanaga in Tunisia and San Francisco, 1927–1932’, Ellen Macfarlane • ‘'More Interested in Living': Consuelo Kanaga and Her Circle of Friends’, Shana Lopes • Catalogue and plates • List of Works

Press Reviews

Witness the stirring immediacy of Kanaga’s documentation of race, gender and class struggles in 20th-century America so richly produced on these pages
The RPS Journal

Kanaga’s might not be a name you’re already familiar with, but this is a book which comes highly recommended for those with an interest in 20th-century American photography
Amateur Photography

The range of Kanaga’s work is quite extraordinary. Many of her images are … powerful testaments to her keen eye, deep humanity and empathy with her subjects
Morning Star

Brings long-overdue recognition to one of modern American photography’s pioneers… and highlights Kanaga’s profound contributions to 20th-century photography. Through her lens, Kanaga captured a career spanning six decades, exploring social conflicts of her time, including urban poverty, racial segregation, workers’ rights, and inequality
Digital Camera World

About the Authors

Drew Sawyer is an art historian and a curator, currently the Sondra Gilman Curator of Photography at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Shalon Parker is Professor of Art at Gonzaga University, Washington. Ellen Macfarlane is a PhD candidate in the Department of Art & Archaeology, Princeton University. Shana Lopes is Assistant Curator of Photography at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).

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