Magnum Streetwise: The Ultimate Collection of Street Photography

The impulse to take candid, unrehearsed pictures in the public realm is the cornerstone of street photography and has been part of Magnum's DNA since its foundation in 1947

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.

Edited by Stephen McLaren, 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.

Explore over 300 of the greatest street photographs by more than 60 of Magnum’s legendary image-makers including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr, Martine Franck, Bruce Gilden and Susan Meiselas. 

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.