DASNOY (Philippe). - Lot 77

DASNOY (Philippe). Twenty Million Immigrants: New York 1880–1914 in Photographs. Paris / Brussels, Elsevier Sequoia, “Documents Témoins / Photos” series, [circa 1978]. Quarto, publisher’s cardboard binding with illustrated dust jacket. First edition of this important documentary work devoted to the great wave of immigration that transformed the United States between 1880 and 1914. Through a rich collection of period photographs, often drawn from major American archival collections, Philippe Dasnoy chronicles the arrival of nearly twenty million Europeans in New York, primarily via Ellis Island, as well as their settlement in the working-class neighborhoods of Manhattan. The collection of images brings together the work of the great pioneers of American social photography, notably Jacob Riis, Lewis W. Hine, and numerous anonymous photographers, offering an exceptional record of the conditions of the crossing, health inspections, immigrant neighborhoods, work, family life, and the integration of the new arrivals. The book also serves as an excellent introduction to the history of documentary photography and social reportage. A richly illustrated volume in black and white, accompanied by a thorough historical essay that places the images within the economic, political, and human context of transatlantic immigration. Condition: dust jacket slightly yellowed with some scuffing, small tears, and signs of wear; interior very fresh and clean. A fine copy.