50 12 October 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
AilsaMcWhinnie,
Featuresco-editor
‘Girlwithabirdcage,
Harlem’,1966,
byBruceDavidson
I’mnotsureit’s
possibleforme
tohavean
all-time
favourite
photograph,asmytastes
arenotoriouslybroad.Fickle,somemaysay.However,I
regularlyreturntoBruce
Davidson’sEast100th
Streetasa particularly
memorablebodyof work,
andthisimageis fromit.
Numerousphotographers
headedtoHarlemtotake
picturesaroundthistime,
butDavidson– a memberof
theMagnumPhotosagency- didn’tsimplyparachutein
andout.Hereturned,again
andagain,gainingthetrust
of thepeoplewholivedin
thisacutelydeprivedarea,
andbeingallowedintotheir
homes.Thereis somuchto
absorbfromthisoneframe.
Whilethebirdis trappedin
itscage,thegirlalsoappears
trappednotonlybythebars
onthewindow,butalsothe
povertyshehasbeenborn
into.Theproximityof the
wallontheothersideof thealleyis almostsuffocating.
Thenthere’stherather-too-
bigdress– quitepossiblya
hand-me-down.It’shard
nottoassumeherposeis
oneof inertiaandsadness,
butthetruthis wewill
neverknow.Thesceneis
fullof theempathyand
humanitythatimbuesall
theimagesin thiscollection,
andthat’swhatkeepsit
relevanttoday.© BRUCE DAVIDSON /MAGNUM PHOTOS
© GRAPHICA ARTIS / GETT Y IMAGES