Photography in the Twentieth Century edited by Nathan Lyons.

An Exhibition Prepared for the National Gallery of Canada by the George Eastman House. Horizon Press, 1967. [High quality illustrations by a who's who in photography, including Berenice Abbott, Ansel Adams, Manuel Alvarez-Bravo, Diane Arbus, Ruth Bernhard, Werner Bischof, Margaret Bourke-White, Bill Brandt, Brassai, Annie Brigman, et al.]  Plain green cloth binding, fine. No dust jacket. Note: this book is usually found with a black binding.  Summary:

Photography in the Twentieth Century, edited by influential curator, educator, and photographer Nathan Lyons, is a seminal publication issued in 1967. The book was prepared by the George Eastman House in collaboration with Horizon Press to accompany a major exhibition of the same name at the National Gallery of Canada.

Rather than a dense narrative text, the book functions primarily as a monumental visual anthology and exhibition catalog. Here is a concise summary of its core purpose and structure:

1. A Blueprint of Modern Masterpieces

The book serves as a "who's who" survey of the evolution of photographic art up to the late 1960s. It features high-quality reproductions from the world's most influential photographers, tracking how the medium transitioned from a documentary tool into a distinct, high-art form.

Featured masters include:

• Ansel Adams and Edward Weston

• Berenice Abbott, Brassaï, and Bill Brandt

• Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, and Lee Friedlander

• Dorothea Lange and Margaret Bourke-White

2. Photography as a Visual Language

A central theme reflecting Nathan Lyons’s broader philosophy is the concept of visual literacy. Through the strategic arrangement of the images, the book demonstrates how photographs communicate differently than written language. It highlights how sequencing, framing, and juxtaposition create new meanings beyond the individual frame.

3. Redefining the Aesthetic Landscape

By showcasing emerging mid-century photographers alongside early 20th-century pioneers, the book captures a turning point in photo history. It contrasts the pristine "fine print" tradition with the raw, spontaneous "snapshot aesthetic" that redefined American photography in the 1960s.

In Short: Photography in the Twentieth Century is a landmark mid-century curation that maps the shifting aesthetic boundaries of photographic art. It serves as an essential historical record of how photography claimed its independence as a complex, self-sufficient visual language.