Gary Saretzky Photo Books
35mm Photography, Spring 1978. Eddie Adams, Ted Cowell, Minor White, et al.
35mm Photography, Spring 1978. Eddie Adams, Ted Cowell, Minor White, et al.
Couldn't load pickup availability
Entire issue, VG- with moderate exterior wear, cover crimps, and one leaf with a corner crease. Features: Eddie Adams profile; self portraits by Carol DiGrappa, Suzanne Opton, and Linda Benedict-Jones; street photography by Ted Cowell; photos of Minor White by Abe Frajndlich; et al. Summary:
35mm Photography, Spring 1978, published during the peak of the analog SLR boom, is a standout issue of the dynamic technical and artistic magazine. It serves as a striking reflection of late-1970s visual culture, balancing hard-nosed, front-line photojournalism with deeply intimate, experimental, and psychological portraiture.
The Eddie Adams Profile
A major highlight of this issue is an extensive profile of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Eddie Adams.
-
Beyond the Combat Lens: While universally famous for his searing 1968 photograph of a Viet Cong execution, the profile explores the vast breadth of Adams’ career.
-
The Master Craftsman: The piece examines his relentless work ethic, his seamless transition between hard news and high-profile celebrity portraiture, and his technical command of the 35mm format under high-pressure conditions.
The Self-Portraiture Feature
The issue devotes significant editorial space to a fascinating thematic exploration of female self-identity and staging, featuring portfolios by Carol DiGrappa, Suzanne Opton, and Linda Benedict-Jones.
-
Internal Landscapes: Rather than traditional, passive portraiture, these three photographers use the camera as an active tool for introspection.
-
Through inventive staging, varied environments, and deeply personal framing, they challenge the traditional boundaries of how women document themselves and their shifting roles in society.
Abe Frajndlich’s Minor White Portfolios
One of the most historically valuable and poignant features in the magazine is a series of photographs of the legendary photographer and Aperture co-founder Minor White, taken by his close student and collaborator, Abe Frajndlich.
-
The Final Year: Captured in 1976 shortly before White’s death, these images are a preview of what would later become the acclaimed project Lives I've Never Lived.
-
Stripping the Mask: Frajndlich coaxes the deeply mystical, often enigmatic White into shedding his "grand old man of photography" persona. The photographs feature White playfully and vulnerably donning eccentric costumes, props, and personas—revealing a deeply human, theatrical, and intimate side to the master at the end of his life.
Street and Urban Visions
-
Ted Cowell: Representing the gritty, spontaneous core of the magazine's namesake format, Cowell contributes a portfolio of classic street photography. His work focuses on the kinetic geometry, unexpected human juxtapositions, and unposed theater of the urban landscape.
Significance
The Spring 1978 issue of 35mm Photography acts as a bridge between the highly technical "how-to" photo-magazines of the era and fine-art journals. By showcasing Eddie Adams' raw realism right alongside Abe Frajndlich’s psychological portraits of Minor White and the vanguard self-portraits of DiGrappa, Opton, and Benedict-Jones, the editors successfully illustrated that the 35mm camera was no longer just a tool for fast news—it was the ultimate instrument for personal, artistic liberation.
