Camera, February 1973, Volume 52, No. 2. Group f/64.

The Henry Swift Collection of the San Francisco Museum of Art. Edited by Allan Porter. Essay by John Humphrey on the evolution of the Swift Collection. Swift, an avid amateur photographer,  a friend and collector of Edward Weston, collected Weston's work in the 1920s and together with Weston was an original member of Group f/64. After Swift's death in 1962, his widow Florence, Imogen Cunningham, and others enhanced the collection with additional Group f/64 works and presented it to SF/MoMA. This issue of Camera contains choice full-page reproductions of the work of Group f/64 members, including Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, John Paul Edwards, Preston Holder, Dorothea Lange, Alma Lavenson, Sonia Noskowiak, Peter Stackpole, Henry Swift, Willard Van Dyke, Brett Weston, and Edward Weston. Also biography of Eadweard Muybridge by Timo Tauno Pajunen, part 2. Fine condition. Summary:

The February 1973 issue of Camera (Volume 52, No. 2) is a landmark historical edition that pays homage to the roots of American West Coast photography. By focusing on the Group f/64 and the Henry Swift Collection, the issue celebrates the "Straight Photography" movement that redefined the medium in the 1930s.

The Henry Swift Collection and Group f/64

The core of this issue is dedicated to the legacy of Group f/64, the influential collective founded in San Francisco in 1932. The magazine showcases images from the collection of Henry Swift, a founding member and stockbroker who was instrumental in supporting the group. The portfolio highlights the movement's aesthetic signature:

• Maximum Depth of Field: Using the smallest aperture (f/64) to ensure sharp focus from the foreground to the background.

• Pure Photography: A total rejection of Pictorialism (the imitation of paintings) in favor of clear, unmanipulated images of reality.

• Featured Artists: The issue includes definitive work by the group's masters, including Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Willard Van Dyke, Sonya Noskowiak, and John Paul Edwards.

Eadweard Muybridge Bibliography (Part Two)

Continuing from a previous volume, this issue features the second installment of a comprehensive bibliography of Eadweard Muybridge.

• This scholarly addition documents the life and technical achievements of the man who pioneered motion studies and the zoopraxiscope.

• It provides an essential reference for researchers interested in the transition from still photography to cinematography.

Historical Significance

Editor Allan Porter uses this issue to bridge the gap between 19th-century scientific innovation (Muybridge) and 20th-century artistic purity (f/64). By showcasing the Henry Swift Collection, the magazine provides a rare glimpse into the private archive of a man who was both a patron and a participant in one of photography's most vital eras. The issue highlights texture, form, and the technical precision of the large-format camera.