Synopsis
The years following World War II represented a turning point, both historically and personally, for a talented young photographer growing up in small-town Ohio. This collection of black and white photos from the archives of Michael Philip Manheim presents small-town life in the 1950s, as well as the start of his documentary vision. Manheim’s own lucid commentary on the era accompanies the images. With sympathetic but unsentimental attention, he documents the fascinating details of street scenes, dress and customs, faces and emotions of the era. These photographs allow the viewer to enter a different world, familiar to some and new to others. Some will react with a strong sense of nostalgia. For those who did not live through that period, the photos will enable a greater understanding of a time that was simpler, but had its own complications and prejudices. In capturing the small, vital moments of an America that was struggling to find itself after the upheaval of a world war, Manheim has also depicted the beginnings of his own personal growth as an artist.
About the Author
Michael Philip Manheim has been a professional photographer since 1969. He knew he had artistic skills, as a young teen, but needed an outlet. Violin, saxophone, tap dancing and oil painting lessons brought him within range, but frustrated. A chance encounter with photography, at the age of 13, locked him onto a life-long pursuit. Those were exciting years for technical advancements in photographic films and equipment. Creativity was frequently linked to the latest breakthroughs. Manheim explored, moved past a fascination with equipment, and learned to pick and choose his tools. He became caught up in the wonder of expanding the possibilities of the medium. His early work is journalistic, and those skills he developed in reflexively recording human nature resulted in the nostalgic images in this and other books. The same reflexive skills created an impressionistic series, as well, of multiple exposures that delve into a release of the inner self. Michael Philip Manheim’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States and in Germany, Greece and Italy. His work has been featured in magazines such as Zoom (U.S. and Italy), Photographers International (Taiwan), La Fotografia (Spain), Black and White (United States), Ballet-Tanz (Germany), and numerous other publications. His images both impressionistic and journalistic have won many awards. Manheim’s photographs are held in collections including the Library of Congress, the International Photography Hall of Fame, the National Archives, the Danforth Museum of Art, and the Bates College Museum of Art. He has been Artist in Residence at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. Manheim is based in the Boston area of Massachusetts.
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