Women, Workers, and Race in LIFE Magazine

The tension between social reform photography and photojournalism is examined through this study of the life and work of German émigré Hansel Mieth (1909-1998), who made an unlikely journey from migrant farm worker to Life photographer. By drawing upon a rich array of primary sources, including Mieth's unpublished memoir, oral histories, and labor archives, the book seeks to unravel the multi-layered, often contested stories of the photographer's life and work. It will be of interest to scholars of photography history, women's studies, visual culture, and media history.