People do read, everywhere in the world. Notice that none of the persons in these images are reading on a phone or a computer. I like that, and I like reading. I´d rather read the book instead of seeing a movie from the book. Then I am doing the interpretations and I am setting the cast. My imagination is working for me.
A new book brings together Steve McCurry’s photos of readers, spanning 30 countries. From a steelworks in Serbia to a classroom in Kashmir, they reveal the power of the printed word.
Without the word, without the writing of books, there is no history, there is no concept of humanity.
Back in 1930, Hesse argued that “We need not fear a future elimination of the book. On the contrary, the more that certain needs for entertainment and education are satisfied through other inventions, the more the book will win back in dignity and authority. For even the most childish intoxication with progress will soon be forced to recognise that writing and books have a function that is eternal.”
Many years ago I was given a book with the mentioned André Kertész reading images, and that book is still one of my favorites. Thank you Bruno!
I found the article at BBC. All images are © Steve McCurry.
This book came out in 1975, and I understand that an original in a larger format was released in 1971.