I

n 1955 Edward Steichen collaborated with a group of photographers to develop an

extensive photographic work called The Family of Man. This work sought to show
the gamut of life from birth to death with emphasis on the daily relationship of man to
himself, to his family, to the community and to the world we live in (Steichen). According to Steichen,
the exhibition represented the culmination of his career. The 508 photos by 273 photographers in 68
countries were selected from almost 2 million pictures submitted by famous and unknown photographers.
[1] These photos offer a striking snapshot of the human experience, which
lingers on birth, love, and joy, but also touches war, privation, illness
and death. His intention was to prove visually the universality of human
experience and photographys role in its documentation. The display was
not intended to be about the ethnicity of the people photographed but rather
their humanity.
To begin the exploration of the human experience there must be
acknowledgement of the common elements that draws man together. The
title, The Family of Man is therefore beftting, as the requirement for man
reproduce, birth must be initiated between a man and a woman. The essentials therefore to create
a family (traditional context) must include a male and female species. Specifcally the male and
female creature must be human to be considered a part of the family of man. The exploration of
mans humanity requires the understanding and realization that we all are human and belongs to one
species defned as Homo sapiens. Human being:
A man, woman, or child of the species Homo
sapiens, distinguished from other animals by
superior mental development, power of articulate
speech, and upright stance (Google). The title,
The Family of Man was pulled from the Genesis
5, with additional references to Genesis 3:2, and
2. These references open the exhibition to faith
based and academic criticism.
In the same year The Family Of Man was released America was experiencing signifcant
racial turmoil, Rosa Park would refuse to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, sparking a
massive boycott
1
and fueling the Civil Rights Movement efforts for change in
America, turmoil that was created by the confict of ideologies. One side of
the confict to continue the separation of black and white people in American
society, and the other to end segregation.
1952 - The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 removes
racial and ethnic barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen. In Russia a
large earthquake destroyed Kamchatka
1953 - Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are electrocuted for their part in
W.W.II espionage.
1953 - Fighting ends in Korea.
1954 - U. S. Senator Joseph McCarthy begins televised hearings into
alleged Communists in the army.
1954 - Racial segregation is ruled unconstitutional in public schools
by the U.S. Supreme Court.
1955 - Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus in
Montgomery, Alabama. (Google)
The necessity to create or maintain the distinction of race is where I believe
the initial exercise of racial separation begins. Human defnes the collective
group of Homo sapiens; Race attempts to separate the collective into
groups of ethnic classifcations. The Family of Man exhibition expressed
a unity among the worlds people that went beyond political differences
(Unknown). Political differences I believe are sometimes not driven by
peoples experience but instead, by media and sometimes propaganda. The
writer states that the purpose of this exhibit was to inspire hope, and to
assist people in the recovery from the upheaval of World War II (Unknown).
Steichen hoped that The Family Of Man would illustrate the essential
oneness of mankind throughout the world. Aiming to highlight human
consciousness rather than social consciousness (Unknown). In other
words Steichen hoped that the photography could initiate individual change
and the individual change would occur on a large enough scale to initiate or
ignite social change.
In Steichens effort to show the universality of man, and refect mans
humanity, he missed the opportunity to refect the humanity of the Americans
pushing for civil rights.
The issue of humanity is colored historically by the sin of slavery.
Webster defnes race as a group of person related by common descent,
blood or heredity or a group of tribes or peoples forming an ethnic stock
(Dictionary). Ethnic is defned as pertaining to or characteristic of a people,
to speech or culture group, referring to the origin, and classifcation of such
groups (Dictionary); these defnitions however provide more obscurity
than clarity. If the racial distinction of common descent were to be
measured against the ethnic value culture group would the labels then be
the same? If I were born in Jamaica then Jamaican would be my culture
group, it follows as well that because I share a common descent with over
two million other people this is also my ethnicity. The characteristics of
the American culture is also very distinctive, the pattern of speech, and the
ethnic classifcation of Americans, Jewish (Religion), Black (color), Pacifc
Islander (geographic location), Native American Indian (Historical and
Scientifc), but the separation between race and ethnicity has not be clearly
and accurately defned. This list of ethnic classifcations should be available
in a quantifable list, in my research however, I was not able to fnd a list
that was not skewed. Any attempts at defnitions contained a mix of color,
geographic origin, nationality and gender. The defnition of race was the
same or very similar to the defnition of ethnicity. Race and ethnicity are
not historical or cultural, not genetic or biological (Hall). The label race
is often used to provide an identity and the characteristics associated with
these identities. The racial identity provided, should provide the subject
with a group within which a common set of characteristics are shared. Race
does not adjust for individuality (Hall).
In the documentary, The Human Tree, it was noted that the
specifcation or classifcation of race was not measureable and quantifable
Human being: A man,
woman, or child of the
species Homo sapiens,
distinguished from oth-
er animals by superior
mental development,
power of articulate
speech, and upright
stance (Google).
through DNA. Anthropologist Spencer Wells stated as one-generation
transitions to the next, there are markers structured within our DNA that tells
the geographic origination of our ancestry; race is not structured within our
DNA (National Geographic). What then is the origin of race? And how
was race interjected into the family of man?
The simplest context of a bonded group of people is the concept
of family. The family unit can be simple, complex or complicated. The
traditional form of the human is a man, woman and child. The theological
depiction of a family begins with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (The
New King James Bible). Adam, whose name means man, is representative of
the frst man and the father of all nations. Spencer Wells of the Genographic
states, the human family tree begins in Africa because Africa has the most
variety in genetic sequencing (National Geographic). Wells also notes
that within our genetic structure we all share the same originating genetic
structure, in essence, we are all related, originating from Adam and Eve.
This is not to say that in the beginning of time there was a single man and
woman, but that Adam man, and Eve - woman
2
, are representative of the
foundation of the family of man. The Steichen exhibit does depict some
of mans humanity; but also is strongly skewed towards the ethnic or racial
depiction of a single group, using the separator of color. The images of people
of color ft into the common stereotypes associated with these groups. In
fact, the stereotypes are typical of the labels associated with being black in
America. Roland Barthes states, The photographic image is not a message
without a code (Hall). If the message of the visual image is race, than what
is the code associated to the message of race?
Racism is human behavior against another human being as an act or
demonstration of superiority. Acts of racism are a function of human behavior
and therefore are a condition of the heart. Ethnicity and culture are two
of the values repurposed, attached, or used to justify acts of superiority. In
America, the media representation of race tends to lend itself to be an issue
of black and white. What does it mean to be black in America? The
common labels associated with being black are:
Athletic
Lazy
Overt Sexuality
Poor
Unintelligent
2 Referring to the biblical defnition of family
If the racial distinc-
tion of common
descent were to be
measured against the
ethnic value culture
group would the la-
bels then be the same?
Excluded
Violent
Uneducated
Broken Families
Black is considered the classifcation of all other groups, being a white man
is therefore an idea and a reality. To be white meant specifc judgments,
evaluations and gestures. It was a form of authority before which nonwhites
and even whites themselves were expected to bend (Said). The representation
of otherness is very often shown in the context of good versus evil. Action
movies have regularly shown the white man as conqueror over all other
groups. The other groups are all often shown as the Muslim terrorist, the
black ghetto youth and the wife beating, angry Hispanic man. For example
Steven Segal, in Marked for Death delivers in single-handed stereotypical
fashion the destruction of the evil other groups invading and destroying the
white way of life.
William Cohen writes as a nation of immigrants most of Americas
ancestors came here for a better life, Africans however, arrived in chains to
make a better life for others. We have been unable to discuss the horrors of
the enslavement, lynching, segregation and degradation of some Americans
without prompting resentment and indifference (Cohen). DeTocqueville,
wrote, the abolition of slavery will not eliminate racial prejudice, it is
immovable (DeTocqueville). As previously noted, racism is a heart and mind
condition, if the human heart could love everyone and the mind accept all
differences, then human conficts would not exist and the disease of racism
would be nonexistent. In his 2008 speech on race, then Senator Obama
states, And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves
from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their
full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. His statement
supports DeTocquevilles view in stating in declaring the immovability of
racism.
There are also physical characteristics associated with being black,
the kinky hair, thick lips, fat nose, dark skin, and wider hips which is in
direct contrast of the features of being white. In the series, Am I Nothing
but Black, Myra Greene examines the stereotypical physical characteristics
associated with being black. She writes, Tainted with the visual history
of American slavery, these images point directly to the features of race.
Thick lips and nose, and dark skinned; these contemporary studies link the
view to a complicated historical past. While the process of wet plate codes
the body in this work, the body is able to speak back. Through small facial
.... being a white man
is therefore an idea
and a reality.
gestures the body reacts and rejects these modes and ways of classifcation
(Greene). Greene creates an individual effort to change the perception of
the constructed label of black.
While these images may be specifc to the physical features Greene
possesses they do not speak or represent everyone that is supposed to
fall under the umbrella of being black, the images provided speak to the
stereotypes and the provided identity associated with being black. These
physical features have always been depicted in a negative context, because
they are not the characteristics of being white, they have been measured
and metered as unattractive. These images are in direct opposition to the
representation of beauty from the fashion industry.
The intent and focus of the project by Steichen was not intended to
address the social issues of America or any other culture, but the title provides
space for interpretation and analysis. The family of man is by defnition all-
inclusive, the label does not exclude on the basis of ethnicity, culture, or
race. However, my analysis of this exhibition based on the time period in
America, concerns the missing or excluded elements in the representation
of others. Of the 508 photographs presented, more information is presented
about white humanity than about the otherness of the other
cultures presented, and for the majority of the images the
context is softer for white, harder and harsher for black
representation. In examining the images below, a curiosity
develops within me regarding the hunting metaphor that
appears with the image on the left. The image shows a man
presumably a father, holding his baby carefully with both
hands. This implies safety and security for this white child,
while with the image on the right, there is a black man literally
hunting with his son at his left. The open feld and wildness of
the environment provide a sense of exposure. The nakedness
of father and son reveals and depicts their exposure to the
environment. The images shows the cultural differences between the two
men and their children, and the differences in the types of provision granted
by each father to his child. I also believe that the side-by-side placement
of these images pushes one to appear more primitive and the other more
civilized.
(Steichen)
My speculation is that Steichen like so many other people were and
are comfortable with the status quo. America during the period before 1955
3
,
needed the government to intervene to desegregate schools, the action by
the government was met with violence, anger and resentment. The act of
inclusion was and is not a naturally occurring phenomenon. Steichen like
3 Te southern American states this proves to be extremely true
many of his predecessors were guilty of seeing and emphasizing the cultural
differences by imperial standards. An example of this was Barton, who
painted over the lines of skin art that appeared on the bodies of the local
women in Papua Guinea and would also etch lines into the glass used to
print photographs so that the subjects would lose the softer more supple
appearance and instead appear coarser and harsher (Wright).
Another example of the technique mentioned above, can be seen in
the images shown below. In the visual aesthetics of both images, the white
woman is well groomed, and her hair is well coiffed. The person of wealth
fts the role and connotations of her assigned identity; she needs nothing
and is provided for. In contrast the woman providing the representation of
otherness appears to be in need of many things.
Her hair is disheveled, her skin and face has signs
of aging, and again the appearance of exposures is
implied with the context of her skin. The jewelry
being fondled by the child provides additional details
of the attributes and values that separate these two
women. Both images when juxtaposed provide the
diptych of wealth and poverty.
Steichen in this selection reinforces the
established standards for beauty and care. The
values of poverty and exclusions are reinforced
and maintained within the environmental details
provided within the images as well. The mother in
the image on the right appears to be in need of care,
which implies the inability to care for, or provide for
her own child. (Steichen)
Even when the context is changed the subject
of mother and child is still shown with harshness,
coarseness and exclusion. The mother in the image
below appears despondent and oppressed, not only
does she appear to be without the essentials, but the
harsh nature of the lightening of the image makes
her face appear darker, thinner haggard very much
the opposite of anything beautiful. Even with her
children around her she appears even sadder and distraught. (Steichen)
In comparison to the image below, this woman seems to be experiencing joy
and has the opportunity to be engaged in the moment and the experience
the joy of being a mother.
(Steichen)
These two images work well together to depict the measures of beauty, and
the differences in experience for those within the inclusive range of society,
and those on the excluded perimeter, where the
perception of entitlement becomes ingrained into
the message and point of the image.
While the intent of this work is not for reason of
activism, it does fall into the trap of visualizing the
typical elements of speaking to the issue of otherness.
I could argue that no one would in 1955 care to
provide a richer or a different perspective of the
everyday common life of others, and that the point of
maintaining this familiar context was intentional and
expected. The images together maintain the belief of
a superior white lifestyle and the inferior black or
other way of life. The ability to separate ourselves
from the conditions of anothers environment is not
only selfsh and indifferent; it is not behavior that can
be sustained. The act of separation only lasts until
there is the impact of a personal tragedy. The separation of race also falls
along the lines of wealth and poverty and within our current environment
images of global poverty affecting poor black families are prevalent. Racial
neutrality in a cultural, political and familial context is not an achievable
goal for any document or cultural artifact. The Family of Man exhibit had
ambitious social goals of forming a more perfect union through images
on a different kind
of paper but lack the
power to execute the
social changes desired.

Cohen. Black in America 2. 2011 21-11 <www.cnn.com>.
DeTocqueville, Alexis. Democracy In America. 2011 18-11.
Dictionary, Websters Unabridged.
Google. 2011 24-11 <www.google.com>.
Greene, Myra. <http://www.edelmangallery.com/AIPAD2011/Greene/Greene.
htm>.
Hall, Stuart. Different. New York: Phaidon, 2001.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. Random House, 1979.
Steichen, Edward. The Family of Man. New York: The Museum of Modern Art,
2010.
The Human Tree. National Geographic. National Geographic. 2009.
The New King James Bible. n.d.
Unknown. Todd Stewarts Photography. The Common Man & The End Of Uto-
pia. 23 11 2011 <www.toddstewartphotography.net>.
Wright, Christopher. Supple Bodies. Pinney, Christopher. Photographies Other
Histories. n.d. 149.