This week (and this week only!), you can get a limited-edition historic photo print at a reasonable price—and support the NAACP in the process.
The artist co-op Magnum Photos, in collaboration with Vogue, is putting more than 100 iconic contemporary and classic images—either signed by the photographer or stamped by the artist’s estate—up for purchase for $100, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the NAACP.
The endeavor, dubbed “Solidarity,” will run through 6 p.m. Aug. 2—and after that point, the 6×6" prints will not be available again.
“In a year of global societal and political upheaval that has seen the Black Lives Matter cause taken up around the world as well as hundreds of millions facing government restrictions on movement, this theme challenges participating photographers to reflect upon the power of togetherness in tumultuous times,” the initiative states. “While acknowledging the daunting divisions and fault lines running through society, the selection will examine a simultaneous human yearning for commune and connection, aiming to explore the strength of both the individual and collective, as well as the interdependence of peoples around the world in the face of adversity and oppression.”
Here are 10 of the available works, some with accompanying messages from the artists and estates. For more, head to Magnum.
ALTON & DILONE. Navy Pier, Montauk, New York. 2017.
The artist writes: “This image represents a moment of connection and togetherness. The power of connection and community, of valuing the other as much as we value ourselves, is necessary to combat both the coronavirus pandemic and the deep, systemic, and devastating racism that has been highlighted by this virus, which disproportionately affects BIPOC. If we can reflect upon the power of togetherness in these challenging and uncomfortable times, we can build collective power to bring all to the front of inclusion, supporting each other and amplifying the voices that have gone unheard.”
Offerings series (2019).
American political activist Angela Davis. Photographed by Philippe Halsman for the cover of her autobiography. USA. 1973.
The Estate of Philippe Halsman has selected the following quote from Angela Davis to accompany this photo:
You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.
Tell Your Friends to Pull Up. New York City. 2020.
The artist writes: “Through my artistic expression, I’ve learned about myself and was able to learn about others. My photography lets me tell stories, send but also transcend messages. My work connects me to who I am, where I come from, and most of all those around me. Pride is about celebrating our ability to stand up for ourselves. This year we are called upon [everyone] to stand up and against the violence and hate thrust onto so many Black and brown bodies. Attending the Black Trans Lives Matter March in Brooklyn was a moving, historical moment.”
Cyclists in the Rain. Shangai, China. 1993.
The artist writes: “For my text I choose the last stanza of a poem, 'Let There Be Peace,' by Lemn Sissay.”
Let there be peaceLet tears evaporate to form clouds, cleanse themselvesAnd fall into reservoirs of drinking water.Let harsh memories burst into fireworks that meltIn the dark pupils of a child’s eyesAnd disappear like shoals of silver darting fish,And let the waves reach the shore with aShhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The Selma March. Alabama, USA. 1965.
The artist writes: “This photograph was taken during the 1965 protest marches from Selma to the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. Martin Luther King Jr. led a group of African American, nonviolent marchers to exercise their constitutional right to vote, in defiance of segregationist repression. This was a watershed moment in the U.S. Civil Rights movement. I came across this young demonstrator, wrapped in a flag, protesting racism; behind him is Father Smith of San Antonio, a white Catholic priest who protested against injustice for most of his life.”
Anti-Apartheid Protest. Trafalgar Square, London, England. 1960.
The estate writes: “Fighting racism is a generational battle, and Philip was documenting the struggle 60 years ago. The Philip Jones Griffiths Foundation stands with BLM, the NAACP and all people pursuing equity of opportunity and equality in justice.”
American athletes Larry James, Lee Evans and Ron Freeman (left to right) on the winner’s podium for the 400-meter relay at the 1968 Olympic Games. Mexico City. 1968.
The artist writes: “Night has fallen, it is the month of October 1968. The crowd at the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City is full of joy. Tommie Smith and John Carlos have given their Black Power salutes, and now it is the turn of Lee Evans, Larry James and Ron Freeman to echo the gesture of protest and raise their fists at the 400-meter medal ceremony.”
Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger. 2019/1440.
President Barack Obama in the private dining room of the White House. Washington, DC. USA. 2016.
The artist writes: “It's hard not to be discouraged. I search for glimpses of hope that hate will not win out. As frustrated and angry as I am at the moment by the face of America, I do find comfort in the fact that it is still a place that could elect a man named Barack Hussein Obama. That means something. I am grateful that my children were able to witness that America. I am told that this was the last portrait that President Obama sat for in the White House (the occasion was for the cover of Wired magazine, and he was guest-editing the issue as a way to speak about his post-presidency interests). It feels a little silly to say that it was one of my more memorable moments as a photographer. Of course, it was. And full disclosure: I voted for Barack Obama and I would vote for him again if I could, so I admit I am not the most objective. But I was sincerely struck by the way he treated everybody in the room with dignity, for what it is worth. I hope this portrait reflects something about the humanity of the person that I encountered.”