Get our latest staff recommendations, award news and digital catalog links right to your inbox.
Table of Contents
About The Book
Did Americans “invent” childhood? Author Todd Brewster believes we did, or at least childhood as “a period of life cordoned off from that of full maturity, covered with a veil of protection, and subject to a program of nurture.” That’s the inspiration behind this rich, compelling volume of rarely seen historical images drawn from the photography collections at the Library of Congress, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, and the Magnum Photo Agency as well as dozens of other archives, flea markets, and antique shops.
The result is a carefully curated paean to American youth: 200-plus photos from all parts of American history, joined by a series of deeply insightful essays on the topic of the American child.
American Childhood reveals American children of all types: white, Black, gay, straight, poor, middle-class, upper class, in cities, on farms, at work, at play, lost in reverie, posing for the camera, or captured in their innocence as the lens gazes at them from afar. Some of them would go on to fame: A young Mark Twain is here. So is a juvenile Thomas Edison, Shirley Temple, Lady Gaga, Sammy Davis Jr., Truman Capote, and dozens of others. Can you see the spark of genius in the life of a child? Brewster thinks so. Still, most subjects here are unknown; in many cases a photograph may be the only public trace they have left behind.
Both a powerful study of American childhood and a beautiful gallery of extraordinary photography, American Childhood is a terrific addition to an under-appreciated part of American history.
Product Details
- Publisher: Scribner (May 23, 2023)
- Length: 320 pages
- ISBN13: 9781501124884
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
"From the 19th century to the present, the photos collected in Todd Brewster’s latest book offer glimpses into the lives of our nation’s youngest members." —New York Times Book Review
"In his 1802 poem (chauvinistically wedded to only one gender) Wordsworth wrote, 'The Child is father of the Man.' One sees all of this and more in Brewster's stirring book. It celebrates—in every image and comment—potentiality and hope." —Ken Burns, filmmaker and author of Our America: A Photographic History
"Fantastic. . . . Captures the ever-changing experience of growing up in America through a collection of over 200 photographs." —George Stephanopoulos
“A photographic celebration of American childhood . . . [offers] captivating glimpses of children’s lives . . . like paging through an album from a sprawling, blended family.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Visually enchanting, offering glimpses into the passion, play, banality, and trauma of childhood.” —Booklist
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): American Childhood Hardcover 9781501124884
- Author Photo (jpg): Todd Brewster Phil Garlington(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit