One of the most influential figures in the history of photography, Paul Strand was renowned for his humanist documentary of the underclass and exploited members of society, mirroring his progressive and socialist worldview. Published after his photobook of the Scottish highlands, Tir A'Mhurain (listed in Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, The Photobook Vol. I page 217), this book is an in-depth exploration of newly de-colonized Egypt as it was struggling to reconcile the weight of history and tradition with the demands of modernity. "In his later years, he was driven to investigate remote, traditional regions threatened by global modernisation, including the Outer Hebrides, France and Italy. Equally compelling for Strand were his socialist ideals, which led him to document newly formed socialist governments in Ghana and Egypt... Living with each community for months, these projects offer subtle but poignant expressions of people and place while also foreshadowing today’s involved documentary practices. Even in the hey-day of the Decisive Moment, Strand immortalized the profound essence of human diversity and dignity with his later works, continuing long into “retirement” before his eventual death in 1976." Ben Dickensen Bampton, Lens Culture "But his politics are elusive and hard to grasp. On the one hand, he believed in a pure socialism, while on the other he was interested in unique, expensive photographs that as a result often became accessible to only a small, niche group of connoisseurs. It’s difficult to reconcile—especially as his communism is mixed with a sort of humanism. Strand’s still photographs very rarely act as direct illustrations of his politics." After the Second World War, the photographer Paul Strand dedicated himself to the creation of books dedicated to peoples and countries. The Marxist photographer insisted on printing them in Leipzig, former East Germany, citing technical rather than political reasons, namely the existence of a special printing process available only on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Condition: Very good hardcover. Small wear to dust jacket and tiny tear to edge. The glue of the original small bookseller sticker has bled through blank front page. Please examine listing photos carefully for condition.