Books Newsletter
The story of Lisette Model and other photographers who shaped the way we historicize social movements today.
International Women’s Day may have officially come and gone, but the real fight continues the other 364 days of the year. The book is one front, not least because of the systematic exclusion of women from art historical narratives and institutions. This week, Julia Curl considers a book that resurfaces the timely story of Austrian-American photographer Lisette Model, who was targeted by the FBI during the Red Scare, like so many other leftist Jewish refugees. That and much more for your reading list below.
— Lakshmi Rivera Amin, Associate Editor
From Our Critics
The Jazz Pictures the FBI Silenced
Fearing for her safety, Lisette Model buried her photos of artists like Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, but a new book reveals them to the world. – Julia Curl
Lisette Model: The Jazz Pictures (2025), with photographs by Model and essays by Audrey Sands, Langston Hughes, and others
Women’s Day Every Day
Women and Spiritualism in Art
In The Other Side, Jennifer Higgie pays tribute to celebrated and lesser-known women artists whose work intersected with the occult. – AX Mina
The Other Side: A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World (2024) by Jennifer Higgie
Remembering the Women of the Black Panther Party
Comrade Sisters centers photographs and personal accounts of the women who made up over two-thirds of the party. – Taylor Michael
Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party (2022), with photographs by Stephen Shames and text by Ericka Huggins
More From the Archive
Doris Derby’s Searing, Intimate Photos of the Civil Rights Movement
A book presents more than 110 pictures from Derby’s archive, offering a rich panorama of the key people and places behind the movement. – Lauren Moya Ford
A Civil Rights Journey (2021) by Doris Derby
The Anti-Apartheid Photographer Who Was Stranded in America
Ernest Cole’s life story is an anti-colonialism epic, Cold War thriller, and a tragedy. – John Edwin Mason
Ernest Cole: The True America (2024) by James Sanders, Leslie M. Wilson, and Raoul Peck
These books offer a glimpse into the lives and works of influential photographers who have shaped our understanding of social movements and historical events. Each book sheds light on the struggles and triumphs of women in the art world, highlighting their contributions to the cultural landscape. Dive into these captivating stories and discover the power of photography to capture the essence of social change.
