Exploring the Social Landscape

The Eastmans were heavily influenced by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) photography project and The Family of Man, an ambitious exhibition of photos mounted by Edward J. Steichen in 1955 for the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), whose aim was to capture on film “the gamut of life from birth to death.”

Alan and Linda came of age when the excitement about street photography was at a high point. Together they explored the evolving social landscape of Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New York City during some of the country’s most turbulent times. When they moved to Maine, they continued their photographic exploration, recognizing the unique local culture of the state and the importance of documenting it before it is lost forever.