Constance: One Road to Take: The Life and Photography of Constance Stuart Larrabee (1914–2000)

Elliott, a lawyer and independent historian, reconstructs the life and artistic achievements of South African photographer Constance Stuart Larrabee in this finely detailed biography. Larrabee, whose grandfather was also a well-known photographer, got her first Kodak Brownie camera at age 10, studied camera technique at a London art school in the early 1930s, and in 1935 continued her studies in Munich. Armed with a twin-lens Rolleiflex—ideal for documentary photography—Larrabee captured images of swastika flags and Nazi propaganda posters. Upon her return to South Africa in 1936, she took photos in the Ndelbele settlements, worked with the poor of townships near Johannesburg, and shot images of the royal family in Basutoland. Elliott includes several photos highlighting Larrabee’s most important projects, such as workers in the diamond and gold mines in Kimberley, as well as her time as a war correspondent in Italy and France during WWII (several photos capture the euphoria of French citizens and soldiers after D-Day). This fascinating account of an overlooked photographer will delight both historians and photography enthusiasts.[em] (BookLife) [/em]