Tell It Like It Is… Circles
We are all exhausted, but we are finished printing. Burn photo editor Diego Orlando, creative director Anton Kusters, and I have just finished being on press in Treviso, Italy for the re-printing of my 1967 first book Tell It Like It Is . I do not ever remember an all out effort like this one. We eye balled every printing detail to a fanatical point.
Many of you know the story of this book, yet most likely many of you do not. In 1967 I was 23, in grad school, and married. My first son Bryan was just seven months old. I had no money, was unknown as a photographer, and no mentors. I was from a middle class all white neighborhood in Virginia Beach, Va. and yet I felt compelled to use my camera for social good. In the last weeks of the summer of ’67, before returning to the Univ. of Missouri J-school , I decided to photograph a disadvantaged black neighborhood. The Liggins family opened their door to me, and they became my singular focus as a microcosm of the whole. I wanted to make a difference. To make people aware. Perhaps naive, yet nevertheless sincere.
James Liggins and his wife Callie had seven children aged 2-15 years old and lived in a five story tenement apartment building. Callie often made a bed for me on the sofa, I had a darkroom set up nearby to process and print, and I lived the story. For approximately one month I spent all my time with the Liggins.
My friend Charles R. Hofheimer and my college roommate Masaaki Okada were collaborators. Charles had been working with organisations aiding the disadvantaged and was the producer of the book. Masaaki did the layout. I went back to school. We sold the book for $2. and the money went to the Norfolk, Va. Ministerial Association to buy food and clothing for the neighborhood. Our intent was to raise enough money and create an awareness to create public action to save the neighborhood. Four months after we published, in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated and life in America changed forever. That same year civil rights activist and Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was also assassinated. A dark year in the United States of America.
I finished grad school, got a job as a newspaper photographer in Topeka, Kansas and later freelanced and by the time I was 28 had my second son Erin and had managed to start shooting for NatGeo. Tell It Like It Is was forgotten for the next 45 years. Life for me had just moved on to other things. I lost contact with the Liggins family completely. As a matter of fact, after all this time both Charles and I had even forgotten their names.
About 10 years ago I was doing a presentation of my work at the New York Public Library. Bruce Davidson was in the audience. He saw a few pictures I was showing from Tell It Like It Is. He asked me when I shot the pictures. I told him 1967. He then said that my little booklet and document had preceded his iconic East 100th Street by 4 years. This surprised me. I had no sense of the context of my essay, however on that day I realised perhaps I had done something of historic value. In 1967 I had zero contacts with the New York art or editorial world and no sense of what to do with my work at all.
In any case, from that day with Davidson, I felt compelled to republish Tell It Like It Is. That day has come.
We have done two things these two weeks in Italy. First to print a consumer new version of the book. Finest quality. Designed and produced by Anton and Diego. Gratitude always my friends. We have also manufactured an exact replica of the original $2. book, reprinted the 35 contact sheets, and I will return to my darkroom at home now to make one print from Tell It Like It Is for a special boxed edition of 100 for serious collectors.
This all follows a search for the Liggins family which I felt I must do before publishing. I had no idea where they were, and as I mentioned, I did not even know their name. My filmmaker son Erin and I hit the streets last October with a copy of the original book ( only 5 copies of it are in my bank vault). No luck in finding anyone who knew who the people were in my little booklet. I was saved by a story in The Virginian-Pilot who did a really nice piece on my search. Lois Liggins saw the Teresa Annas story in the newspaper and emailed me “I am from the Liggins family”. Lois was seven in 1967 and she was the cover of the book. She is also the cover of the new version and helped me to arrange a joyous reunion with the surviving six members of the Liggins family. We have stayed in constant touch since. We were friends then and are again now. A positive and happy story amongst so much racist negativity on the news channels. Erin filmed this search and reunion. Lois is now 56 and a lead mental health supervisor in the same neighborhood of Berkeley.
Circles.
The LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph this June will feature Tell It Like It Is as an exhibition curated by New York Times Magazine Director of Photography Kathy Ryan and Curator/Editor Scott Thode. I plan to have Lois and perhaps other members of the family join us of course. What could be more rewarding as a documentary photographer?
Pages off the press need to dry. Binding will be done soonest. I will spend most of April in the darkroom. My home now in the Outer Banks is only about 75 miles from where the Liggins family is now. They plan to come sit on my front porch. My intentions for the original book are the same intentions I have now.
Circles.
-david alan harvey-
VERY nice to see this going to print at last after such a history. The process seems to be bringing smiles to all three of your faces as well! :)
Congrats Burnbooks team..amazing achievement,team effort and dedication! and congrats Dave..pure magic..again! We know how much it means for you and all of us following this beautiful chapter of your story. Such big great news! Looking forward for the book on my hands. We are celebrating in Rio!
One way or another, whether purchased or given to me as a gift to take into surgery, I have acquired, been inspired and enjoyed all the Burn books. I look forward to receiving this one most of all and believe I will most enjoy it as well.
When the work is done, laughing is the best. Visible in this picture. Well done, great job!
Just by reading the text it is amazing, but soon the book is real and can be held in hands.
My hands, hopefully – among others. :)
Congrats and yay! Viva!
I will say that this is a bollus of passion and enthusiasm that is perfectly timed for me. Timing. Can’t wait David.
thanks amigos…rushing to catch a plane home….back on Burn soonest…..lotsa stuff coming up in the next few days….
cheers, david
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
Confucius
Circle of life,circle of friends…I love you ALL !!!
Beautiful story!
I knew about it, but not the whole story… As you say, it has to be incredible to close that circle in this way: printing the book again, meeting the family,…
David, I follow you from “theriobook” blog and I have learnt and watched many things thanks to you and Burn. Great stories and great gestures of solidarity or friendship, and always trying to give advices to all of us who follow Burn.
Thanks again and I wish you the best for “Tell It Like It Is”.
Cheers
Hi David,
Thank you for sharing your story. I cannot wait to order my copy of the book, been looking forward to it for a while!
Cheers,
Peter
I’m very, very pleased to hear the good news. I’ve been waiting for this mythical book from way back on the original a RoadTrips blog. Can’t wait!
Yes….!
CONGRATULATIONS! :)…very very happy to hear and see this…as i told you years ago, this was and will be again iconic work…..so happy to see the 3 of you ressurect this phoneix!….
Tell It Like it Is gentlemen! )
biggest of joy and hugs
I can only say “woooooooow”
Anton and Diego collabo with DAH…
Go figure .. ART at its best…
Thrilled to the point I need to renew my sleeping pills prescription..
I feel so excited.. I’m going out to shoot .. and it’s only 6am in TEXAS
That’s aha BURN did to me.. Kept me EXCITED, ALIVE and AWAKE for 7 years straight!
Thank you MAESTRO
HUGE congrats!
DAH and burn team. So looking forward to seeing this work in print and in my hands.
I hope to make it to Look3 this year….will be really nice to congratulate you in person.
All the best!
Great, Great, Very admiring stoies!! Congratulations on republishment! I am very looking forward to see the book.
hey amigos…
yes Tell It has taken FOREVER to get done..but i guess we all know that just getting it done FINALLY is in fact getting it done!! i have lots of things that never get done….you should know that a key element here was in finding the family….that took me a year or more just to put those pieces together….that has always been the hang up…plus i was working on a few other things simultaneous….
my Haenyeo (sea women) book is now out in Korea…i have not seen it but hoping for the best…i will do my own version as a zine i think this year…
BEACHGAMES is in production as well…working with Roberta Tavares and Dan Immel on this last one month shoot…and a workshop in there too…one of the best workshops ever i must say…i might shoot a bit more, i might not, depending on the layouts i see….again this is going to be a fairly simple zine….
however the truth is the last few days i have been in bed…exhausted…..total burnout…TED talk combined with printing Tell It was just too too much especially since i have not stopped almost at all since i went to Korea the first of November…and i will have to pace myself very carefully up until LOOK3 where BURN will have a big presence….
my problem is a good one …so many interesting things to do…kid in a candy shop…but i just cannot do them all, be everywhere i am expected to be, nor even shoot all that i might want…the beauty of this “problem”is that shooting is still the place where i feel best…i love shooting…experiencing life with the camera as the vehicle for not just seeing pictures but seeing life in its intensities….
this i have felt since childhood……unbelievable i think….speaking of childhood, i have discovered a box of EARLY COLOR that i shot 10 years before Tell It Like It Is…matter of fact from 1956 to 1958 i was very prolific….so i do have to publish that work as well…
so my friends if i am not here as often as i used to be it’s just my time to publish…simple as that….i will still however always take the time to look at any new work any of you may have….
Bill Hess is soon up on Burn with an amazing essay..Panos “Death in Venice” tabloid out soonest..i had a great time with Kyunghee Lee recently in Korea ..Virgil shot great work in Venice and we had some great moments….Thomas Bregulla and i working on many fronts…so i am not out of touch….i just need a few days of sleep once per year!!
Bob Black where are you?? waiting obx.. :)
abrazos, david
David, I am overwhelmed by just thinking about what you have done since November. Amazing. You are absolutely one of kind.
Now… concerning my essay… “soon” is a little premature. I must let it play out up here before I let it appear on Burn or anywhere else. But thanks for the good words.
And get that rest you need. In a way, its kind of good to know that you, the most incredible human dynamo I believe I have ever met, does, just like the rest of us, need to rest once in awhile.
DAVID :)
just got back from Taiwan! :)…going back in May to run (a la DAHarvy) the last bit of Wan Li :)…coming, dont worry…so much to tell :)…so so happpy foryou and this book and for the ENTIRE TEAM! :)
PANOS :) I will be pre-ordering Death in Venice next week :)…do not fear…remember, I have 2 of your books already, one of anton’s, (just having bought the 2nd yet), 2 of Kyunghee’s….i have to pay off my credit card: 3 trips to taiwn in last 4 months: major shooting/pics…but next week, you can put my name next to Charles Peterson :)
hugs all!!
w/love!
bbo,
Oh,my dearest MR.HARVEY,
as SOCRATES would say…get some sleep and don’t forget your vitamins…oime
running like BOBBY
P.S DON’T YOU DARE TO CHANGE ,THE WEBSITE..MY BURNIANS,I will be back…I love you All
and yes,we are all so damn handsome…I am gobsmacked !!! youhoooo
THANK YOU for everything…
DAVID
>>>…i just need a few days of sleep…
Absolutely, don’t mess with Mr. Jetlag! I’m facing the same thing, though I used a few hours of insomnia to do a new edit of the book project.
—Mitch/Potomac, MD
DAH-
47 years? What kept you away from the family for so long? It’s pretty clear that they had a profound effect on you. Did you keep in touch over the years?
Sleep well :-)
BOBUS , big love.. Check your FB mail. I’ve an idea for collaboration in Toronto.
Your poems, my book etc etc etc
Also , the way “Death in Venice” has been designed by genius mr.Anton KUSTERS lets me do literally a print-less exhibition!!!??!!!
GEEZUS that Anton kid is from another planet !!!!!
David,
Please please take a rest!!!
You don’t need to do everything and slow down your speed.
There is nothing more important than health.
I really hope you are very fine.
And this is website of Jeju Haenyeo.
http://www.jejuhaenyeo.com/
http://www.jejuhaenyeo.com/main/photo_book.php
They said the book is published 28 Feb in the website.
Therefore I’ve just check the bookstore. But there is not yet.
If more information, I will let you know.
I participated in HongKong Photobook Fair from 15th to 17th Mar.
My book ‘island’ were sold out and ‘The seventh Sense’ were almost all sold out.
It was thanks to you! My photo life is from when I met you in your workshop!!!
I really appreciate it from my heart.
Kyunghee Lee
KYUNGHEE LEE
thank you for this update….you are the photographer , you have the eye, you made the photographs , you deserve all the credit you are getting for your books…congratulations!!! if i helped to inspire you fine..that is my job……
yes i am feeling better today and yes if i am not healthy than i won’t be able to work….so i take your advice….
big hugs, big love, david
Yes, today is the first day of spring and so it’s time for…
https://youtu.be/yhuMLpdnOjY
On the other hand, it’s snowing right now…dammit!
David…
YOU
always
I N S P I R E…
Full circle with Tell it Like it is..
One of my favorite photos of yours has always been the girl with the chalk circle..
BRAVO!
Congrats to all!!!
x0x
@ DAH, ANTON and DIEGO:
Congrats for the book, something very personal and special for sure. It’s an alive book 40 years after the first shooting set of pictures. Could be great to re enhance the family for the exhibition-opening.
Some kind of back to the future of Irina Werning :-P
@ CAT LOVERS:
http://petapixel.com/2015/03/23/catstacam-turns-your-cat-into-an-instagram-photog/
Beware of next generation of photographers…
Shine, P.
Can. Not. Wait.
to see the new book version and the show in C’ville. And to see see again everyone who is attending that event that are friends, and to meet new ones.
PANOS! Have pre-ordered the book, as you know. can’t wait to see you and it as well, amigo!
I may even have some work to share…been working on a personal project for the last 14 months. Something local to me, something about which I am passionate. Following DAH’s advice. Trying, at least. Amazing how as I shoot and edit and arrange to be where I need to, the wealth of little voices with very good advice that have been gathered from those here. It is working. At least, I think it is.
Yes…I will bring and share work….it’s about time!
good light, all.
Andrew