Rewind back to the midcentury, before the era of Instagram and Snapchat, when people used 35mm cameras with color film to capture both monumental and everyday moments of their lives. They recorded their favorite moments, their vacations, their celebrations. They captured the birth of babies, a child dressed as a cowboy, a new color television, tourist excursions to National Parks, fishing trips, sunbathing on the beach, weddings, corporate parties, family reunions, hand-holding, kisses, and dances. Imagining these lives and the possible stories behind the images is what makes The Anonymous Project an exciting journey into our past.

The passage of time is enhanced by the book's narrative, which begins with scenes of early childhood and ends with the elderly, covering all phases of life. It all started with an innocent purchase on eBay. Director Lee Shulman bought a set of 35mm Kodachrome slides - anonymous family photos - and was impressed by the "emotional value of these pieces of life." He started The Anonymous Project in 2017 and has since acquired approximately 700,000 images either through donation or vintage sellers.

As distinguished photography critic Richard B. Woodward notes in the introduction: "It is important - and fascinating - that in almost every image here, the photographer and the subject appear to know each other. In this embraceable album of humanity, no one exists in isolation. There are no strangers here." This curated collection of about 150 images taken between the 1940s and 1970s offers an intimate look into the lives of these anonymous subjects. The locations, dates, and subjects may be unknown - but these shots taken by capable amateur photographers, as well as the compelling stories they contain, are universally familiar.

Pages: 192, Year of Publication: 0614, Dimensions: 14x14cm