Anthology

By Alen MacWeeney

Discover the definitive collection of one of the world's most compelling photographers.

Alen MacWeeney: Anthology is the first comprehensive retrospective spanning 70 years of the acclaimed Irish photographer's extraordinary career. From his beginnings as a teenage press photographer in Dublin to his apprenticeship with the legendary Richard Avedon in New York and Paris, MacWeeney swiftly abandoned the studio to develop a signature style of composed, yet gritty, street photography.

This monumental volume showcases the vast and deeply human scope of his work, distinguished by a painterly eye that reveals the profound character of its subjects. At the heart of the collection is MacWeeney's celebrated and compassionate documentation of the Irish Travellers, a crucial cultural record capturing a vanishing way of life. The book features iconic works, including his poignant photographs of the conflict in Northern Ireland and the melancholy street portraits of his 1980s New York Subway series.

MacWeeney's masterful control of light and composition--from rich colors to a vast range of gorgeous grays--lends a thoughtful, quiet repose to his images, giving the sense that the subject has only just left the room.

With over 300 pages of stunning reproductions, this essential book solidifies MacWeeney's place among the masters of modern photography. His photographs are held in the permanent collections of major institutions worldwide, including MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Art Institute of Chicago. For collectors, photography enthusiasts, and lovers of Irish history, A Seven-Decade Vision is a timeless and powerful testament to a life spent behind the lens.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1782050973
• ISBN13: 9781782050971
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Cork University Press
• Length: 336 Pages