Bruce Davidson: Portraits

Fans of humane, compassionate photographer Bruce Davidson won't be surprised at these portraits. They are of famous people, mostly American, caught in wonderfully human moments by Davidson over many years. The Supremes have a snowball fight in Detroit in 1965; a pensive (or exhausted) Sammy Davis Jr., shirtless, a microphone strapped to his chest - in his dressing room; Antonioni filming, on a bus in LA in 1968; Marilyn Monroe getting made up on a set; Paul Newman (fishing) and Joanne Woodward with their dog on the water's edge in Connecticut in 1965. Linus Pauling at Stanford, seated at a desk, papers piled high, with a fabulous, chaotic chalkboard in view. Lots more, too, and not all of them are glamorous "celebrities," some are well-known Americans such as Fannie Lou Hamer, poet Sharon Olds, James Meredith - at work, in bed, on the street. Great photos, some almost candids, that are expressive and informative - of the era as well as the subjects.While great to browse through, this compilation seems a little rushed. There is no table of contents, and no index. Some of the subjects are puzzlingly unidentified by name; "Henry Fonda's wife," for example. Davidson supplies memories and anecdotes about fewer than half of his subjects.

Photographer Bruce Davidson departs from his usual pictures of the downtrodden to focus his discerning lens on the rich and famous - the result is Portraits, a powerful set of black and white photos which offer alternative perspectives on the stars. This will appeal to a wide audience; from those interested in portraiture to others intrigued by capturing the human moment on film.