Photography book review: The Black Kingdom, By Brian Griffin
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Recognised as one of the UK's most important photographers of the past 40 years, Brian Griffin was born in 1948 and grew up near Birmingham among the factories of the Black Country.
His parents were factory workers, and Griffin seemed set to follow in their footsteps. But at 21 he escaped by enrolling to study photography at Manchester College of Art. The Black Kingdom is a visual autobiography of Griffin's life during the Fifties and Sixties, where everything surrounding him seemed to emanate from the factory. The book is a dissection of life in industrial England after the Second World War and shows the influences that would inspire the creative output of a highly successful photographer. Family snapshots and other relics of Griffin's working-class childhood sit with strikingly original and frequently surreal new portraits, and the book combines autobiography with a tribute to the industrial heritage of the photographer's childhood home.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments