From the early 1940s to the 1970s, Wayne Miller documented a radically changing America in intimate, human-centered photographs, through which he aimed, in his words, to “explain man to man.” He honed his craft serving in Edward Steichen’s special Navy photography unit during WWII, traveling from the Pacific theater to the south of France, shooting servicemen and women appearing at once fragile and tough in the midst of the conflict. He was among the first Americans to photograph Hiroshima after the atomic bombing. Back home, Miller focused on the events shaping mid-century America, including the Great Migration and the funeral of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the height of his career, Miller was at the center of the photographic world, helping Steichen to organize the groundbreaking “The Family of Man” (1955) exhibition and serving as president of Magnum Photos.
From the early 1940s to the 1970s, Wayne Miller documented a radically changing America in intimate, human-centered photographs, through which he aimed, in his words, to “explain man to man.” He honed his craft serving in Edward Steichen’s special Navy photography unit during WWII, traveling from the Pacific theater to the south of France, shooting servicemen and women appearing at once fragile and tough in the midst of the conflict. He was among the first Americans to photograph Hiroshima after the atomic bombing. Back home, Miller focused on the events shaping mid-century America, including the Great Migration and the funeral of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the height of his career, Miller was at the center of the photographic world, helping Steichen to organize the groundbreaking “The Family of Man” (1955) exhibition and serving as president of Magnum Photos.