© Stephen Shames

Stephen Shames spent over twenty years photographing young boys growing up in the Bronx. Although the project started as a simple photojournalism assignment, Shames quickly became fascinated by the neglected New York borough and continued to document the vibrant streets. The fruits of his labor are finally being published as a digital monograph titled Bronx Boys (FotoEvidence). The unconventional format provides universal access to readers from around the world, as well as options to zoom in on images for close viewing.

Stephen Shames worked with Aperture for his book The Black Panthers, commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the Party. The Black Panthers Portfolio, an accompanying set of photographs is now on sale! Visit the Black Panthers microsite.

Shames is founder of Lead Uganda, which puts AIDS orphans and child soldiers into school in Uganda. He is represented by Steven Kasher Gallery, New York, and Polaris Images. He currently resides in Brooklyn.

Photo copyright Stephen Shames

Aperture exhibition The Black Panthers: Making Sense of History, Photographs by Stephen Shames opens August 25th at The Haggerty Museum.

During the height of the Black Panthers party, from 1967 through 1973, Stephen Shames photographed daily operations, capturing the group’s public face as well as behind the scenes moments. His close friendship with the panthers, Bobby Seale in particular, allowed Shames unprecedented access and his photographs provide a rare and dynamic look at the social movement. A selection of this work was collected in the acclaimed Aperture monograph The Black Panthers (Aperture, 2006) and the exhibition The Black Panthers: Making Sense of History brings together silver gelatin prints from this historically invaluable body of work.

The Black Panthers: Making Sense of History
Photographs by Stephen Shames
Wednesday, August 25, 2010-Sunday, January 2, 2011

Haggerty Museum of Art
Marquette University
13th and Clybourn
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(414) 288-1669

Panthers listen to Huey P. Newton give a radio talk during Bobby Seale’s trial, New Haven, May 1970 by Stephen Shames

Photographer Stephen Shames‘ photographs taken during the height of the struggle for civil rights in America, will be on view in two upcoming exhibitions in Chicago and New York.

The Black Panthers: Making Sense of History, an Aperture exhibition will travel to The Dusable Museum of African American History in Chicago, presenting Shames’ behind-the-scenes photographs of the Black Panther Party. The exhibition opens this week and will include 48 of Shame’s photographs as well as Black Panther artifacts from the museum’s archive. This exhibition accompanies Shames’ monograph The Black Panthers (Aperture, 2006).

In addition nine of Shames’ images of Panther Party co-founder Huey Newton are included in a group show titled, Between the Bricks and the Blood: Transgressive Typologies currently up at Steven Kasher Gallery in New York.

The Black Panthers: Making Sense Of History
April 23 – August 6, 2010
Dusable Museum of African American History
750 East 56th Place
Chicago, Illinois
(410) 455-2232

Between The Bricks and The Blood
Transgressive Typologies
April 15 – May 8, 2010
Steven Kasher Gallery
521 W 23rd St,
New York, Ny, 10011

Click here to purchase Stephen Shames The Black Panthers

Click here to purchase a limited-edition Stephen Shames print

Click here to purchase the The Black Panthers limited -edition portfolio.