Documentary Photography Class Exhibit

This exhibit of handmade artist books was created in Fall 2018 as part of the Lafayette College Documentary Photography course instructed by Greta Bergstresser. The undergraduates in the course created projects with the intention of shedding light on different places and people in the Lehigh Valley. Guided by their curiosity, they pursued projects featuring groups of individuals and local businesses in the greater Easton area as well as recreation-based groups and places. The artist books in this exhibit tell “stories of place” in the Lehigh Valley. Topics include agriculture, local and family business, recreation, food and drink, and immigrant culture and experience. All of the artist books combine text and images to create narratives using the form of the photographic essay.

Following is Professor Bergstresser's assignment prompt:

"The final project must be related to the Lehigh Valley in some way whether it is based upon a location, history of a place/group/etc., group of people, etc. You can work in groups or alone. Working in a group will increase the number of images/content needed. Research will be a critical part of the project as it will create the context surrounding the images and help guide the way you will approach your subject matter. The finished project will take the form of a hand-crafted Artist’s Book and should incorporate text with images in a carefully considered way. "

Mas Que Un Taco

By Shreya Nebhwani

This artist book explores three family-owned Mexican taquerias in Easton: Taqueria La Plaza, La Perla Tapatia, and El Super Taco. The photos shed light on their shared goal: to uphold a family legacy through food, drink, and hospitality.