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InspirationPhotography

Susan Kandel's photography explores the world of America's East Coast families

When the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church comes to town, you might expect a photographer to grab their long lens and try to get a shot of the pontiff. But when Pope John Paul II visited the Boston Common in October 1979, American photographer Susan Kandel took a different approach.

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Young girl in a halter top and denim shorts holding a snake in a domestic interior, photographed in black and white by Susan Kandel

Instead, she set out to shoot pictures of families who'd come to see him. And now with the publication of her debut book, At Home, she's sharing the results with the world.

Among the people she photographed that day on the Common were two women and the five children they'd brought with them. They told Kandel that she should come to take pictures at their homes since they had younger kids who hadn't come that day. She eagerly took them up on their offer.

"These two families lived around the corner from each other in Everett, Massachusetts, and I returned to their homes many times over the next ten years or so," she recalls. "And I sought out other families who might let me come photograph them at home as well.

"I approached folks in grocery stores, bowling alleys and corner stores, telling them that I'd give them some pictures in exchange for allowing me to come to photograph them at home. Although I got a lot of quick refusals and looks of suspicion, I also managed to get invited to many homes. And sometimes there were repeat invitations."

At Home is published in hardback by Stanley/Barker and available to buy for £36 / €42 / $50 at stanleybarker.co.uk.

Young girl in white dress watches a television set in a home interior, black and white photograph
A woman reclines on a sofa with her chin resting on her hand, watching television in a domestic living room setting in black and white
A bearded man in a dark suit holds a white duck while a woman sits beside him holding a young child in a domestic interior setting
Two adults and a young boy in formal attire stand indoors, likely from Susan Kandel's documentation of families in 1970s Massachusetts
Young girl sitting on a bed in a modest bedroom, with another child standing on a dresser behind her and toys visible on shelves
Shirtless boy stands in a modest bedroom looking upward, with a poster reading "Thrilling" visible on the wall behind him
Young girl in a white blouse with a bow tie standing in a modest bedroom next to a window and radiator, black and white photograph
A young child sits on a bedroom floor surrounded by the legs of several adults and teenagers wearing socks and casual clothing
Young girl in a floral dress stands in a doorway of a wooden-sided house, photographed by Susan Kandel during her documentation of East Coast families
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