Just in time for gift season, New York Times Bestselling Author TODD BREWSTER will appear at the Westport Library on December 6, at 7 PM to discuss his new book, AMERICAN CHILDHOOD: A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY.
The book, which Ken Burns called “stunning,” is the result of five years of research and features over 200 photographs from the Library of Congress, New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and dozens of other archives. Brewster posits the theory that America “invented” childhood – that is, as “a period of life cordoned off from that of full maturity, covered with a veil of protection, and subject to a program of nurture.” A Good Morning America “Buzz Pick” and the recipient of a rave review in the New York Times, AMERICAN CHILDHOOD is a carefully curated paean to American youth: 200-plus photos from all parts of American history, joined by a series of deeply insightful essays on the topic of the American child.
American Childhood reveals American children of all types. A young Mark Twain is here. So is a juvenile Thomas Edison, Shirley Temple, Lady Gaga, Sammy Davis Jr., Truman Capote, and dozens of others. Can you see the spark of genius in the life of a child? Brewster thinks so. Still, most subjects here are unknown; in many cases a photograph may be the only public trace they have left behind.
Both a powerful study of American childhood and a beautiful gallery of extraordinary photography, American Childhood is a terrific addition to an under-appreciated part of American history. BOOKS WILL BE SOLD AT THIS EVENT, AND BREWSTER WILL BE SIGNING THEM.