Charles Brittin: West and South is a monographic photography volume documenting the work of American photographer

Charles Brittin (1920–2003), whose black-and-white images capture key moments of cultural transformation in the United States during the mid-20th century. Edited by Kristine McKenna, Lorraine Wild, Román Alonso, and Lisa Eisner, the book presents Brittin’s extensive archive of street, portrait, and social documentary photography, spanning the American West and South.

The photographs in this volume reflect Brittin’s engagement with artistic communities, countercultural figures, and social movements, offering visual testimony to creative and political milieus that shaped post-war American culture. Through a curated sequence of images, the book traces Brittin’s exploration of place, identity, and community, foregrounding his role as an observer of informal networks and lived experience. Essays and editorial commentary provide contextualization for the photographs, situating Brittin’s practice within broader histories of American photography and visual culture.

Charles Brittin: West and South was published in 2011 on the occasion of a retrospective exhibition and serves as a definitive survey of Brittin’s work, contributing to the reassessment of his legacy within the canon of 20th-century American photography.