Photobook Library

Published by Aperture in 2014, “The Notion of Family” is LaToya Ruby Frazier’s powerful debut monograph exploring the legacy of racism and economic decline in her hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Through a decade of collaborative portraiture with her mother and grandmother, Frazier documents the physical and psychological impact of the steel industry’s collapse and the subsequent environmental and healthcare crises on Black families. The book moves beyond traditional documentary, utilizing the camera as a tool for social activism and a way to bridge generational divides. Featuring an interview by Dawoud Bey and an essay by Laura Wexler, this volume is a critical examination of the “politics of the body” and the historical erasure of the industrial working class in America.

Reviews & Articles

LaToya Ruby Frazier, The Notion of Family

Review The Brooklyn Rail Holly Gavin August 19, 2024

LaToya Ruby Frazier’s first book, The Notion of Family, presents a powerful photo journal and narrative documenting her family’s struggles with disease and poverty in Braddock, a declining steel town. Through stark photographs and descriptive texts, she reveals the harsh realities shaped by environmental and social decay, chronicling multiple generations of women in her family. The work is both a deeply personal account and a socio-historical documentary that connects intimate family life with broader issues of gender, class, race, and industrial decline. The book also includes context essays that situate her story within Braddock’s history and the tradition of photography. Read Article