Here is boyhood - that fleeting time of innocence and joy, of carefree abandon. Here are boys - exuberant, irrepressible boys, boys in the flower of youth. Here is THE BOY.
In a superb collection of more than four-hundred hauntingly beautiful photographs, magnificently reproduced in deep-etched black-and-white and rich, lifelike color, this book evokes the vital spirit, the ephemeral magic, of the Golden Years of boyhood.
Culled from the files of hundreds of photographers all over the world, these striking pictures depict boys of many lands flexing their minds and their muscles, delighting in themselves and in the world about them.
This book will appeal to every parent, educator, youth worker, or indeed to everyone who likes boys. It is a book to gladden the heart of the young in spirit.
All the black-and-white photographs are reproduced by the finest and most luxurious technique of printing available -sheet-fed gravure - making this an art volume you will be proud to own.
Quote: In a world where everything is becoming increasingly complex, where violence and disorder are commonplace, the human heart happily grasps at memories of the days of innocence. This book is a testimony to such innocent beauty and the ability of a person to remember such beauty.
For boys, childhood is timeless and eternal. There seems to be no tomorrow there. To the adult observer, childhood lasts only a moment; it passes in the blink of an eye. The art of capturing a fleeting moment of time has long been the competence of the poet, the artist - and especially the photographer, who, with the selective eye of his camera, captures and preserves ephemeral images in eternity.
In this book, we tried to collect photographs that embody the irrepressible spirit of youth. They are idyllic rather than documentary; they are meant to be enjoyed, just as a boy enjoys a summer day. If most photos are taken outdoors, it is only because we, as city dwellers, prefer to think of boys who are as close to nature as possible: fishing, swimming, relaxing in the lap of nature, creating "the longest bathing summer day" or just lounging around all day "until you're twenty." Of course, there are school scenes in the book, and even a few photos of working boys, but mostly these are happy, carefree guys serenely enjoying long days when it seems that the whole world is created only for them, and the summer will drag on endlessly. Free from the barriers and restrictions set by adults, they explore the world around them with all the zeal and restlessness of youth, striving through waterfalls, exploring big cities, mapping secret places; in Barcelona or Bayona, in Corsica or in California.
From thousands of photographs taken in all parts of the world, we selected those that seemed to us to have some kind of vital spark. While we have tried to embrace the diversity and scope of the world of childhood, quantity has always been subordinate to the quality of the individual photograph. Many of them are technically excellent; others have come here because they have a sense of the "caught moment" when a boy is a boy in the highest degree. Our only regret is that we didn't have enough space for many of the photos.
"All pleasure is in youth," said one poet. If readers can get even some of this pleasure through this book, our efforts will be rewarded.
