In the bookstacks of the Mechanics Institute Library, hidden in an almost literal sense, we have many books that, once you find them, can hold you in fascination, to the point of losing track of time. Among these hidden gems we have an annual publication, World Press Photo, that compiles the most compelling and relevant photographs from photojournalists for the year. Even just looking at the covers you get a sense of the events that, although you may remember them, happened more recently or later in the past than you thought. Picking up the 2017 issue, I find myself shocked all over again by the cover photograph of the immediate aftermath of the assassination of a Russian Ambassador by an off-duty Turkish police officer. Or the 2014 issue cover showing an eerie picture of a crowd of people outside at night holding up their mobile phones -- African migrants in Djibouti trying to catch an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia to contact their relatives. Opening these books and looking through the photos can lead you through a tour of your own memory. Oh, I remember that now. Has it been that long since that happened? It feels like last year.
The World Press Photo Foundation is a global platform connecting professionals and audiences through trustworthy visual journalism and storytelling, founded in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organized a contest ('World Press Photo') to expose their work to an international audience. In the six decades since then, the annual contest has grown into the world's most prestigious photography competition, with the objectives to support professional photojournalism, stimulate developments in photojournalism, encourage the transfer of knowledge, help develop high professional standards in visual journalism and promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information.
(Adapted from promotional material by the World Press Photo Foundation)
