Susan Meiselas’s early work, 44 Irving Street, 1970-1971, a series of photographs taken while she was a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is gaining renewed attention. Originally a class project, the series evolved into a deeply empathetic portrait of the residents of a Cambridge, Massachusetts boarding house, and is now being exhibited and discussed within the photography world.
Meiselas, who would later become known for her documentary photography of the Nicaraguan insurrection and carnival strippers, initially approached the project as a way to connect with her new surroundings. As she explained, the camera served as a tool for interaction. “I knew no one, and I began to knock on doors,” she said, according to reporting from Harvard University’s news outlet. She was enrolled in a photography course “with a sociological bent” when she decided to document the lives of her fellow tenants at 44 Irving Street.
The photographs themselves offer a glimpse into the intimate spaces and personal lives of the boarding house residents. Meiselas focused on how individuals personalized their rooms, noting that “each space in the old building ‘had a different character.’” She wasn’t interested in grand narratives, but rather in the subtle details of everyday life. She would ask her neighbors if she could take their portrait, often requesting they pose in a place where they felt comfortable. The resulting images show subjects in a variety of settings – some relaxed in armchairs, others surrounded by books and papers, each space reflecting the occupant’s personality.
The project’s significance extends beyond its aesthetic qualities. As noted by Jackson Davidow in The Baffler, Meiselas’s work at 44 Irving Street foreshadowed a collaborative approach to documentary photography that she would continue to develop in later projects like Carnival Strippers (1972-75), which combined photographs with interviews. This early work demonstrates a commitment to understanding her subjects and presenting their stories with sensitivity and respect.
The context of Cambridge in the early 1970s is also relevant. Davidow points out that the city was grappling with plans for an eight-lane expressway, the “Inner Belt,” which threatened to displace a densely populated, racially diverse working-class neighborhood. While 44 Irving Street doesn’t directly address this urban planning conflict, it captures a moment in time before large-scale redevelopment dramatically altered the city’s landscape. The series, in a way, documents a community on the cusp of change, preserving a record of lives lived in a specific place and time.
The current resurgence of interest in 44 Irving Street is evidenced by its recent exhibition at Higher Pictures in Brooklyn, and the subsequent publication of a photo book by TBW. The exhibition followed a showing at the Harvard Art Museums, bringing the work to a wider audience. The Higher Pictures exhibition, which ran through , coincided with an exhibition of photographs by Selwhyn Sthaddeus Terrell, known as Polo Silk, titled Polo Silk: 2025 MLK Club Detour 2.
Meiselas’s approach to her subjects was characterized by a genuine curiosity and a willingness to build trust. After developing the photographs, she would return to her neighbors with contact sheets, allowing them to choose the images they felt best represented them. This collaborative element is a key aspect of her work, emphasizing the importance of agency and self-representation. She didn’t impose her own narrative onto her subjects; instead, she provided a platform for them to share their own stories.
The Magnum Photos store currently offers a print edition of 44 Irving Street, 1970-1971, making the work accessible to collectors and photography enthusiasts. This availability underscores the enduring appeal of Meiselas’s early work and its continued relevance in contemporary discussions about documentary photography and the representation of community life. The series stands as a testament to the power of photography to connect people, document everyday experiences, and preserve a sense of place.
While Meiselas went on to achieve international recognition for her work in Nicaragua and her explorations of carnival culture, 44 Irving Street remains a foundational piece in her oeuvre. It demonstrates her early commitment to empathetic storytelling and her ability to find beauty and meaning in the ordinary. The project’s renewed attention is a reminder of the importance of looking closely at the world around us and listening to the stories of those who inhabit it.
