Sterling, The Age of Adolescence: Photographs 1959-1964

Before the changes of adulthood take hold, adolescence is defined by powerful urges—romantic, emotional, and the freedom that comes with getting behind the wheel. It is a stage filled with optimism for the future, confidence that often conceals uncertainty, and an intense focus on the excitement of the present. Between 1959 and 1964, a period that can be seen as America's own youthful phase, Joseph Sterling documented the lives of teenagers in and around Chicago. His photographs capture them gathering after school, spending evenings at drive-ins, and embracing the thrill of fast cars. Sterling described adolescence as a self-contained world, one that spins inward on itself and absorbs everything within its reach. During these years, he was also studying photography at Chicago's Institute of Design under Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, and Frederick Sommer, alongside classmates such as Yasuhiro Ishimoto and Ray Metzker. Viewed today, this collection of photographs reveals a nation standing at the edge of profound transformation, just before the Vietnam War, the rise of drug culture, and the loss of America's postwar innocence.

This book includes a print and it's signed by Joseph Sterling on the title page; stamped and hand-numbered on the front endpaper.