Between 1936 and 1966, the Negro Motorist Green Book was a list of safe places for Black people during their travels throughout the segregated USA. Founded in 2020, the Photographer’s Green Book (PGB), in that tradition, started as a list of resources to navigate the photographic community which has historically denied the voices of those other than predominantly white cis male artists. This work expands on the original Green Book’s target audience to include other individuals whose voices have been under-supported or underrepresented in academic and arts institutions.

Part archive and part guidebook, The Photographer’s Green Book’s inaugural publication, Vol. 1, explores the themes of history, community, and process in photography through essays, interviews from artists and organizations, and images from lens-based artists. Vol. 1 also features reflection questions and organization listings to help readers further engage with the texts and concepts.

Vol. 1 was self-published by The Photographer’s Green Book, LLC. The first edition of 100 is handmade, perfect-bound, and risograph printed in black ink on cream and green paper. The funds raised from the first edition funded the production of a second, more affordable digitally printed, color edition of 100.

Presale of the first edition began in August 2021 with both editions beginning to ship in October 2021. Both editions of Vol. 1 sold out by August 2022.

Editors: Jay Simple, Sydney Ellison

Designer: Ally Caple

First Edition Producer: Leah Grant, UArk Riso Lab

Featuring images by: Ally Caple, Andre Ramos-Woodard, Angelina Ruiz, Becci Davis, Bradon Foushee, Derick Decario, Gia Han, Jamie Ho, Leah Grant, Natasha Moustache, Rachelle Mozman Solano, Rana Young, Rashod Taylor, Rehan Miskci, Sheida Soleimani, Sky Maggiore, Sonnie Wooden, Sydney Ellison, Sydney Mieko King, Victor Alvarez, and William Camargo

Interviews with: Adama Delphine Fawundu, Alvin Hall, Cheryl Mukherji, Indigenous Photograph, Shasha Movies, Sydney A. Foster, Tay Butler, The Black School, The Radical Database, The White Pube, and Tommy Kha

Essays by: Anthony Francis, Chantal Feitosa, Irene Antonia Diane Reece, Marie Smith, and Nick Drain