"This wonderfully rich, archival study reveals the long-forgotten impacts of the marketplace and mid-century humanism on the Magnum vision. In the process, it helps reframe the history of the Magnum Agency and of Cold War American visual culture too."—Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround: Multimedia and American Liberalism from World War II to the Psychedelic Sixties

"An exemplary combination of enterprising archival research, methodological sophistication, and ambitious questioning. The importance of Bair's study stems from the cultural historical significance of its subject—Magnum Photos—the insights it brings to the imagery of global capitalism, and the methodological innovations it develops to treat the full network of agents involved in producing mass-market images, including art editors, printers, assistants, graphic designers, and promoters, in addition to the well-known photographers."—Michael Leja, James and Nan Wagner Farquhar Professor of History of Art, University of Pennsylvania

"Bair has written a fascinating behind-the-scenes history of the legendary photo agency Magnum. She destroys the myth of the lone genius photographer, revealing the important creative contributions of home office staff, magazine editors, curators, and other cultural professionals. Read this book to learn how great art is really made."—Rodney Benson, author of Shaping Immigration News