Leonard Freed’s classic book was first published in 1980. This newly designed and expanded edition features several unseen photographs. It is the definitive collection of Magnum photographer Freed’s photographs of the New York Police Department during the turbulent 1970s. The images have been carefully reproduced from the original negatives and using vintage prints created by Freed’s master printer and widow, Brigitte Freed, as reference. The photographs have never been printed in such quality before, the clarity of print serving to bring home the singular power of Freed’s talent as a socially-conscious documentarian.   Freed worked alongside the New York police for several years, shadowing them on murder investigations, drug raids, public demonstrations and community outreach initiatives, as well as capturing the ordinary daily grind of the job. This complex body of work documents the gritty reality of life “on the beat” at a notorious time of great social unrest and soaring crime, with the city near bankruptcy. Of his near-decade with the police department, Freed observed that “What I saw were average people doing a sometimes boring, sometimes corrupting, sometimes dangerous and ugly and unhealthy job”.

Leonard Freed (1929-2006): was an acclaimed American documentary photojournalist and member of Magnum Photos. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Freed rose to prominence for his portrayal of societal and racial injustices, particularly in relation to the Black community during the American civil rights movement in the 1960s. He is also renowned for his numerous insightful photo essays on the Jewish community in Amsterdam and Germany, the Yom Kippur War, Asian immigration in England, North Sea oil development, Spain after Franco, among others.