Photography in Children’s Literature in the 1960s and 1970s. A bibliographic review of Italian publishing houses and projects

Abstract

The article aims to explore the Italian editorial landscape related to photographic books for children, with particular reference to the period between the sixties and seventies. In fact, after having presented the major changes that have taken place since the 1960s in the world of children’s publishing, with the birth of publishing houses such as Emme Edizioni, an in-depth discussion on the use of photography as a narrative language for children is presented. The innovative proposals of Bruno Munari, Giovanni Belgrano and Mario Mariotti and other authors and artists will be illustrated, as well as the use that Mario Lodi made of photography through the serial publication «Biblioteca di lavoro». Finally, will be proposed a reflection on photo books in the current publishing market in Italy.