Larry Towell

photographer · author

Canadian[1] b. 1953, Ontario, Canada[1] active 1972–present

Larry Towell is a Canadian documentary photographer and member of the Magnum Photos cooperative. Born in rural Ontario in 1953, he studied visual arts at York University in Toronto from 1972 to 1976 before spending two years living on a homemade raft to write. He joined Magnum in 1988 as a freelance photographer. Towell is known for his long-form photojournalism and deep engagement with subjects, particularly those involving landlessness and conflict. His notable works include documentation of the Nicaraguan Contra war, the relatives of the disappeared in Guatemala, the Palestinian people, and the Mennonite communities in Canada and Mexico. He has received numerous accolades, including World Press Photo of the Year, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (1996), the inaugural Henri Cartier-Bresson Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2020.[1,2]

  • landlessness
  • conflict
  • human rights
  • Mennonite communities

Books

Works by Larry Towell

  • 2000 The Mennonites Phaidon Press · book · English · ISBN 714839612 Documentary of Mennonite communities in Canada and Mexico.
  • 2014 Afghanistan Aperture · book
  • 2008 The World from My Front Porch book Project on his family and philosophy on land.
  • 2023 The History War GOST · book Documenting the situation in Ukraine.

Exhibitions

  • 1996 The Mennonites solo

Awards

  • 1996 Leica Oskar Barnack Award Leica
  • World Press Photo of the Year World Press Photo
  • Henri Cartier-Bresson Award Magnum Photos
  • 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

References

  1. Magnum Photos. 2026 link
  2. Leica Oskar Barnack Award. 2020 link