Thanksgiving As Seen Through The Lens Of 25 Eminent Photographers.

Thanksgiving photos by famous photographers
Burt Glinn, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1992

A Thanksgiving feast for the eyes. Today I wanted to share with you fabulous images of Thanksgiving family dinners, turkeys and parades taken by some of the world’s foremost photographers.

Thanksgiving photos by famous photographers

While vintage images of the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade permeate the internet, these images are less about documenting the festivities and table settings and more about capturing moods and moments.

Helen Levitt ,1942 Thanksgiving, Boys Dancing, New York
Helen Levitt,  Thanksgiving, Boys Dancing, New York, 1942

This collection that I have personally selected may not be very well-known, but the talent behind the lens is. At least to those photography enthusiasts out there. The photos shown here are from such legendary photographers as Helen Levitt and Jay Maisel as well as by respected contemporary photographers like Stephen Shore and Martin Parr.

Elliott Erwitt, 1988, New York City. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Elliott Erwitt, New York City. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1988
Larry Sultan, 1985
Larry Sultan, Thanksgiving Turkey, 1985
Philip Jones Griffiths, 1986.
Philip Jones Griffiths, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1986
Stephen Shore, 1972
Stephen Shore, Turkey Dinner, New York, 1972
Matthew Pillsbury, 2011, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York
Matthew Pillsbury, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York, 2011
Virginia Beahan, 2004, Christina and Gram on Thanksgiving, New Hampshire
Virginia Beahan, Christina and Gram on Thanksgiving, New Hampshire, 2004
Jay Maisel, mid-1950's, Man With eye patch, Thanksgiving Day Parade
Jay Maisel, Man With eye patch, Thanksgiving Day Parade, mid 1950s
Eve Arnold, New York City. Thanksgiving parade. 1981.
Eve Arnold, New York City. Thanksgiving parade, 1981
Jim Goldberg, 1988 "Thanksgiving" Washing off Hollywood Boulevard at night.
Jim Goldberg, “Thanksgiving” Washing off Hollywood Boulevard at night, Los Angeles, CA 1988
 Mark Power, 2012, Waiting for the Thanksgiving parade. Miami Florida (From 'Postcards From America').
Mark Power, Waiting for the Thanksgiving parade. Miami, Florida, 2012
USA. NYC. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 1988.
Elliott Erwitt, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York, 1988
Danny Lyon, 1968. Man hugging a turkey.
Danny Lyon, Man hugging a turkey, 1968
Larry Fink, 1972, Joan Snyder's Family Thanksgiving, New Jersey 1972
Larry Fink, Joan Snyder’s Family Thanksgiving, New Jersey, 1972
Hiroji Kubota, 1988, Thanksgiving dinner. Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Hiroji Kubota, Thanksgiving dinner. Nantucket, Massachusetts, 1988
John Gutmann - Thanksgiving Service, Camp Roberts, California, 1932
John Gutmann, Thanksgiving Service at Camp Roberts, CA, 1932
Robert Sefcik, 1970, Thanksgiving Day Parade, Columbus Circle, New York
Robert Sefcik, Thanksgiving Day Parade, Columbus Circle, New York, 1970
Burt Glinn, 1987, The Thanksgiving Day parade, New York
Burt Glinn,  Thanksgiving Day parade, New York, 1987
Joe Schwartz, 1930s, Cleaning Up After The Parade, NYC
Joe Schwartz, Cleaning Up After The Parade, New York, 1930s
Philip Jones Griffith, 1986. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. NYC
Philip Jones Griffith, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York, 1986
joonas bendicksen
Jonas Bendiksen, New York Thanksgiving at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, 2013
Thomas Hoepker, 1963, Clown at a diner on Thanksgiving in Reno, Nevada.
Thomas Hoepker, Clown at a diner on Thanksgiving in Reno, Nevada, 1963
Martin Parr, 1995, Turkey, Horncastle, England
Martin Parr, Turkey, Horncastle, England, 1995
Richard Kalvar, 1976. After Thanksgiving dinner, West Hartford, Connecticut,
Richard Kalvar, After Thanksgiving dinner, West Hartford, Connecticut, 1976
Peter Marlowe, 2002, Turkey, Warden Abbey, Bedfordshire.
Peter Marlowe, Turkey, Warden Abbey, Bedfordshire, 2002
Jack Delano, Thanksgiving Dinner at Levy-Crouch home, Ledyard, Connecticut
Jack Delano, Pumpkin Pies at Thanksgiving Dinner at Levy-Crouch home, Ledyard, Connecticut, 1940
Alex Soth, 2013 Single parents Thanksgiving dinner. Katy, Texas.
Alec Soth, Single Parent’s Thanksgiving dinner. Katy, Texas, 2013
Eve Arnold, 1984, Family Thanksgiving Dinner Blessing. Whitesburg, Kentucky
Eve Arnold, Family Thanksgiving Dinner Blessing. Whitesburg, Kentucky, 1984

I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these as much as I enjoyed finding them.

Happy Thanksgiving

images courtesy of Magnum Photos,  and Metropolitan Museum of Art