Atascadero photographer Joe Schwartz has always identified with America’s have-nots: Women. Children. Immigrants. Minorities.

“I looked for strong-willed people living in dignity…struggling for survival against tough and miserable odds,” Schwartz wrote in the introduction to his 2000 book, “Folk Photography: Poems I’ve Never Written.” “To illustrate and circulate the love of humanity I so deeply felt became a mission, a driving force …”

“What he tried to do in a lot of his work is show people getting along regardless of gender, age, race, religion, what have you,” said longtime friend Harvey Levenson, who heads the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly. “His outlook was a very positive one….that’s the thread that runs through his work and his life.”
Vintage and Modern prints for sale, along with his photo book.