Creative duo Emily and Alice Stein’s bookshelf is packed with photographic gems

Emily and Alice Stein are a creative sister duo based in London and are behind various campaign visuals for big brands and publications including BBC, French Connection, The Guardian, Dazed, MTV and Channel 4.

As well as these commercial projects, Emily and Alice also create various film and photography projects that focus on interesting individuals and subcultures. Most recently, Hold Me Close Tiny Dancer a film about children’s ballroom dancing and I Am Nora, a film about beauty in later years, which the pair spoke about at Nicer Tuesdays back in April.

To get a sense of their influences and passions, we asked Emily and Alice to pick out the books they’ve deemed worthy to sit on their shelves. Below they share a wonderful mix of art and photography books that denote various points of both of their careers.

Joseph Szabo: Teenage

We are both huge fans of Joseph Szabo’s work. When we completed our first big job together we brought this for our bookshelf. It is quite expensive and we treasure it – a constant source of inspiration for style, character and composition. Joseph was a high school teacher and started photographing his students. This book is full of such energy, emotion and captures so much about being a teenager.

Luise Kimme: Sculpture

We were on a trip to Tobago and one rainy day we came across Luise Kimme’s amazing huge old art studio along a dirt track among the palm groves. This huge old house full of these incredibly colourful and charismatic sculptures. We fell in love with them and whenever we look at this book it takes us back there.

Fernand Nathan: Rikka – Le Petit Balinese

Rikka is from a series of books by Fernand Nathan from the late 50s that are quite famous in France because of their amazing design and photography. We picked up a few at a flea market in Paris and then started searching high and low collecting the whole series. Each one has the most beautiful photography and design.

Vivienne Sassen: Lexicon

A classic. A must have for anyone’s book collection.

Arts Council: Picasso Sculpture, 1967

We are both a bit obsessed with sculpture and ceramics – Picasso’s work from this medium is incredible. We love this book for its simplicity and there is such a big body of work in here, its fantastic.