It could be said that when he commenced publishing his "Latent Image" column in the "Village Voice" in May 1968, A.D. Coleman invented the concept of the photography critic. With that first essay, which opens this classic collection of his early writings, Coleman introduced the idea that photography as a medium merited the full-time attention of a working critic. From then until now, he has steadfastly exemplified the complex possibilities of such a role within our photographic culture.