The Family, Luzzara, Italy, from Portfolio Four

As part of his travels in Europe during the 1950s, Strand spent time in Luzzarra, a small town in north central Italy, photographing its inhabitants and their surroundings. This incisive portrait of a family highlights the Italian tradition of sons remaining in the home well into adulthood. An elderly mother is surrounded by her grown sons, who populate the entrance to their home. Whether due to economic circumstances or cultural expectations, many families rely on multigenerational households that preclude or impinge on the independence typically associated with adulthood in Western cultures.