Dona Ann McAdams, a dedicated social documentarian, captures the essence of humanity through her photographs, utilizing a small Leica camera for her black-and-white images developed in analog darkrooms. Her latest work, “Black Box: A Photographic Memoir,” showcases 107 photographs, enriched by narratives drawn from her 50-year career. The memoir is accompanied by an exhibition at the Vermont Center for Photography, available until December 29.

McAdams began her artistic journey at the San Francisco Art Institute in the early 1970s, where a pivotal encounter with Harvey Milk influenced her approach to merging politics, aesthetics, and social action. Her documentation of the gay pride movement, sex workers, and notable activists reflects Milk’s guidance. After his election as the first openly gay city supervisor and subsequent assassination, she relocated back east.

In New York City, McAdams immersed herself in an avant-garde art community, serving for 23 years as the house photographer at Performance Space 122. Her striking portraits include renowned figures like Eileen Myles and David Wojnarowicz, earning her Obie and Bessie Awards.

The book features a hand-colored photograph representing her 13 years of leading an arts workshop on Coney Island for individuals living with mental illness, highlighting creative collaboration and the joy of art. McAdams’ work chronicles queer liberation and various protests in the 1980s and ’90s, portraying her as an engaged social activist rather than a detached observer.

Since moving to Vermont in 1998, she turned her lens towards local farmers and their animals, documenting their lives and labor. The blend of personal anecdotes and professional work adds depth to her memoir as she reflects on the transformative power of photography.