"A Measure of Life: Coffee Moments from the Past Century" brings together 185 photographs that trace how the ritual of coffee has shaped mornings, conversations, and relationships across generations.
Curated by David Miró and published by Standart Magazine, this book combines iconic images with overlooked glimpses of everyday life. Across three chapters—Patience, Pleasure, and Joy—it explores kitchens, cafés, caravans, film sets, and urban corners, uncovering the poetry of the ordinary.
The limited edition features works by renowned photographers such as Saul Leiter, Dario Catellani, and Sarah Blais, alongside anonymous and vernacular images that enrich its human dimension. Cultural figures such as David Bowie, Isabella Rossellini, Jim Jarmusch, David Lynch, and Chloë Sevigny appear not as celebrities, but as participants in a shared, familiar ritual.
The images that set the tone for the book
Jim Jarmusch — Still from *Coffee and Cigarettes* (2003)
This still from Jarmusch’s film perfectly captures the director’s ability to imbue the everyday with poetic beauty. Shot in black and white with a certain Nouvelle Vague aesthetic, every shot is perfect. The fact that some of the interiors lack natural light lends them a delicate nocturnal feel that, personally, I don’t usually associate with a café. It’s an atmosphere that the book seeks to capture on every page.
Mina Azar — Trace/Treis: An Indication of the Existence or Passing of Something
This photograph by Iranian artist Mina Azar features a sublime color palette that, in some ways, evokes the films of Lars von Trier. There is a certain fragility to it that is difficult to describe, yet deeply moving. We sense a dramatic intensity in the image that suggests something terrible has just happened—or is about to happen.
Allen Ginsberg — Malanga at the home of Ettore Sottsass and Fernanda Pivano in Milan, September 1967
This photograph depicts the artist Gerard Malanga at the home of architect Ettore Sottsass and writer Fernanda Pivano. It is one of the most aesthetically pleasing images in the book. Malanga looks particularly handsome, dressed with impeccable elegance. Although the interior is barely visible, the few objects on display are enough to conjure up a space that any lover of good design would long to inhabit. A moment that awakens the desire to have shared a lively conversation with four great artists, accompanied by a good cup of coffee.
Tess Ayano — Paris Cafe
The shades of pink, red, and brown in this photograph are simply exquisite. The scene exudes a deep sense of calm; we can imagine ourselves right there, feeling a gentle breeze, carefree, watching people go by on a beautiful spring morning in Paris. The cup of coffee is the perfect finishing touch.
Nils Junji Edström — Untitled
An image that draws on the warm color palette that defines the book. It particularly stands out for its diversity: every person in the frame is interesting in their own way. We sense the photographer’s ability to be present without interfering, like an invisible observer. There is no tension, but there is dynamism and movement. The scene has the mechanical continuity of a film, as if it were endless: people leave, others arrive, and so on.
Efithia Stefanidi — Boys Will Be Boys
Athens is probably David Miró’s favorite city in Europe. One of the things he enjoys most is seeing older men playing cards or dominoes on the terraces of bars. This photograph captures that sense of serenity, which is increasingly rare in today’s big cities. What is most striking is the man’s serene demeanor and expression—something rarely seen in a young adult. We imagine he was thoroughly enjoying his coffee.
A book to savor
Printed in Berlin on high-quality Holmen paper and bound in a hardcover with a fabric cover, *A Measure of Life: Coffee Moments from the Past Century* is designed for leisurely reading, inviting you to linger over each image. It is a journey through a century of ordinary moments that, together, weave the narrative of a ritual that defines us.
In celebration of Sant Jordi, the book will be available at Petit Nomad on Thursday, April 23, alongside other titles selected by Paris Image Unlimited.
A century of coffee. A book to explore it.