For seven years, American photographer Barbara Peacock traversed the length and breadth of the United States photographing people in the spaces they define as their bedrooms. Whether a room in a house, a camper, or an outdoor space, the unfiltered photographs show the subjects in their most intimate dwelling, offering a rare glimpse into the raw essence of a series of singular lives.

The body of work born from those travels can be seen in Peacock’s new photo book published by Kehrer Verlag, American Bedroom compiling the unguarded portraits of individuals, couples, and families that each reveal a depth of character and truth. Paired with quotes from each subject, containing subtle details that invite us to observe the idiosyncrasies of each enigmatic life, the book serves as a document of the American psyche as it stands in this modern age. Since beginning the project in 2016, Peacock has won the Getty Editorial Grant, the Women Photograph/Getty Grant, three LensCulture Awards, four Top 50 Critical Mass Awards, and was named one of the Top 100 Photographers in America 2020.

“Endless possibilities and adventure! We sold our home and just about everything we owned three years ago. Little did we know what awaited us on the open road … freedom unlike anything we had ever had while on a quest to find a new place and community to call home.” Stephanie, 37. The Mathews Family Saratoga Springs, Utah.

American Bedroom unifies the subject and reader through the stories that we all carry, the photographer telling us: “I believe the bedroom is not just a private place, but a sacred place. We build it as a shrine to our lives (even if houseless) and spend nearly one third of our lives in it. It exemplifies our being; it is a place to rest, to love, to comfort, to be, to give life, to restore, to recover, to grieve, to lay sick and to die. The one thing I know for certain is that all lives are important, and everyone has a story to tell.”

The expansive set of images show how, regardless of geography, people are people, working to survive, and trying to live meaningful lives. American culture is increasingly divisive politically and ideologically, and Peacock notes in her essay for the book that when the physical doors opened, those barriers and divisions were “mysteriously and magically lifted.” She continues, “what appeared was the bare soul of a human life, with a story, and a purity of heart that rose like cream to the top.”

Incorporating the voices of the people she photographs is a testament to the partnership and respect that resonates throughout the project, the images accompanied by powerful quotes such as “sometimes life throws you in all sorts of directions, the most important part about life is to remember you are exactly where you need to be,” from 18 year-old Jessica of Milford, New Hampshire.

From small children to a 97 year-old woman from Kansas City, American Bedroom is a truly beautiful chronicle a modern America where the possibilities are endless and the road is long. Published by Kehrer Verlag, American Bedroom by Barbara Peacock is available now priced 48€.

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“While my physical parts feel safe among my living space, rested against a pillow, my heart yearns for my home, my community, our land.” Mek, 29. Siberian-Yupik Tribe, Alaska.

“I’ve been sleeping in the grass between the trees, sky, and by the ocean for six years now. My body and soul are clean. When I go I leave no trace.” Jeremiah, 45. Kauai, Hawaii.