Seen Together: Acquisitions in Photography at the Morgan Library & Museum.
George P. Hall & Son (active 1886-1914) Lower Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge New York: George P. Hall & Son, ca. 1905 Gelatin silver print mounted on linen 10 x 17 inches Purchased on the Photography Collectors Committee Fund
Written by: Madeline Lerner
Photo Edited by: Billy Delfs
Seen Together: Acquisitions in Photography
The Morgan Library & Museum
January 26 through May 26, 2024
New York’s Morgan Library and Museum houses some of the finest art, rarest manuscripts, and most comprehensive photography collection in the country. It is understandable for such a rich collection to be in the heart of Manhattan. This spring, the Morgan Library and Museum unveils the photographs that the institution has acquired since the opening of its photo department in 2012. In this new show, titled “Seen Together: Acquisitions in Photography,” the photographs are pulled from varying genres and historical eras, providing a comprehensive look at the practice’s history and wider impacts. The museum sought to display the new photographs to be in conversation with the other fine art acquisitions in their collection. The exhibit features portraits, still lives, landscapes, and other distinct genres. Seen together, the photographs present the vast-range of art a camera can create.
Dennis Oppenheim’s 1970 piece titled “Reading Position for Second Degree Burn” features two images of a man laying on the beach— one with a book titled "Tactics: Cavalry and Artillery" resting on his chest and the other revealing the burn outline left by the book hours later. The piece serves as a protest against the use of napalm in the Vietnam War, and is similar to much of his other work that involves social and political commentary. In the broader exhibit, it serves as an example of how photography has functioned as protest.
Soltau, Annegret Selbst 6 (Self 6)1975 Gelatin silver print with thread
Several acquisitions feature famous subjects, offering a contextual glimpse into the era photograph was captured. Namely, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s 1946 photograph of artist Alfred Stieglitz, a contact sheet of images from 1952 of Marylin Monroe posing for the cover of Life Magazine and John Cohen’s 1959 image of Jack Keroac listening to himself on the radio. Noteworthy photographers immortalized iconic artists, serving as retrospective homages to the most influential artists of that time. The series includes portraits of renowned figures from various artistic domains, including music and literature. These images of icons preserve the cultural zeitgeist, capturing the essence of individuals whose influence transcends their time, and show the importance of photography as a tool for perpetuating the legacies of cultural icons.
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908 - 2004) Portrait of Alfred Stieglitz 1946 Gelatin silver print7 × 9.75 inches Gift of Peter C. Bunnell
Ultimately, the show is an opportunity to appreciate all the trailblazers and icons throughout the history of photography, dating back to its inception. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to observe the lasting impact of each’s influence on contemporary works. Together, these remarkable acquisitions showcase the rich diversity within the field of photography.
Installation View: Photography by Carmen González Fraile
