The Radical Camera: New York's Photo League, 1936-1951

[jagarch]

Yesterday I saw this wonderful exhibit at the Jewish Museum.
Fabulous prints by some photographers I knew, like Berenice Abbot, W. Eugene Smith, Weegee, Lisette Model, and a lot of great stuff by folks I was unfamiliar with.

The Photo League was a politically conscious group in NYC that held classes in photo technique as well as serving as a meeting place for a lot of left-leaning, ground-breaking photographers.

Most of the work is street photography with an emphasis on social problems, preceding the work of folks like Robert Frank. There is a lot of interesting commentary in the exhibit as well, about form vs. content and many other things. There's also a short documentary with interview from some of the surviving photographers.

There is a terrific shot of Lisette Model, taken by Weegee, where she is wearing an evening gown, working at some formal function, using a Rolleiflex with flash, with a sack full of flash bulbs hanging from one arm. It gives you great insight into what it might have been like for a woman in the 40's working as a professional photographer.

http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/photoleague

 

[charjohncarter]

Hey, thanks for posting; I wish I wasn't in CA so I could go. The photographer that you included sure looks different than a 'left-leaning' photographer of today. Here are some of Sid Grossman's photos, be careful there are some non Sid photos included:

http://www.google.com/search?q=Sid+...hiAL4y7TLBA&ved=0CDIQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=619&sei= OoS5TrifKY6MigLOpuzaBA

 

[peter_n]

I have the catalog on order and I'm really looking forward to visiting the exhibit.

 

[Pablito]

The photographer that you included sure looks different than a 'left-leaning' photographer of today.

What does today's "left leaning" photographer look like, I wonder?

 

[eoeaa]

Sounds like a great show. I hope to see it somewhere. It will be traveling. I hope more than the cities listed below:

Columbus Museum of Art
Columbus, OH
April 19 - September 9, 2012

Contemporary Jewish Museum
San Francisco, CA
October 11, 2012 - January 21, 2013

Norton Museum of Art
West Palm Beach, FL
February 9 - April 21, 2013

Left photographers today... makes me wonder.

 

[charjohncarter]

What does today's "left leaning" photographer look like, I wonder?

They don't wear dresses or if they a man they don't wear suits. It wasn't a political statement just a how things have changed statement.

 

[Damaso]

Thanks for the tip, looks great!

 

[jagarch]

One of the most fascinating aspects of the exhibit was a section detailing two white photographers who went to Harlem with the expressed goal of documenting hardship.

While they accomplished their mission, and the excellent photos are on view, the exhibit also points out that the photographers later expressed regret about having a preconception before starting the project. There were a lot of positive things going on in Harlem, but because of the slant of the project (I think it was for Life magazine), they ignored them, thus painting an incomplete picture of Harlem life.

This touches on a lot of interesting issues of reportage and documentary photography. The exhibit did a good job of showing a nuanced view of the issue.

 

[Zorkiiglaza]

Here is a reminder! This exhibit is still up for a week or two more. I have seen it twice now. A great exhibit of documentary- street photography.
Also if you are in New York, ICP has several great exhibits at the present time.
Weegee! What can I say! how much gore can one look at.
The Magnum Contacts is fantastic- seeing the contact sheets in relation to what was ultimately selected for printing.
As with ICP there are other featured photographers including the documentary on the Loving Family.