Eduard Steichen
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Edward Jean Steichen (; March 27, 1879 – March 25, 1973) was a
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ish American photographer, painter and curator and a pioneer of
fashion photography Fashion photography is a genre of photography that portrays clothing and other fashion items. This sometimes includes haute couture garments. It typically consists of a fashion photographer taking pictures of a dressed model in a photographic ...
. His gown images for the magazine ''Art et Décoration'' in 1911 were the first modern fashion photographs to be published. From 1923 to 1938, Steichen served as chief photographer for the
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magazines ''
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'' and '' Vanity Fair'', while also working for many advertising agencies, including J. Walter Thompson. During these years, Steichen was regarded as the most popular and highest-paid photographer in the world. After the United States' entry into
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Steichen was invited by the
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to serve as Director of the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit. In 1944, he directed the war
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
''
The Fighting Lady ''The Fighting Lady'' is a 1944 documentary film (billed as a "newsdrama") directed by Edward Steichen, produced by the U.S. Navy and narrated by Lt. Robert Taylor USNR. It is not to be confused with the 1954 war drama '' Men of the Fighting L ...
'', which won the
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film is an award for documentary films. In 1941, the first awards for feature-length documentaries were bestowed as Academy Honorary Award, Special Awards to ''Kukan'' and ''Target for Tonight''. The ...
at the
17th Academy Awards The 17th Academy Awards were held on March 15, 1945, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, honoring the films of 1944. This was the first time the complete awards ceremony was broadcast nationally, on the Blue Network (later ABC Radio). Bob Hope host ...
. From 1947 to 1961, Steichen served as Director of the Department of Photography at New York's
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
. While there, he curated and assembled exhibits including the touring exhibition ''
The Family of Man ''The Family of Man'' was an ambitious exhibition of 503 photographs from 68 countries curated by Edward Steichen, the director of the New York City Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) department of photography. According to Steichen, the exhibitio ...
'', which was seen by nine million people. In 2003, the ''Family of Man'' photographic collection was added to
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's
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in recognition of its historical value. In February 2006, a print of Steichen's early
pictorialist Pictorialism is an international style and aesthetic movement that dominated photography during the later 19th and early 20th centuries. There is no standard definition of the term, but in general it refers to a style in which the photographer ha ...
photograph, '' The Pond–Moonlight'' (1904), sold for US$2.9 million—at the time, the highest price ever paid for a photograph at auction. A print of another photograph of the same style, ''
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'' (1904), became the second most expensive photograph ever on November 8, 2022, when it was sold for $12,000,000, at
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– well above the original estimate of $2,000,000-$3,000,000.


Early life

Steichen was born Éduard Jean Steichen on March 27, 1879, in a small house in the village of
Bivange Bivange (, ) is a small town in the commune of Roeser, in southern Luxembourg. It is known for being the birthplace of Luxembourgish American photographer Edward Steichen Edward Jean Steichen (; March 27, 1879 – March 25, 1973) was a Luxem ...
,
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, the son of Jean-Pierre and Marie Kemp Steichen.Niven, Penelope (1997), ''Steichen: A Biography''. New York: Clarkson Potter. , p. 4. His parents facing increasingly straitened circumstances and financial difficulties, decided to make a new start and emigrated to the
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when Steichen was eighteen months old. Jean-Pierre Steichen immigrated in 1880, with Marie Steichen bringing the infant Éduard along after Jean-Pierre had settled in Hancock in
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's
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copper country. According to noted Steichen biographer,
Penelope Niven Penelope Ellen Niven (April 11, 1939 — August 28, 2014) was an American academic and biographer. As Penelope McJunkin, she worked at a Catholic school and multiple high schools by the late 1980s. During this time period, she worked for Earlham Col ...
, the Steichens were "part of a large exodus of Luxembourgers displaced in the late nineteenth century by worsening economic conditions." Éduard's sister and only sibling, Lilian Steichen, was born in Hancock on May 1, 1883. She would later marry poet
Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg w ...
, whom she met at the Milwaukee
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office in 1907. Her marriage to Sandburg the following year helped forge a life-long friendship and partnership between her brother and Sandburg.Niven, Penelope (1997), ''Steichen: A Biography''. New York: Clarkson Potter. , p. 6. By 1889, when Éduard was 10, his parents had saved up enough money to move the family to
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
.Niven, Penelope (1997), ''Steichen: A Biography''. New York: Clarkson Potter. , p. 16. There he learned German and English at school, while continuing to speak
Luxembourgish Luxembourgish ( ; also ''Luxemburgish'', ''Luxembourgian'', ''Letzebu(e)rgesch''; ) is a West Germanic language that is spoken mainly in Luxembourg. About 400,000 people speak Luxembourgish worldwide. The language is standardized and officiall ...
at home. In 1894, at fifteen, Steichen began attending Pio Nono College, a Catholic boys'
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
, where his artistic talents were noticed. His drawings in particular were said to show promise. He quit high school to begin a four-year
lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...
apprenticeship with the American Fine Art Company of Milwaukee.Gedrim, Ronald J. (1996), ''Edward Steichen: Selected Texts and Bibliography.'' Oxford, UK: Clio Press. , p. xiii. After hours, he would sketch and draw, and he began to teach himself painting.Niven (1997), p. 28. Having discovered a camera shop near his work, he visited frequently until he persuaded himself to buy his first camera, a secondhand Kodak box "detective" camera, in 1895.Niven (1997), p. 29. Steichen and his friends who were also interested in drawing and photography pooled their funds, rented a small room in a
Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
office building, and began calling themselves the Milwaukee Art Students League.Niven (1997), p. 42. The group hired Richard Lorenz and Robert Schade for occasional lectures. In 1899, Steichen's photographs were exhibited in the second Philadelphia Photographic Salon. Steichen became a U.S. citizen in 1900 and signed the
naturalization Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
papers as Edward J. Steichen, but he continued to use his birth name of Éduard until after the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.Niven (1997), p. 66.


Career


Paris, New York, and Partnerships with Stieglitz and Rodin

In April 1900, Steichen left Milwaukee for
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
to study art. Clarence H. White thought Steichen and
Alfred Stieglitz Alfred Stieglitz (; January 1, 1864 – July 13, 1946) was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his 50-year career in making photography an accepted art form. In addition to his photography, Stieglitz was k ...
should meet, and thus produced an introduction letter for Steichen, and Steichen—then ''en route'' to Paris from his home in Milwaukee—met Stieglitz in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in early 1900.Niven, Penelope (1997), ''Steichen: A Biography''. New York: Clarkson Potter. , p. 74. In that first meeting, Stieglitz expressed praise for Steichen's background in painting and bought three of Steichen's photographic prints.Niven (1997), p. 75. In 1902, when Stieglitz was formulating what would become ''
Camera Work ''Camera Work'' was a quarterly photographic journal published by Alfred Stieglitz from 1903 to 1917. It presented high-quality photogravures by some of the most important photographers in the world. The goal of the journal was to establi ...
'', he asked Steichen to design the logo for the magazine with a custom
typeface A typeface (or font family) is a design of Letter (alphabet), letters, Numerical digit, numbers and other symbols, to be used in printing or for electronic display. Most typefaces include variations in size (e.g., 24 point), weight (e.g., light, ...
.Roberts, Pam (1997). "Alfred Stieglitz, 291 Gallery and Camera Work," in: Alfred Stieglitz (ed.), ''Camera Work, The Complete Illustrations 1903–1917.'' Köln: Taschen. , p. 17. Steichen was the most frequently shown photographer in the journal. Steichen began experimenting with color photography in 1904 and was one of the earliest in the United States to use the
Autochrome Lumière The Autochrome Lumière was an early color photography process patented in 1903 by the Lumière brothers in France and first marketed in 1907. Autochrome was an additive color "mosaic screen plate" process. It was one of the principal color phot ...
process. In 1905, Stieglitz and Steichen created the
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, in what had been Steichen's portrait studio; it eventually became known as the 291 Gallery after its address. It presented some of the first American exhibitions of
Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...
,
Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...
,
Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...
,
Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
, and
Constantin Brâncuși Constantin Brâncuși (; February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, painter, and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and a pioneer of modernism ...
. According to author and art historian William A. Ewing, Steichen became one of the earliest "
jet set The jet set is a social group of wealthy and fashionable people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term was introduced in 1949 and replaced " café society"; it reflected a style of life ...
ters", constantly moving back and forth between Europe and the U.S. by steamship, in the process cross-pollinating art from Europe to the United States, helping to define photography as an art form, and at the same time widening America's understanding of European art and art in general.


Pioneering fashion photography

Fashion photography began with
engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...
s reproduced from photographs of modishly-dressed actresses by Leopold-Emile Reutlinger,
Nadar Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (; 5 April 1820 – 20 March 1910), known by the pseudonym Nadar () or Félix Nadar'','' was a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist, balloon (aircraft), balloonist, and proponent of History of avi ...
and others in the 1890s. After high-quality half-tone reproduction of photographs became possible, most credit as pioneers of the
genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
goes to the French Baron
Adolph de Meyer Baron Adolph de Meyer (1 September 1868 – 6 January 1946) was a French-born American photographer famed for his portraits in the early 20th century, many of which depicted celebrities such as Mary Pickford, Rita Lydig, Luisa Casati, Billie Bu ...
and to Steichen who, borrowing his friend's hand-camera in 1907, candidly photographed dazzlingly-dressed ladies at the
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. Fashion then was being photographed for newspaper supplements and fashion magazines, particularly by the Frères Séeberger, as it was worn at Paris horse-race meetings by aristocracy and hired models. In 1911, Lucien Vogel, the publisher of ''Jardin des Modes'' and ''
La Gazette du Bon Ton The ''Gazette du Bon Ton'' was a small but influential fashion design, fashion magazine published in France from 1912 to 1925.Davis48 Founded by Lucien Vogel, the short-lived publication reflected the latest developments in fashion, lifestyle an ...
'', challenged Steichen to promote fashion as a fine art through photography.Niven (1997), p. 352. Steichen took photos of gowns designed by ''
couturier (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 1 ...
''
Paul Poiret Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house. Early life and career Poiret was bor ...
, which were published in the April 1911 issue of the magazine ''Art et Décoration.'' Two were in colour, and appeared next to flat, stylised, yellow-and-black Georges Lepape drawings of accessories, fabrics, and girls. Steichen himself, in his 1963 autobiography, asserted that his 1911 ''Art et Décoration'' photographs "were probably the first serious fashion photographs ever made," a generalised claim since repeated by many commentators. What he (and de Meyer) did bring was an artistic approach; a soft-focus, aesthetically retouched
Pictorialist Pictorialism is an international style and aesthetic movement that dominated photography during the later 19th and early 20th centuries. There is no standard definition of the term, but in general it refers to a style in which the photographer ha ...
style that was distinct from the mechanically sharp images made by his commercial colleagues for half-tone reproduction, and that he and the publishers and fashion designers for whom he worked appreciated as a marketable idealisation of the garment, beyond the exact description of fabrics and buttonholes. After
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, during which he commanded the photographic division of the
American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...
, he gradually reverted to
straight photography Pure photography or straight photography refers to photography that attempts to depict a scene or subject in sharp focus and detail, in accordance with the qualities that distinguish photography from other visual media, particularly painting. Orig ...
. In the early 1920s, Steichen famously took over 1000 photographs of a single cup and saucer, on "a graduated scale of tones from pure white through light and dark greys to black velvet," which he compared to the a musician's finger exercises. He was hired by
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in 1923 for the extraordinary salary of $35,000 (equivalent to over $500,000 in 2019 value).


World War II

At the commencement of World War II, Steichen, then in his sixties, had retired as a full-time photographer. He was developing new varieties of
delphinium ''Delphinium'' is a genus of about 300 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the family (biology), family Ranunculaceae, native species, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. T ...
, which in 1936 had been the subject of his first exhibition at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
, and the only flower exhibition ever held there. When the
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joined the global conflict, Steichen, who had come out of the first World War an Army
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
, was refused for active service because of his age. Later, invited by the Navy to serve as Director of the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit, he was commissioned a Lieutenant-Commander in January 1942. Steichen selected for his unit six officer-photographers from the industry (sometimes irreverently called "Steichen's chickens"), including photographers Wayne Miller and
Charles Fenno Jacobs Charles Fenno Jacobs (December 14, 1904 – June 27, 1974; often credited as Fenno Jacobs) was an American photographer active in the mid-20th century. Early life Jacobs was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. His Dutch-descended father was a steam ...
. A collection of 172 silver gelatin photographs taken by the Unit under his leadership is held at the
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at the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...
. Their war
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
''
The Fighting Lady ''The Fighting Lady'' is a 1944 documentary film (billed as a "newsdrama") directed by Edward Steichen, produced by the U.S. Navy and narrated by Lt. Robert Taylor USNR. It is not to be confused with the 1954 war drama '' Men of the Fighting L ...
,'' directed by Steichen, won the
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film is an award for documentary films. In 1941, the first awards for feature-length documentaries were bestowed as Academy Honorary Award, Special Awards to ''Kukan'' and ''Target for Tonight''. The ...
at the
17th Academy Awards The 17th Academy Awards were held on March 15, 1945, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, honoring the films of 1944. This was the first time the complete awards ceremony was broadcast nationally, on the Blue Network (later ABC Radio). Bob Hope host ...
. In 1942, Steichen curated for the Museum of Modern Art the exhibition ''Road to Victory,'' five duplicates of which toured the world. Photographs in the exhibition were credited to enlisted members of the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps and numbers by Steichen's unit, while many were anonymous and some were made by automatic cameras in Navy planes operated while firing at the enemy. This was followed in January 1945 by ''Power in the Pacific: Battle Photographs of our Navy in Action on the Sea and In the Sky.'' Steichen was released from Active Duty (under honorable conditions) on December 13, 1945, at the rank of
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. For his service during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he was awarded the
World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. Histo ...
, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with 2 campaign stars),
American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had per ...
, and numerous other awards.


Museum of Modern Art

In the summer of 1929, Museum of Modern Art director
Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Alfred Hamilton Barr Jr. (January 28, 1902 – August 15, 1981) was an American art historian and the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. From that position, he was one of the most influential forces in the development of ...
had included a department devoted to photography in a plan presented to the Trustees. Though not put in place until 1940, it became the first department of photography in a museum devoted to twentieth-century art and was headed by
Beaumont Newhall Beaumont Newhall (June 22, 1908 – February 26, 1993) was an American curator, art historian, writer, photographer, and the second director of the George Eastman Museum. His book, ''The History of Photography'', remains one of the most signif ...
. On the strength of attendances of his
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
exhibitions ''Road to Victory'' and ''Power in the Pacific'', and precipitating curator Newhall's resignation along with most of his staff, in 1947, Steichen was appointed Director of Photography until 1962, later assisted by Grace M. Mayer. His appointment was protested by many who saw him as anti-art photography, one of the most vocal being
Ansel Adams Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his Monochrome photography, black-and-white images of the American West. He helped found Group f/64, an association ...
who on April 29, 1946, wrote a letter to Stephen Clark (copied to Newhall) to express his disappointment over Steichen's hiring for the new position of director; "To supplant Beaumont Newhall, who has made such a great contribution to the art through his vast knowledge and sympathy for the medium, with a regime which is inevitably favorable to the spectacular and 'popular' is indeed a body blow to the progress of creative photography." Nevertheless, Ansel Adams' image ''
Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico ''Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico'' is a black-and-white photograph taken by Ansel Adams, late in the afternoon on November 1, 1941, from a shoulder of highway US 84 / US 285 in the unincorporated community of Hernandez, New Me ...
'' was first published in ''U.S. Camera Annual 1943'', after being selected by Steichen, who was serving as judge for the publication.Street Alinder, Mary (1996), ''Ansel Adams: a Biography''. New York: Henry Holt. , p. 192. This gave ''Moonrise'' an audience before its first formal exhibition at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in 1944.Alinder (1996), p. 193. Steichen as director held a strong belief in the local product, of the "liveness of the melting pot of American photography," and worked to expand and organise the collection, inspiring and recognising the 1950s generation while keeping historical shows to a minimum. He worked with
Robert Frank Robert Frank (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) was a Swiss American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled ''The Americans'', earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his ...
even before his ''The Americans'' was published, exhibited the early work of Harry Callahan and
Aaron Siskind Aaron Siskind (December 4, 1903 – February 8, 1991) was an American photographer whose work focuses on the details of things, presented as flat surfaces to create a new image independent of the original subject. He was closely involved with, if ...
, and purchased two prints by
Robert Rauschenberg Milton Ernest "Robert" or "Bob" Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the Pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his Combine painting, Combines (1954 ...
in 1952, ahead of any museum. Steichen also kept international developments in his scope and held shows and made important acquisitions from Europe and Latin America, occasionally visiting those countries to do so. Three books were published by the Department during his tenure (''
The Family of Man ''The Family of Man'' was an ambitious exhibition of 503 photographs from 68 countries curated by Edward Steichen, the director of the New York City Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) department of photography. According to Steichen, the exhibitio ...
'', ''Steichen the Photographer'', and ''The Bitter Years: 1935–1941: Rural America as Seen by the Photographers of the
Farm Security Administration The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was a New Deal agency created in 1937 to combat rural poverty during the Great Depression in the United States. It succeeded the Resettlement Administration (1935–1937). The FSA is famous for its small but ...
''). Despite his solid career in photography, Steichen displayed his own work at MoMA—his retrospective, ''Steichen the Photographer''—only after he had already announced his retirement in 1961. Among accomplishments that were to redeem initial resentment at his appointment, Steichen created ''
The Family of Man ''The Family of Man'' was an ambitious exhibition of 503 photographs from 68 countries curated by Edward Steichen, the director of the New York City Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) department of photography. According to Steichen, the exhibitio ...
'', a world-touring Museum of Modern Art exhibition that, while arguably a product of American
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
propaganda, was seen by 9 million visitors and still holds the record for most-visited photography exhibit. Now permanently housed and on continuous display in Clervaux (Luxembourgish: Klierf) Castle in northern
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, his country of birth, Steichen regarded the exhibition as the "culmination of his career.". Comprising over 500 photos that depicted life, love and death in 68 countries, the prologue for its widely purchased catalogue was written by Steichen's brother-in-law,
Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg w ...
. As had been Steichen's wish, the exhibition was donated to the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembourg ...
, his country of birth.


MoMA exhibitions curated or directed by Steichen

The following are exhibitions curated or directed by Steichen during his tenure as Director of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art. (References link to the exhibition page in the museum's archive, with press releases, checklists of the exhibited photographs, and installation views.) * 1947, 30 Sep–7 Dec: ''Three Young Photographers'': Leonard McCombe, Wayne F. Miller,
Homer Page Homer Page (1918–1985) was an American documentary photographer whose most famous photographs were taken in New York City in 1949–1950, after he received a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation. Page was born in Oakland, California, and s ...
* 1948, 6 Apr–11 Jul: ''In and Out of Focus: A Survey of Today's Photography,'' "including prints by 76
merican ''Merican'' is an Extended play, EP by the American punk rock band Descendents, released February 10, 2004. It was the band's first release for Fat Wreck Chords and served as a pre-release to their sixth studio album ''Cool to Be You'', released ...
photographers, the first large exhibition organized by Captain Edward J. Steichen, Director of the Museum's Department of Photography." * 1948, 27 Jul–26 Sep: ''50 Photographs by 50 Photographers – Landmarks in Photographic History''. "50 prints from the Museum Collections that form an abbreviated history of the development of pictorial photography during the past 100 years." * 1948, 29 Sep–28 Nov: ''Photo-Secession (American Photography 1902–1910)'' * 1948/49, 30 Nov–10 Feb: ''Photographs by
Bill Brandt Bill Brandt (born Hermann Wilhelm Brandt ; 2 May 1904 – 20 December 1983)Paul DelanyBill Brandt: A Life was a British photographer and photojournalism, photojournalist. Born in Germany, Brandt moved to England, where he became known for his ...
, Harry Callahan, Ted Croner,
Lisette Model Lisette Model (born Elise Amelie Felicie Stern; November 10, 1901 – March 30, 1983) was an Austrian-born American photographer primarily known for the frank humanism of her street photography. A prolific photographer in the 1940s and a member ...
'' * 1949, 8 Feb–1 May: ''The Exact Instant. Events and Pages in 100 Years of News Photography'' * 1949, 26 Apr–24 Jul: ''Roots of Photography,'' comprising works by
Hill & Adamson Hill & Adamson was the first photography studio in Scotland, set up by painter David Octavius Hill and engineer Robert Adamson in 1843. During their brief partnership that ended with Adamson's untimely death, Hill & Adamson produced "the first ...
,
Julia Margaret Cameron Julia Margaret Cameron (; 11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879) was an English photographer who is considered one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. She is known for her Soft focus, soft-focus close-ups of famous Victorian era, ...
and
Henry Fox Talbot William Henry Fox Talbot (; 11 February 180017 September 1877) was an English scientist, inventor, and photography pioneer who invented the salted paper and calotype processes, precursors to photographic processes of the later 19th and 20th c ...
. * 1949, 26 Jul–25 Sep: ''Realism in Photography.'' Works by
Ralph Steiner Ralph Steiner (February 8, 1899 – July 13, 1986) was an American photographer, pioneer documentarian and a key figure among avant-garde filmmakers in the 1930s. Photographer Born in Cleveland, Steiner studied chemistry at Dartmouth, but i ...
, Wayne F. Miller, Tosh Matsumoto,
Frederick Sommer Frederick Sommer (September 7, 1905 – January 23, 1999), was an artist born in Angri, Italy and raised in Brazil. He earned an M.A. degree in Landscape Architecture (1927) from Cornell University where he met Frances Elisabeth Watson (1904–199 ...
. * 1949, 11 Oct–15 Nov: ''Photographs by
Margaret Bourke-White Margaret Bourke-White (; June 14, 1904 – August 27, 1971) was an American documentary photography, documentary photographer and photojournalist. She was known as an architectural and commercial photographer for the first half of her career, ...
, Helen Levitt,
Dorothea Lange Dorothea Lange (born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn; May 26, 1895 – October 11, 1965) was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange' ...
,
Tana Hoban Tana Hoban (February 20, 1917 – January 27, 2006) was an American photographer and creator of children's books, including many picture books without any words. Early life and education Tana Hoban was born in Philadelphia to Jeanette (Dim ...
,
Esther Bubley Esther Bubley (February 16, 1921 – March 16, 1998) was an American photographer who specialized in expressive photos of ordinary people in everyday lives. She worked for several agencies of the American government and her work also featured in s ...
, and Hazel-Frieda Larsen.'' "Sixty prints by 6 women photographers." * 1950, 29 Nov–15 Jan: ''Roots of French Photography'' * 1950, 24 Jan–19 Mar: ''Photographs of Picasso by
Gjon Mili Gjon Mili (November 28, 1904 – February 14, 1984) was an Albanian photographer from Korçë who developed his profession in America, best known for his work published in Life (magazine), ''Life'', in which he photographed artists such as Pablo ...
and by
Robert Capa Robert Capa (; born Endre Ernő Friedmann, ; October 22, 1913 – May 25, 1954) was a Hungarian-American war photographer and photojournalist. He is considered by some to be the greatest combat and adventure photographer in history.Kershaw, Al ...
'' * 1950, 28 Mar–7 May: ''Photography Recent Acquisitions: Stieglitz, Atget'' * 1950, 9 May–4 Jul: ''Color Photography.'' Survey with
color photographs Color (or colour in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though co ...
and transparencies by more than 75 photographers. * 1950, 1 Aug–17 Sep: ''Photographs by 51 Photographers.'' More than 100 newly acquired prints. * 1950, 26 Sep–3 Dec: ''Photographs by
Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...
'' * 1951, 13 Feb–22 Apr: ''Korea – The Impact of War in Photographs'' * 1951, 1 May–4 Jul: ''Abstraction in Photography.'' Featured in an ''Photo Arts'' special issue. * 1951, 12 Jul–12 Aug: ''12 Photographers,'' with 15 prints each by
Berenice Abbott Berenice Alice Abbott (July 17, 1898 – December 9, 1991) was an American photographer best known for her portraits of cultural figures of the interwar period, New York City photographs of architecture and urban design of the 1930s, and science ...
,
A. Adams Arthur Adams (1820 in Gosport, Hampshire – 1878) was an England, English physician and natural history, naturalist. Adams was assistant surgeon Royal Navy on board HMS Samarang (1822), HMS ''Samarang'' during the survey of the islands of ...
, Atget,
Mathew Brady Mathew B. Brady ( – January 15, 1896) was an American photographer. Known as one of the earliest and most famous photographers in American history, he is best known for his scenes of the American Civil War, Civil War. He studied under invento ...
(studio), Brandt, Callahan,
Henri Cartier-Bresson Henri Cartier-Bresson (; 22 August 1908 – 3 August 2004) was a French artist and Humanist photography, humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 135 film, 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street ...
,
Walker Evans Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Resettlement Administration and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great ...
,
Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American naturalized French visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, ...
, Model,
Irving Penn Irving Penn (June 16, 1917October 7, 2009) was an American photographer known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. Penn's career included work at ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'' magazine, and independent advertising work for clie ...
,
Edward Weston Edward Henry Weston (March 24, 1886 – January 1, 1958) was an American photographer. He has been called "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers" and "one of the masters of 20th century photography." Over the course ...
. * 1951, 23 Aug–4 Nov: ''Forgotten Photographers,'' nearly 100 photographs from the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
by
Edward S. Curtis Edward Sheriff Curtis (February 19, 1868 – October 19, 1952; sometimes given as Edward Sherriff Curtis) was an American photographer and ethnologist whose work focused on the American West and Native American people. Sometimes referred to a ...
,
Frances Benjamin Johnston Frances Benjamin Johnston (January 15, 1864 – May 16, 1952) was an American photographer and photojournalist whose career lasted for almost half a century. She is most known for her portraits, images of southern architecture, and various photo ...
a. o. * 1951, 20 Nov–12 Dec: ''Memorable '
Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
' Photographs,'' catalogue. * 1951/52, 29 Nov–6 Jan: ''Christmas Photographs'', Christmas sale of prints by Adams, Callahan, Frank, Levitt, Weston a. o. for $10–25. * 1951/52, 18 Dec–24 Feb: ''Five French Photographers'':
Brassaï Brassaï (; pseudonym of Gyula Halász, ; 9 September 1899 – 8 July 1984) was a Hungarian–French photographer, sculptor, medalist, writer, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerou ...
, Cartier-Bresson,
Robert Doisneau Robert Doisneau (; 14 April 1912 – 1 April 1994) was a French photographer. From the 1930s, he photographed the streets of Paris. He was a champion of humanist photography and, with Henri Cartier-Bresson, a pioneer of photojournalism. D ...
, Izis and
Willy Ronis Willy Ronis (; 14 August 191012 September 2009) was a French photographer. His best-known work shows life in post-war Paris and Provence. Life and work Ronis was born in Paris to Jewish immigrants. His father, Emmanuel Ronis, was from Odessa, a ...
. * 1952, 20 May–1 Sep: ''Diogenes with a Camera.'' First show of a series featuring contemporary American photographers:
W. Eugene Smith William Eugene Smith (December 30, 1918 – October 15, 1978) was an American photojournalist.Peacock, Scot. "W(illiam) Eugene Smith." ''Contemporary Authors Online'', Gale, 2003. ''Biography in Context''. He has been described as "perhaps the si ...
, Sommer, Callahan, Weston,
Esther Bubley Esther Bubley (February 16, 1921 – March 16, 1998) was an American photographer who specialized in expressive photos of ordinary people in everyday lives. She worked for several agencies of the American government and her work also featured in s ...
,
Eliot Porter Eliot Furness Porter (December 6, 1901 – November 2, 1990) was an American photographer best known for his color photographs of nature.Amon Carter MuseumEliot Porter collection guide. Retrieved September 12, 2008. Early life and education Porter ...
. * 1952, 5–18 Aug: ''Then and Now'', 50 photographs 1839–1952 displayed during the convention of the
Photographic Society of America The Photographic Society of America (PSA) is one of the largest, non-profit organizations of its kind. Established in 1934, it has expanded to include members of over 60 countries. The mission of this association is to promote and enhance the a ...
. * 1952/53, 25 Nov–8 Mar: ''Diogenes with a Camera II,'' with Adams, Lange, Tosh Matsumoto, Man Ray,
Aaron Siskind Aaron Siskind (December 4, 1903 – February 8, 1991) was an American photographer whose work focuses on the details of things, presented as flat surfaces to create a new image independent of the original subject. He was closely involved with, if ...
,
Todd Webb Todd Webb (September 5, 1905 – April 15, 2000) was an American photographer notable for documenting everyday life and architecture in cities such as New York City, Paris as well as from the American west. He traveled extensively during his lo ...
. * 1953, 26 Feb–1 Apr: ''Always the Young Strangers.'' 25 never before shown photographers with three to six prints each: Roy DeCarava,
Saul Leiter Saul Leiter (December 3, 1923 – November 26, 2013) was an American photographer and painter whose early work in the 1940s and 1950s was an important contribution to what came to be recognized as the New York school of photography.Jane Liv ...
, Leon Levinstein, Marvin E. Newman,
Naomi Savage Naomi Siegler Savage (June 25, 1927 – November 22, 2005) was an American photographer. Early life and education Born Naomi Siegler, she was a native of Princeton, New Jersey. Her parents were Samuel Siegler and Elsie Siegler (née Radnitzky), ...
a. o. (The title is a quote by Carl Sandburg in honour of his 75th birthday.) * 1953, 26 May–23 Aug: ''Postwar European Photography.'' Over 300 photographs by 78 photographers (
Eva Besnyö Éva Besnyő (29 April 1910 – 12 December 2003) was a Dutch-Hungarian photographer who participated in the ''Nieuwe Fotografie'' (New Photography) movement. Biography Born in Budapest, Besnyö was brought up in a well-to-do Jewish home. In 19 ...
,
Édouard Boubat Édouard Boubat (; 13 September 1923 – 30 June 1999) was a French photojournalist and art photographer. Life and work Boubat was born in Montmartre, Paris. He studied typography and graphic arts at the École Estienne and worked for a printi ...
,
Robert Frank Robert Frank (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) was a Swiss American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled ''The Americans'', earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his ...
,
Ernst Haas Ernst Haas (March 2, 1921 – September 12, 1986) was an Austrian-American photojournalist and color photographer. During his 40-year career Haas trod the line between photojournalism and art photography. In addition to his coverage of events ...
,
Nigel Henderson Admiral Sir Nigel Stuart Henderson, (1 August 1909 – 2 August 1993) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 1968 to 1971. Naval career Henderson joined the Royal Navy in 1927.
,
Otto Steinert Otto Steinert (12 July 1915 – 3 March 1978) was a German photographer. Life and work Born in Saarbrücken, Germany, Steinert was a medical doctor by profession and was self-taught in photography. After World War II, he initially worked for t ...
, Liselotte Strelow,
Jakob Tuggener Jakob Tuggener (7 February 1904, Zurich – 29 April 1988) was a Swiss photographer, filmmaker and painter. Early life, education and training Son of Jacob Arnold, lithographer, and Anna Barbara Sennhauser, Jakob Tuggener took his first photograph ...
,
Ed van der Elsken Eduard van der Elsken (10 March 1925 – 28 December 1990) was a Dutch photographer and filmmaker. His imagery provides quotidian, intimate and autobiographic perspectives on the European zeitgeist spanning the period of the Second World War i ...
a. o.) * 1955, 24 Jan–8 May: ''The Family of Man'' * 1956, 17 Jan–18 Mar: ''Diogenes with a Camera III,'' with
Walker Evans Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Resettlement Administration and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great ...
,
August Sander August Sander (17 November 1876 – 20 April 1964) was a German portrait photography, portrait and Documentary photography, documentary photographer. His first book ''Face of our Time'' (German: ''Antlitz der Zeit'') was published in 1929. Sande ...
,
Manuel Álvarez Bravo Manuel Álvarez Bravo (February 4, 1902 – October 19, 2002) was a Mexican artistic photographer and one of the most important figures in 20th century Latin American photography. He was born and raised in Mexico City. While he took art classes ...
, and
Paul Strand Paul Strand (October 16, 1890 – March 31, 1976) was an American photographer and filmmaker who, along with fellow modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, helped establish photography as an art form in the 20th century. ...
. * 1956, 4 Apr–3 Jun: ''Diogenes with a Camera IV,'' with Marie-Jean Beraud-Villars,
Shirley Burden Shirley Carter Burden (December 9, 1908 – June 3, 1989) was an American photographer, author of picture essays on racism, Catholicism, and history of place. He served on advisory committees of museums, including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art ...
, William A. Garnett, and Gustav Schenk. * 1956/57, 24 Oct–13 Jan: ''Language of the Wall: Parisian Graffiti Photographed by Brassaï.'' * 1957/58, 27 Nov–15 Apr: ''70 Photographers Look at New York,'' in collaboration with Grace Mayer * 1958/59, 26 Nov–18 Jan: ''Photographs from the Museum Collection,'' with Abbott, Brady, DeCarava,
Andreas Feininger Andreas Bernhard Lyonel Feininger (December 27, 1906 – February 18, 1999) was an American photographer and a writer on photographic technique. He was noted for his dynamic black-and-white scenes of Manhattan and for studies of the structures ...
, Frank, Haas,
Lewis Hine Lewis Wickes Hine (September 26, 1874 – November 3, 1940) was an American sociologist and muckraker photographer. His photographs taken during times such as the Progressive Era and the Great Depression captured young children working in harsh ...
,
Art Kane Art Kane (born Arthur Kanofsky; April 9, 1925 – February 3, 1995) was an American fashion and music photographer active from the 1950s through the early 1990s. He created many portraits of contemporary musicians, including Bob Dylan, Jefferson A ...
, Levinstein, Levitt,
Jay Maisel Jay Maisel (born January 18, 1931) is an American photographer. His awards include the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Media Photographers,
,
Jacob Riis Jacob August Riis ( ; May 3, 1849 – May 26, 1914) was a Danish-American social reformer, " muck-raking" journalist, and social documentary photographer. He contributed significantly to the cause of urban reform in the United States of Ame ...
, W. E. Smith, Webb,
Weegee Ascher (Usher) Fellig (June 12, 1899 – December 26, 1968), known by his pseudonym Weegee, was a photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography in New York City. Weegee worked in Manhattan's Lower Eas ...
,
Brett Weston Theodore Brett Weston (December 16, 1911 – January 22, 1993) was an American photographer. Life and work Weston was the second of the four sons of photographer Edward Weston and Flora Chandler. He began taking photographs in 1925, while living ...
, Winogrand,
John Vachon John Felix Vachon (May 19, 1914 – April 20, 1975) was an American photographer. Vachon is remembered most for his photography working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) as part of the New Deal and for contributions to '' Look'' magazin ...
a. m. o., as well as pictures from agencies and institutes like the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. * 1960, 1–16 Oct: ''Photographs for Collectors.'' Sales show with "more than 250 prints by 66 photographers...priced at $25 and up." *1962, 30 Jan–1 Apr: ''Harry Callahan and Robert Frank,'' assisted by Grace M. Mayer. Over 200 prints, and screenings of Frank's films ''
Pull My Daisy ''Pull My Daisy'' is a 1959 American short film directed by Robert Frank and Alfred Leslie, and adapted by Jack Kerouac from the third act of his play, ''Beat Generation''. Kerouac also provided improvised narration. It features poets Allen G ...
'' (1959) and ''The Sin of Jesus'' (1961). * 1962, 18 Oct–25 Nov: ''The Bitter Years: 1935–1941.'' 200 photographs selected by "Director Emeritus" Steichen (from 270,000 taken for the F.S.A.) In the latter years of his tenure after her appointment by Steichen as Assistant Curator, it was Grace M. Mayer from the
Museum of the City of New York The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is a history and art museum in Manhattan, New York City, New York. It was founded by Henry Collins Brown, in 1923Beard, Rick. "Museum of the City of New York" in to preserve and present the history ...
, where she had organized about 150 exhibitions, who curated the shows ''The Sense of Abstraction'' (17 Feb–10 Apr 1960), co-directed by Kathleen Haven, the museum staff designer since 1955. Then Mayer organized Steichens only solo-show during his time at the museum, ''Steichen the Photographer,'' (28 Mar–30 May 1961), ''Diogenes with a Camera V'' (26 Sep–12 Nov 1961), ''50 Photographs by 50 Photographers,'' a third survey of the museum's collection (3 Apr–15 May 1962), and a series of four installations called ''A Bid for Space'' (1960 to 1963), which were designed by Kathleen Haven. Haven had also been responsible for the design of ''The Family of Man,'' she worked two years on, as well as ''Diogenes with a Camera'' (II, III and IV), the exhibition of Brassaï's graffiti photographs, and the 1958 collection survey. Steichen hired
John Szarkowski Thaddeus John Szarkowski (December 18, 1925 – July 7, 2007) was an American photographer, curator, historian, and critic. From 1962 to 1991 Szarkowski was the director of photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Early life and ca ...
to be his successor at the Museum of Modern Art on July 1, 1962. On his appointment, Szarkowski promoted Mayer to Curator.


Later life

On December 6, 1963, Steichen was presented with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
by
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
. Though then 88 years old and unable to attend in person, in 1967 Steichen, as a still-active member of the copyright committee of the American Society of Magazine Photographers, wrote a submission to the U.S. Senate hearings to support copyright law revisions, requesting that "this young giant among the visual arts be given equal rights by having its peculiar problems taken into account." In 1968, the Edward Steichen Archive was established in MoMA's Department of Photography. The Museum's then-Director René d'Harnoncourt declared that its function was to "amplify and clarify the meaning of Steichen's contribution to the art of photography, and to modern art generally." Creator of the Archive was Grace M. Mayer, who in 1959 started her career as an assistant to the director, Steichen, and who became Curator of Photography in 1962, retiring in 1968. Mayer returned after her retirement to serve in a voluntary capacity as Curator of the Edward Steichen Archive until the mid-1980s to source materials by, about, and related to Steichen. Her detailed card catalogs are housed in the Museum's Grace M. Mayer Papers. Steichen's 90th birthday was marked with a dinner gathering of photographers, editors, writers, and museum professionals at the
Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...
in 1969. The event was hosted by MoMA trustee Henry Allen Moe, and '' U.S. Camera'' magazine publisher Tom Maloney. In 1970, an evening show was presented in Arles during The
Rencontres d'Arles The Rencontres d'Arles (formerly called ''Rencontres internationales de la photographie d'Arles'') is an annual summer photography festival founded in 1970 by the Arles photographer Lucien Clergue, the writer Michel Tournier and the historian ...
festival: ''Edward Steichen, photographe'' by Martin Boschet. Steichen bought a farm that he called Umpawaug in 1928, just outside West
Redding, Connecticut Redding is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,765 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Regi ...
.Niven (1997), p. 530. He lived there until his death on March 25, 1973, two days before his 94th birthday.Niven (1997), p. 698. After his death, Steichen's farm was made into a park, known as Topstone Park.Prevost, Lisa, "An Upscale Town with Upcountry Style,"''New York Times'', 3 January 1999. As of 2018, Topstone Park was open seasonally.


Legacy

Steichen's career, especially his activities at MoMA, did much to popularise and promote the medium, and both before and since his death photography, including his own, continued to appreciate as a collectible art form.. In February 2006, a print of Steichen's early pictorialist photograph, '' The Pond–Moonlight'' (1904), sold for what was then the highest price ever paid for a photograph at auction, . Steichen took the photograph in
Mamaroneck, New York Mamaroneck ( ), is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2 ...
, near the home of his friend, art critic Charles Caffin. It shows a wooded area and pond, with moonlight appearing between the trees and reflecting on the pond. While the print appears to be a color photograph, the first true color photographic process, the autochrome process, was not available until 1907. Steichen created the impression of color by manually applying layers of light-sensitive gums to the paper. Only three prints of ''The Pond–Moonlight'' are still known to exist and, as a result of the hand-layering of the gums, each is unique. (The two prints not auctioned are held in museum collections.) The extraordinary sale price of the print is in part attributable to its one-of-a-kind character and to its rarity. A show of early color photographs by Steichen was held at the Mudam (Musée d'Art moderne) in Luxembourg City from July 14 to September 3, 2007.


Personal life

Steichen married Clara E. Smith (1875–1952) in 1903. They had two daughters, Mary Rose Steichen (1904-1998) and Charlotte "Kate" Rodina Steichen (1908-1988). In 1914, Clara accused her husband of having an affair with artist Marion H. Beckett, who was staying with them in France. The Steichens left France just ahead of invading German troops. In 1915, Clara Steichen returned to France with her daughter Kate, staying in their house in the Marne in spite of the war. Steichen returned to France with the Photography Division of the American Army Signal Corps in 1917, whereupon Clara returned to the United States. In 1919, Clara Steichen sued Marion Beckett for having an affair with her husband, but was unable to prove her claims. Clara and Edward Steichen eventually divorced in 1922. Steichen married Dana Desboro Glover in 1923. She died of
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
in 1957. In 1960, aged 80, Steichen married 27-year-old Joanna Taub and remained married to her until his death, two days before his 94th birthday. Joanna Steichen died on July 24, 2010, in
Montauk, New York Montauk ( ) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in East Hampton, New York, East Hampton and Suffolk County, New York, on the eastern end of the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2020 Un ...
, aged 77.


Exhibitions


Solo

* 1900: Photo Club. Paris * 1900: Mrs. Arthur Robinson's home. Milwaukee (US) * 1901: La Maison des Artistes, Paris * 1902: Photo-Club, Paris * 1902: ''Eduard Steichen, Paintings and Photographs,'' Maison des Artistes, Paris * 1905: Photo-Secession Gallery, New York * 1906: ''Photographs by Eduard Steichen,'' Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession (291 Gallery), New York * 1908: ''Eduard Steichen, Photographs in Monochrome and Color,'' Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession, New York * 1909: Photo-Secession Gallery, New York * 1910: Photo-Secession Gallery, New York * 1910: Montross Gallery, London * 1910: Little Gallery, New York * 1915: M. Knoedler & Company, New York, including the
mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...
s for the Park Ave. town house of Agnes and Eugene Meyer * 1938: Museum of Modern Art, New York * 1938: ''Edward Steichen, Retrospective,''
Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of modern art, ...
* 1950: ''Edward Steichen, Retrospective,''
American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. * 1961: ''Steichen the Photographer,'' Museum of Modern Art, New York **1963: condensed versions in Cologne, Germany, and Zurich, Switzerland * 1965: Retrospective,
Bibliothèque Nationale A library is a collection of books, and possibly other materials and media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or digital (soft copies) materials, and may be a p ...
, Paris * 1976:
Allan Frumkin Gallery Allan Frumkin (1927–2002) was an American art dealer with galleries in Chicago and New York City in the second half of the 20th century. Life and career Frumkin was born in Chicago in 1927. He attended public schools and graduated from the Unive ...
, Chicago * 1978: Museum of Modern Art, New York * 1979:
George Eastman House The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film, is a photography museum in Rochester, New York. Opened to the public in 1949, is the oldest museum dedicated to photography ...
, Rochester, New York * 1997–2005: ''Hollywood Celebrity: Edward Steichen's Vanity Fair Photographs'' ** 1997/98, 25 Oct–12 Apr: George Eastman House, Rochester, NY ** 2004, 17 Jan–25 Apr:
Kunsthal Rotterdam The Kunsthal (; ) is an art space in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It opened in 1992. Overview The museum is situated in the Museumpark of Rotterdam next to the Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, and in the vicinity of the Museum Boijmans Van Be ...
, Netherlands ** 2005, 14 Mar–14 May:
Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow The Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (MAMM; , Москва) is a Russian state museum dedicated to the presentation and development of contemporary art related to new multimedia technologies. The museum was opened in October 2010 on the grounds of ...
, Russia * 2000:
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...
, New York. First major posthumous retrospective, catalogue * 2002: ''Edward Steichen: Art as Advertising/ Advertising as Art,'' Norsk Museum for Fotografi-Preus Fotomuseum,
Horten Horten () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Jarlsberg. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Horten (town) ...
, Norway * 2005: ''Edward Steichen,'' Luxembourg Embassy, Berlin * 2007–2008: ''Edward Steichen: Lives in Photography / Une épopée photographique,'' curated by William A. Ewing and Todd Brandow for the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis, and Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, in collaboration with Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, catalogue ** 2007, 9 Oct–30 Dec:
Jeu de paume ''Jeu de paume'' (, ; originally spelled ; ), nowadays known as real tennis, (US) court tennis or (in France) ''courte paume'', is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, ...
, Paris, France ** 2008, 17 Jan–23 Mar: Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland ** 2008, 12 Apr–8 Jun: Palazzo Magnani, Reggio Emilia, Italy (combined with ''In High Fashion (The Condé Nast Years) 1923–1937'') ** 2008, 24 Jun–22 Sep:
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia Museo may refer to: * ''Museum'' (2018 film), Mexican drama heist film *Museo station Museo is a Naples Metro station on Line 1. It opened on 5 April 2001 as the eastern terminus of the section of the line between Vanvitelli and Museo. On 27 Ma ...
, Madrid, Spain * 2008–2015: ''Edward Steichen: In High Fashion (The Condé Nast Years) 1923–1937,'' curated by William A. Ewing, Todd Brandow and Nathalie Herschdorfer, catalogue ** 2008, 11 Jan–30 Mar:
Kunsthaus Zürich The Kunsthaus Zürich is an art museum in Zurich. It is the biggest art museum in Switzerland by area and houses one of the most important art collections in Switzerland, assembled over time by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, a nonprofit art soc ...
, Switzerland, catalogue ** 2008, 1 May–8 Jun: Palazzo Magnani, Reggio Emilia, Italy (combined with ''Edward Steichen: Lives in Photography''), two catalogues ** 2008, 11 Oct –2 Jan 2009:
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg The Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg is an art museum in central Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, opened 1994. It presents modern and contemporary art and is financed by the ''Kunststiftung Volkswagen.'' It takes up aspects of the industrial city of Wolfsburg, whi ...
, Germany ** 2009, 6 Jun–8 Nov:
Williams College Museum of Art The Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) is a college-affiliated art museum in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is located on the Williams College campus, close to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and the Clark Art Institu ...
, Williamstown (Mass) ** 2009, 16 Jan–3 May:
International Center of Photography The International Center of Photography (ICP) is a photography museum and school at 84 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. ICP's photographic collection, reading room, and archives are at Mana Contemporary in Jer ...
, New York ** 2009, 26 Sep–3 Jan 2010:
Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...
, Canada ** 2011, 20 Nov–12 Feb 2012: Fondazione Sozzani, Milan, Italy ** 2013, 26 Jan–7 Apr:
Setagaya Art Museum The is an art museum in Yōga, Setagaya, Tokyo. The museum, which opened March 30, 1986, houses a permanent gallery and mounts seasonal exhibitions. Structure The main building of the museum, a contemporary design by architect Shōzō Uchii, ...
, Yōga, Japan ** 2013, 28 Jun–6 Sep: Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam ** 2014, 28 Jun–28 Sep:
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
, combined with own WWI-photographs ** 2014, 31 Oct–18 Jan 2015:
Photographers' Gallery The Photographers' Gallery was founded in London by Sue Davies opening on 14 January 1971, as the first public gallery in the United Kingdom devoted solely to photography. It is also home to the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, established ...
, London ** 2015, 18 Feb–24 May: WestLicht, Vienna, Austria ** 2015, 9 Sep–22 Nov: Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow, Russia * 2009, 31 Jan–17 May: ''Edward Steichen: The Early Years,''
Museum of Photographic Arts The Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) is a museum in Balboa Park in San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, ...
, San Diego, USA * 2009, 20 Mar–16 May: ''Edward Steichen: 1915–1923,'' Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York * 2010, 6 Nov–16 Jan 2011: ''Edward Steichen: Celebrity Design,''
Museum Folkwang Museum Folkwang is a major collection of 19th- and 20th-century art in Essen, Germany. The museum was established in 1922 by merging the Essener Kunstmuseum, which was founded in 1906, and the private Folkwang Museum of the collector and patr ...
, Essen, Germany, first comprehensive show of 65 photographs gifted to the museum in 1983 by Joanna Steichen * 2011, 15 Sep–29 Oct: ''Edward Steichen: The Last Printing,'' Danziger Gallery, New York * 2012, 12 Oct–9 Feb 2013: ''Edward Steichen,''
National Museum of Photography The National Museum of Photography (''Nationale Fotomuseum'') is located in the Black Diamond, a modern waterfront extension to the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen. History The National Museum of Photography, founded in 1996, moved into its c ...
, Copenhagen, Denmark * 2013, 3 Aug–8 Dec: ''Talk of the Town: Portraits by Edward Steichen from the Hollander Collection,''
LACMA The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 1961 ...
, Los Angeles * 2013, 18 Oct–2 Mar 2014: ''Edward Steichen & Art Deco Fashion,''
National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and list of most visited art museums in the world, most visited art mu ...
, Australia * 2013, 6 Dec–1 Aug 2014: ''Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s: A Recent Acquisition,'' Whitney Museum, New York * 2014, 28 Jun–28 Sep: ''Sharp, Clear Pictures. Edward Steichen's World War I and Condé Nast Years,''
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
* 2015, 8 Sep–17 Oct: ''Edward Steichen,'' Galerie Clairefontaine, Luxembourg * 2015, 13 Nov–5 Jan 2016: ''Making Meaning of a Legacy: Edward Steichen,''
Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels The Centre for Fine Arts (, ; , ) is a multi-purpose cultural venue in the Royal Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. It is often referred to as BOZAR (a homophone of ''Beaux-arts'') in French or by its initials PSK in Dutch. This multidisciplinary ...
, Belgium * 2016, 7 Oct–26 Mar 2017: ''Twentieth-Century Photographer Edward Steichen,''
DeCordova Museum The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is a sculpture park and contemporary art museum on the southern shore of Flint's Pond in Lincoln, Massachusetts, 20 miles northwest of Boston. It was established in 1950, and is the largest park of its k ...
, Lincoln (Mass) * 2019–2024: ''Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers'' **2019, 20 Sep–12 Jan 2020:
Orlando Museum of Art The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization directly serving greater Orlando, Orange County and Central Florida. The museum was founded in 1924 by a group of art enthusiasts. General OMA presents a rotating series ...
/ Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando (Fla)''Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers''
on the website of Orlando Museum of Art
Review
by Suzanne Cohen on ''Art Districts Magazine,'' n. d.
ep 2024 An extended play (EP) is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 15 to 30 minutes. An EP is usually less cohesive t ...
Accessed 30 August 2024.
** 2023, 10 Mar–18 Feb 2024:
Hudson River Museum The Hudson River Museum, located in Trevor Park in Yonkers, New York, is the largest museum in Westchester County, and features the only public planetarium in the county. While often considered an art museum due to its extensive collection of Hu ...
, Yonkers, New York * 2023, 14 Oct–28 Jan 2024: ''Edward Steichen, Retrospective,'' Museum of Photography,
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, Poland


Group

* 1900: ''The New School of American Photography,''
Royal Photographic Society The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is the world's oldest photographic society having been in continuous existence since 1853. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as th ...
, London, England and Paris, France. * 1902: ''American Pictorial Photography,''
National Arts Club The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and members club on Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1898 by Charles DeKay, an art and literary critic of the ''New York Times'', to "stimulate, foster, and promote publi ...
, New York * 1904: ''Salon International de Photographie,'' Paris. * 1905: Opening exhibition, Little Galleries of the Photo Secession, New York * 1906: ''Photographs Arranged by the Photo Secession,''
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1805, it is the longest continuously operating art museum and art school in the United States. The academy's museum ...
, Philadelphia * 1910: ''The Younger American Painters,'' Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession, New York * 1910: ''International Exhibit of Pictorial Photography,'' Albright Art Gallery, Rochester, New York * 1932: ''Murals by American Painters and Photographers,'' Museum of Modern Art, New York * 1955: ''The Family of Man,'' Museum of Modern Art, New York


Gallery

File:Steichen landscape ave of trees.gif, ''Landscape with Avenue of Trees,'' painting by Steichen, 1902 File:Edward Steichen - Cover Design - Google Art Project.jpg, Cover design, 1900, printed 1906 File:Camera Work cover.jpg, Cover of ''
Camera Work ''Camera Work'' was a quarterly photographic journal published by Alfred Stieglitz from 1903 to 1917. It presented high-quality photogravures by some of the most important photographers in the world. The goal of the journal was to establi ...
'', No 2, showing Steichen's design and custom typeface. This volume was entirely devoted to his photographs. File:Steichen-SelfPortrait1903.jpg, ''Self-portrait'', publ. in ''Camera Work'' No 2, 1903 File:Auguste Rodin by Edward Steichen, 1902.jpg, ''Portrait of
Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...
'', 1902 File:Steichen flatiron.jpg, ''
The Flatiron Granite Harbour () is a bay in the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica, about long, entered between Cape Archer and Cape Roberts. It was discovered and named by the British National Antarctic Expedition (BrNAE) of 1901–04 in the ''RRS Discover ...
,'' 1904 File:Portrait of Eleanora Duse - by Edward J. Steichen. LCCN2008676241.jpg, ''Portrait of Eleanora Duse,'' 1903, the unaltered photograph File:Eleonora Duse by Edward Steichen, 1903.jpg, ''Eleonora Duse,'' a version publ. in ''Photographische Mitteilungen,'' 1903 File:Steichen Rita de Acosta Lydig 1905.jpg, ''Portrait of Rita de Acosta Lydig,'' 1905 File:Portrait of Clarence H. White (5711502854).jpg, ''Portrait of Clarence H. White,'' 1905 File:Edward Steichen-Experiment.jpg, ''Experiment in Three-Color Photography,'' publ. in ''Camera Work'' No 15, 1906 File:Edward Steichen - On the House Boat--"The Log Cabin" - Google Art Project.jpg, ''On the House Boat–"The Log Cabin",'' 1879, color halftone print 1908 File:Gertrude Kasebier cph.3b52204.jpg, ''Gertrude Käsebier,'' publ. in ''
The Century Magazine ''The Century Magazine'' was an illustrated monthly magazine first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City, which had been bought in that year by Roswell Smith and renamed by him after the Century Associati ...
,'' Jan 1908 File:Henri Matisse and La Serpentine, fall 1909, Issy-les-Moulineaux, photograph by Edward Steichen..jpg, ''
Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...
and La Serpentine,'' Issy-les-Moulineaux, fall 1909 File:Edward Steichen - Brancusi.jpg, ''Portrait of
Constantin Brâncuși Constantin Brâncuși (; February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, painter, and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and a pioneer of modernism ...
,'' taken at Steichen's home at
Voulangis Voulangis () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics Inhabitants of Voulangis are called ''Voulangeois''. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department The follo ...
, 1922 File:Edward Steichen - Milk bottles on a fire escape - 1915.jpg, ''Milk Bottles – Spring,'' New York 1915 File:Le tournesol - Steichen.PNG, ''Le Tournesol (The Sunflower),'' c. 1920, NGA, Washington File:Edward Jean Steichen - Isadora Duncan in the Parthenon, Athens - Google Art Project.jpg, ''
Isadora Duncan Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877, or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American-born dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance and performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Bor ...
in the
Parthenon The Parthenon (; ; ) is a former Ancient Greek temple, temple on the Acropolis of Athens, Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the Greek gods, goddess Athena. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of c ...
,
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
'', 1921 File:Steichen - wind fire - Thérèse Duncan on the Acropolis, 1921.jpg, ''Wind Fire – Maria-Theresa Duncan on the
Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...
,'' 1921 File:Aircraft landing aboard USS Lexington (CV-16), in November 1943 (80-G-K-15290).jpg, ''Aircraft of Carrier Air Group 16 return to the ''USS Lexington'','' Nov 1943


References


Further reading

* . * Steichen, Edward (1947), ''The Blue Ghost: A Photographic Log and Personal Narrative of the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Lexington in Combat Operation.'' Harcourt Brace, & Co. * Steichen, Edward (1955)
''The Family of Man: The Greatest Photographic Exhibition of All Time''
(exhibition catalogue). New York: Maco Pub. Co for the Museum of Modern Art. * . * . * Steichen, Edward, ed. (1966)
''Sandburg. Photographers View Carl Sandburg.''
New York: Harcourt, Brace & World. * . * Cohen DePietro, Anne (1985), ''The Paintings of Eduard Steichen'' (exhibition catalogue). Huntington, NY: The
Heckscher Museum The Heckscher Museum of Art is an American art museum. It is named after its benefactors, Anna and August Heckscher, who in 1920 donated 185 works of art to be housed in a new Beaux-Arts building located in Heckscher Park, in Huntington, New ...
. . * Sandeen, Eric J. (1995), ''Picturing an Exhibition: The Family of Man and 1950s America''. University of New Mexico Press. * . * . * . * Mulligan, Therese (1997), ''Hollywood Celebrity: Edward Steichen's Vanity Fair Photographs'' (exhibition catalogue). Rochester, NY: George Eastman House. * Niven, Penelope (1997), ''Steichen: A Biography''. New York: Clarkson Potter. . * Smith, Joel (1999), ''Edward Steichen: The Early Years''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. * . * Haskell, Barbara (2000), ''Edward Steichen'' (exhibition catalogue). New York: Whitney Museum of American Art. * . * Cohen DePietro, Anne; Goley, Mary Anne (2003),
Eduard Steichen: Four Paintings in Context
' (exhibition catalogue). Hollis Taggart Galleries. * * Mitchell, Emily (2007), ''The Last Summer of the World''. Norton. (A fictional narrative about Steichen.) * Hurm, Gerd; Anke Reitz; Shamoon Zamir, eds. (2017),''The Family of Man Revisited: Photography in a Global Age.'' London and Milton Park: I.B. Tauris and Routledge. ISBN 978-178453967-2. * . * .


External links


Official website of the Edward Steichen Estate

"From Luxembourg and America to the World: Edward Steichen's Photographic Legacy"
at La Crosse History Unbound


Collections of his work


173 Works by Edward Steichen
at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
, New York
Steichen Collection
at the Musée National d'Histoire et d'Art, Luxembourg *
''The Family of Man''
from 1955 permanent installment at
Clervaux Castle Clervaux Castle (, , ) in the town of Clervaux in Northern Luxembourg dates back to the 12th century. Destroyed by the fire in the Second World War during the Battle of the Bulge, the castle has now been fully rebuilt. It houses the commune's adm ...
*
''The Bitter Years''
(Steichen's last curated exhibition at MoMA from 1962) at Waasertuerm Gallery *
''The Family of Man''
on VisitLuxembourg
Biographical text and 174 works by Steichen
at
The Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park. Its collection, stewarded by 11 curatoria ...
** and a uniqu
album
with World War I–era aerial photographs by Steichen) ** also in th
Alfred Stieglitz Collection

Works by Edward Steichen
o
search resulting in 136 photographs
at The
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
, New York (publications on their Alfred Stieglitz Collection with prints and material on Steichen)
Works by Edward Steichen
(with some odd search results), and specifically th

(mostly in watercolor) at the
National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...
, Washington
Edward Steichen
at the
George Eastman Museum The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film, is a photography museum in Rochester, New York. Opened to the public in 1949, is the oldest museum dedicated to photography ...
, Rochester (over 2000 photographs; regular works, private snapshots, test takes and contact sheets are undifferentiated and often not dated yet)
Works by Edward Steichen
at the
International Center of Photography The International Center of Photography (ICP) is a photography museum and school at 84 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. ICP's photographic collection, reading room, and archives are at Mana Contemporary in Jer ...
, New York (about 30 unsorted photographs and additional documents like magazines) * *


Writings and other documents


Edward Steichen Archive
at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
Archive
Edward J. Steichen papers
at
George Eastman Museum The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film, is a photography museum in Rochester, New York. Opened to the public in 1949, is the oldest museum dedicated to photography ...
Archives (Gift of Joanna Taub Steichen, 2001)
The Steichen Family Papers
at the
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts and ...
,
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Mary Steichen Calderone Papers
at
Schlesinger Library The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America is a research library at Harvard Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University. According to Nancy F. Cott, the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Director, it is "the ...
,
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Carl Sandburg Home, North Carolina
from the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

Carl Sandburg Papers
at
University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

Rodin and Steichen
at
Musée Rodin The Musée Rodin () of Paris, France, is an art museum that was opened in 1919, primarily dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds in central Paris, as well as just ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steichen, Edward Edward Steichen 1879 births 1973 deaths American fashion photographers American portrait photographers American war photographers 20th-century American photographers Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Vanity Fair (magazine) people Vogue (magazine) people Photographers from New York (state) Artists from New York City American art curators Photography curators People associated with the Museum of Modern Art (New York City) Photography critics United States Army colonels United States Army personnel of World War I United States Navy captains United States Navy personnel of World War II Military personnel from New York City Military personnel from Connecticut Académie Julian alumni Luxembourgian emigrants to the United States People from Redding, Connecticut