The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will open a second complete rotation of 20 extraordinary Richard Avedon portraits spanning two decades and curated from the museum’s extensive photo history collection.
In November 1962, the National Museum of American History hosted Avedon’s very first one-man exhibition that included a range of photographic materials, including photographs, proof prints, contact sheets, a printing plate and more. Avedon gifted the whole of that show to the museum followed shortly by two additional donations of his work including photographs and negatives. It is from those gifts that “(re)Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon 1946–1965” are drawn.
Presented in conjunction with Avedon’s Centennial year, the exhibit offers both beauty and stark realism from a time when photographic film dominated. Internationally recognized as one of the 20th century’s most influential photographers, Avedon’s photography captured depth and dimension, embracing the emotions, psychology and aging of his subjects. Though high fashion brought him his initial fame, his passion for social and political issues became evident as his popularity rose.
The exhibition’s themes of politics, personal decision making, and identity are explored in six sections with questions around music, marriage, women and politics, who decides what’s sexy, can we change our minds, and who do you stand with. Included in the exhibit is a living room with a rotation of magazines from the 1940s through the 1960s for visitors to peruse, as well as interactive tabletops about portraiture, encouraging visitors to sit, pause, reflect and engage. Visitors can use their phone to access visual descriptions with QR codes located throughout the exhibition.
“As a history museum holding a vast and exceptional collection of photography, we are pleased to reveal how fine art provides a key lens to understand and explore the nation’s complicated history,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum’s Elizabeth MacMillan Director. “The visual impact of Avedon’s photographs capture some of the cultural and social tensions of the era through the mass media platform of magazines which he used masterfully as one of the nation’s culturemakers.”
“Photographs embody social, cultural, and political messages that we quickly absorb, whether we know it or not,” said Shannon Perich, curator of the photographic history collection. “Revisiting these historical photographs we can contemplate people of the past whose actions continue to resonate today, and point to our contemporary ability to continue to impact American culture by what music we listen to, how we engage with issues that matter to us, and who we vote for. Avedon’s portraits humanize people that have been elevated through history reminding us that we are all people who have power. We just have to decide how we are going to employ it.”
“(re)Framing Conversations” is made possible by support from Judy and Leonard Lauder, with additional funding from Marcia and Frank Carlucci and the William Talbott Hillman Foundation.
(re) Framing Conversations
Photographs by Richard Avedon, 1946–1965
until November 1, 2024.
National Museum of American History
1300 Constitution Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20560
https://americanhistory.si.edu
Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer 1958 © (re) Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon, 1946–1965
Duke and Duchess of Windsor 1957 © (re) Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon, 1946–1965
Julian Bond 1963 © (re) Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon, 1946–1965
Mae West and Mr. Universe_1954 © (re) Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon, 1946–1965
Marian Anderson_Contrailto June 30 1955 © (re) Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon, 1946–1965
