33 257-12 THE 14 WEST 49TH STREET, NEW YORK FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TEUEPHONE: CIRCLE 7-7470

The Museum of Modern Art, 3 3. West 53 Street, New "¥ork City, announces an Exhibition of Photography: 3C39-3.937 which wi3 3. open to the pub]ic Wednesday, March seventeenth, and wi33 remain on view through Sunday, Ap ri3 eighteenth. This wi3 3 be the Museum's first exhibition of photograp hy and it wi3 3 be the most compre­ hensive one ever held in this country. It wi!3 fill the four f3oors of the Museum and will te composed of more than eight hun­ dred items incJuding many masterpieces of 19th and 20th century photography se3ected from 3.30 American and European p rivate co3.- jections, museums, and societies. The exhibition will be arranged tr show step Try step the evolution of photography from the first pub3.ic announcement of Daguerre's process in 3 039 to the present date. In addition to photographs, cameras and photographic apparatus invented during the past ninety-eight years wi3.3 be shown. The exhibition wi31 demonstrate the particular characteristics cf different techniques, the artistic q ual'itiea of each process, and the relation of tech- nica3 and esthetic developments of photography to the taste and sociaj needs of the times. Among the rare specimens of photography inc3uded in this exhibition are: a reproduction of the ear3iest daguerreotype in existence, a photograph of the first ca3otype negative, early photographs "by David Octevius Hill, photographs of Bayard's first direct paper positives, the first " candid camera" photograph, the earliest photographs taken by f3rsh3ight, Muybridge's photo­ graphs of animal loeomotien and other oar3y instantaneous photo­ graphs, Brady's documentary photographs of Civi3 War scenes, At- get's famous views of . Approximately haJf of the photo­ graphs to be shown are the work of distinguished contemporary photographers, The exhibition has been a'ssemb3ed under the direction of Beaumont Newhr3 3, Librarian of the Museum of Modern Apt, For a3 - most a year Mr. Newha33 has been connecting materia3 from Ameri­ can sources and photographers and 3.ast fa3 3 spent scvera3. months in Europe where he obtained both contemporary work and "old mas­ ters" of fcrout rarity. Supplementing the main historica3 so- '/

quence of the exhibition w!3D be sections devoted to color, press, end scientific photography, end the re.lr.tion between painting and photography. The catalog of the exhibition wi.l 3 contain 95 pit ates and on eighty-page foreword by the director of the exhibition. In his foreward Mr. Newhal 1 discusses the question so often raised: "Is photography art?" "The question," he says, "cannot be ig­ nored. Ever sinoe its inception, photography has been confused with a]3 other graphic processes. From time immemoria], pictures had been made only by human hands. Sudden3,y, a mechanica3 method of producing them was presented to an astonished world. Confusion and comparison "between the two methods was natura] and inevitab3e. ii Photography was brought into being by a desire to make pic­ tures. Without exception, those men who were instrumental! in mak­ ing it practical were impe3 3ed by an artistic urge. When a prac­ tical photographic process was announced, artists .looked forward

to the hcOp It would give them in observing nature•. .Butf just as photography had >een fostered by would-be artists who Jacked ski33 and training, so it enabled countless followers who had little training to produce pictures. The public found that it could pur­ chase portraits and other records more cheap3y than ever before. Pn economic crisis was precipitated; the Industrie] revolution had penetrated the artist's studio. Minor artists who earned their daily bread largely through the subject-matter of their art rather than through their mastery of form and color probably suffered most. "The early criticism of photography was almost entirely in terms of painting and drawing. But we are seeking standards of criticism generic to photography. In order that such criticism oe valid, photography should be examined in terms of the optical, and chemical laws which govern its production. Primitive photog­ raphy enables us to isolate two fundamental factors which have al­ ways characterized photography--whatever the period. One has to do with the amount of dotal! which can be recorded, the other is concerned with the rendition of values. The first is largely de­ pendent on optical laws, the second on chemical properties. The camera is able to fo«Ufl many details simultaneously, and. so to re- are dfrtfyyftihftflftfch*t we/able to comprehend them more r-G'tviHy in the pho- togrrph than in nature. Thus the photegrrpher is crpobile, under certrin precise circumstances, of offering the essence of the nature! worJ.d." The fo3 3owing phctsgraphors are included in the exhibition:

CONTEMPORARY

UNITED STATES California Massachusetts Oakland Cambridge Imogens Cunningham M. I. T. - Harold E. Edgerton Kenneth J. Germeshausen Pasadena Herbert E. Grier Mt. Wilson Observatory John C. Duncan New Jersey Hackensack San Francisco Charles A. Roih Ansel Adams Brett Weston New York Rochester Santa Monica Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories Edward Weston Ohio Connecticut * Dayton Ridgefield Capt. Albert W. Steven* Charles Sheeler Pennsylvania D. C, Philadelphia Washington Frederick E. Ives Theodore Jung William Rittaso

Wisconsin Tennessee Williams _3zv_ Knoxvillo Sdisan Pettit Charles Krutch

New York City

Berenice Abbott Alfredo Valente Cecil Beaton Sam Andre Thomas Bouchard Murray L. Beckler Targaret Bourke-Whito Hugh Broderick Anton Bruehl Pat Candido Martin Bruehl William C. Greene Louise Dahl-Wolfe Frank Jurkoski Walker Evans Osmund Levinoss Fritz Honle John Lindsay Andre Kertesz Vincent Lopez F. S. Lincoln Frank J. Merta .. Romie Lohse Honry 01on George Piatt Lynos Tom Sando Ira Martin Wi 11i am Warne eke Herbert Matter Fornand Bourges Martin Munkacsi Nickolas Muray Lusha Nelson Paul Outerbridgo Ingemann P. Sekaer J. J. Roilly Edward J. Steichen Dr. Francis F. Lucas Ralph Steiner Lewis M. Rutherfurd Paul Strand Fairchild Aorial Surveys McLaughlin Aerial Surveys

AUSTRIA London (cont•d) W. G. Briggs Josof Maria Sdor Francis Bruguiore Eduard Valonta Nool Griggs John Havindcn "ENGLANB Bedford Lcmoro London Laszlo ".toholy-Nagy Cocil Beaton rraltor Bird Maurice Bock Curtis Moffat Edward Bishop Mademo Yovonde A. S. Smith 4

CCNTHiPORARY (cont'd

GERMANY SC01XANP Abordeon Slsboth Honnonhausen G. Aubourno Clark V. Hazon Erna Lendvai-Dirckson SWEDEN Stockholm Frankf ort-on-I'ai n Saltsjobaden Observatory Paul !?olff Hochst-om-I£ain Colmar Ernst IConig Pierre Betz

Weimar Cologne mat or Hogo Hugo Srfurth JAPAN LvjDns^ Tokio August© Lumioro Yonosuko Natori Pore St. Maur Gerogos Mounier

PARIS

Gabriel Lippman E. Feher A. Gouin Lux Feiningor milot Gertrude Fuld H. Jouvin Florence Henri Lauro Albin-Guillot Pierre Jahan Nadar (pseudonym of Andre Fertosz Gaspard-Folix Francois Kollar Tournachon) Paul Kov/rliski Pierre Adam Henri Lacheroy Denise Bellon Use Bing Roger Parry Erwin Blumenbeld Man Ray Pierre Boucher 3\4bic. Rogi-Andre Brassai (pseudonym) Raymond Schcll Louis Caillaud Roger Schall Henri Cartior-Brosson Emmanuel Sougoz Nora Dumas Stephen Storm A. Dumas-Satigny Maurice Tabard Andro Durand Pierre Verger Romy Duval (pseudonym)

NINETEENTH CENTURY

UNITED STATES ENGLANT Wood & Gibson George Seeley Alvin Langdon Coburn 7/illiam Plonry Fox Talbot Frank Eugene Julia Margaret Cameron Gertrude Kasebior Roger Fenton Joseph T. Keiley J. E. Hayall Edward J. Steichen 0. G. Rojlander Alfred Stieglitz Charles Victor Hugo Claronce White Kenry Poach Robinson Babbitt Baron A. Do I!eyor I latthow B. Brarly P. H. Imerscn Josiah Johnson Hawes Paul liartin William Langenhoin Sadwoard Muybridge Frederick Langonhoim Heade 3rothers FRANCE J. Vanerson Joseph Nicophoro Niepce Alexander Gardner J. Arnaudo John A. 'ATiipplo Louis Jacques Mande Daguorro F. E. Ross Demange Fritz Ilonle Derussy T. IT. 0'Sullivan Desmonts Hubert sAUSJRIA N. P« Lerobours ku^o Honneborg Lory Hoinrich Kuehn C. Puyo Kans 'Yatzek Ilayor & Pierson b

FRANCE (cont'd) FRANCE (cont'd) Dupont Charlos Soulier Bisson Freros Tourlaquo & Caloir Lehcdin and icartons Budor E. Baldus Eugene Atget Maximo Du Camp Robert Domachy H. Lo Socq Paul Nrdar Victor Provost J. W« deVillenouvo G3RHANY Hippolyte Bayard Ottomar iUischutz A. doBrobisson Christian Schad Etienno Carjat C. II. Eckert L. Cromiore Delmaot & Durondelle SCOTLAND Andre Adolphe Eugene Disderi John Moffat 2. Fauro Dtavid 0ctaviu3 Hill Logo & Bergeron Rob or t ;,.danison Charlos T^arville J. Craig Annan Nadar Charles :iegre Sr,1TZEKLuND Pierre Petit Adolpho Broain Adam Salomon Sollier

The exhibition has boon selected chiofly from the following collections:

Victor Barthelemy, Paris Paul Iiartin, London Albert Gilles, Paris Frederick II. Ilesorve, New York Edward Southworth Howes, Boston Paul Nadar, Paris Mrs. Charles J. Liebman, Mow York TIiss 2.1. T. Talbot, Lacock ..bbey Acme Newspictures, Inc. Maurice Beck, London Pierre Adam, Paris Denise Bellon, Paris Laure Albin-Guillot, Paris Eastman Kodck Company, Iledical Di­ ^'jidrc Durond," Peris vision, Rochester, Now York Piorro Botz, Colmar, France Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories, Use Bing, Paris Rochester. New York Walter Bird, London Harold E. Edgorton, Cambridge, Mass. Edward Bishop, London Hugo Erfurth, Cologne Black Star Publishing, Company, N. Y. E. Foher, Paris Erwin Blumenfeld, Paris A. Conger Goodyear, Now York Thomas Bouchard, New York Noel Griggs, London Pierre Boucher, Paris L. C. Handy Studios, 7/ashington, D. C. Brcssai, Pari3 John Havindon, London Vh G. Briggs, London Fritz Honle Burloigh Brooks, Inc., New York Florenco Henri, Paris Louis Caillaud, Paris Mrs. Henry R. Hitchcock, Plymouth, Colour Photographs, Ltd., London Massachusetts Nora Dumas, Paris Henry-Russell Hitchcock, Jr., Middle- A. Dumas-Satigny, Paris town, Connecticut Andre Kertosz, New York International News Photos Francois Kollar, Paris Pierre Jahan, Paris Paul Xowaliski, Paris Honry Lacheroy, Peris Srgy Landau, Paris E. Loitz, Inc., New York Bedford Lemoro, London George Piatt Lynos, Now York Curtis Moffat, London National Geographic Society, Wash­ Charlos Negro, Grasse, France ington, D. C. Roger Pr.rry, Paris James Thrall Soby, Farmington, H. L. Ripporgor, New York Connecticut Paul Rotha, London 3nmanuol Sougoz, Paris A. S. Smith, London Sovfoto, Nov; York James Stckley, Philadelphia Stephen Storm, Paris The Associated Press Tho Bergon Evening Record, Hackon- The Daily News, Now York sack, Now Jersey The New York Amorican The Now York Sun The New York '.'orld-TolG^ram Tristan Tzara, Paris Pierre Vorgcr, Porta Brett 'Veston, S*;.n Francisco P.?ul Y7olff, Frankfort-on-J'iain line. Yovonde, London Aj3 .jnerican Place, Now York Yllu, Paris Julion Levy Gr.llory, Now York Albright .j?t Gallery, Buffalo, N. Y. Chandlor Chemical :luscum, Columbia Fogg xJPt ?1usoum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Paul J. Sachs Colloctior. University, New York Smithsoni-.n Institution, Washington, Museum of the City of Now York The Franklin Institute of tho State D. C. of Pennsylvania, Ponna. The Royal Photographic Socioty of The T:useum of Modorn Ajrt Film Library Great Britain, London New York City