AARON SISKIND: Edited by A VISION Deborah Martin Kao and TOWARD PERSONAL Charles A. Meyer 1935-1955 Cover photograph: Morris Engel Portrait of Aaron Siskind (ca 1947) National Portrait Gallery/ Smithsonian Institution AARON SISKIND: Edited by TOWARD A PERSONAL VISION Deborah Martin Kao and Charles A. Meyer 1935-1955 Boston College Museum of Ar Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts AARON SISKIND: TOWARD A PERSONAL VISION "The Feature Group" by Aaron Siskind from Photo Richard Nickel’s photographs from the Aaron Siskind and 1935-1955. Notes. June-July 1940 Repnnted in Nathan Lyons, Students' Louis Sullivan Project. Institute of Design. editor. Photo Notes (facsimile). A Visual Studies Repnnt Chicago, ca 1956, in the collection of Len Gittieman. Copyright © 1994 by Boston College Museum of Art, Book (Rochester: Visual Studies Workshop, 1977). Reprinted by permission of the Richard Nickel Committee. Deborah Martin Kao and Charles A. Meyer Repnnted by permission of the Aaron Siskind Len Gittieman, and John Vinci. Foundation Foreword: Copynght © 1994 by Carl Chiarenza “The Photographs of Aaron Siskind" by Elaine de Kooning, Introduction: Toward a Personal Vision Copynght © Sid Grossman's installation photographs of Aaron 1951 , from typescnpt introduction to an exhibition of 1 994 by Charles A Meyer Siskind s "Tabernacle City" exhibition at the Photo Aaron Siskind’s photographs held at Charles Egan Gallery. Personal Vision in Aaron Siskind’s Documentary Practice: League. 1940, in a pnvate collection Repnnted by 63 East 57th Street. New York City. February 5th to 24th. Copynght ©1994 by Deborah Martin Kao permission of the Sid Grossman Foundation 1951, in the collection of Nathan Lyons. Visual Studies Workshop. Rochester. New York. Reprinted by permission ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Pnnted in the United States of "Guggenheim Essay” by Aaron Siskind, ca 1956, from of Marjorie L. Luyckx, Executrix, the Elaine de Kooning Amenca No part of this anthology may be used or typescnpt “Item 3 Accomplishments" for a John Simon Estate reproduced in any manner whatsoever without Guggenheim Memorial Foundation grant application in permission from the Boston College Museum of Art, the Aaron Siskind Archive. Center for Creative Aaron Siskind’s photographs reproduced in this anthology except in the case of bnef quotations embodied in critical Photography, the University of Anzona. Tucson. are reprinted by permission of the specified lenders, and articles or reviews For information, address Boston Reprinted by permission of the Aaron Siskind the Aaron Siskind Foundation. College Museum of Art, Chestnut Hill. MA 02167 Foundation ‘Tabemade City Photographs by Aaron Siskind" by Henry Published in conjunction with an exhibition of “Harlem” from Fortune. July 1939 Text repnnted by Beetle Hough. 1940. from a four-page exhibition the same title permission of Time. Inc Photographs repnnted by catalogue produced by Aaron Siskind and Alex R. Stavenitz Deborah Martin Kao and Charles A. Meyer. Curators permission of the Aaron Siskind Foundation, the Wendell in the Aaron Siskind Archive. Center for Creative MacRae Estate. Hansel Mieth. and Carl Mydans Photography. University of Arizona. Tucson Repnnted by Boston College Museum of Art permission of the Aaron Siskind Foundation and Edith September 30- 1 ‘ December 1 . 1994 Interview with Aaron Siskind” by Jaromir Stephany. Blake 1963, from an audio-tape provided by Jaromir Stephany This exhibition and anthology were partially funded by and Tom Beck, Albm O Kuhn Library and Gallery, Toward a Harlem Document, one- page exhibition the National Endowment for the Arts, ^teiefal agency* Univeraty af Maryland Baltimore Cfunty Edited by -catalague by Aaron Siskind and Mikel [Michael] Carter. and the Aaron Siskind Foundation Document Feature Group Digitized by the Internet Archivehool for Social Research. Q.t . \A/or+ 1 TfK CfrGZbt VarL Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 94-7^90 66 West 12th Street. NewMam York City. May 8th to 21st ISBN 0-9640153-1-5 Interview with Aarc a ^ 1939 m the Aaron Siskind Archive. Center for Creative from a transcnption p'll^lc by^mlrils |afe| Photography. University of Arizona. Tucson. Repnnted by Edited by Deborah Maltm laofr^^w fle^mted by permission of the Aaron Siskind Foundation. permission of the Aaron Siskind Foundation and Grateful acknowledgement is made for permission to Charles Traub "Work Sheet" by Aaron Siskind and the Feature Group reprint the following articles, ephemera, and from the Photo League. Hariem Document Feature Group photographs: Interview with Aaron Siskind" by Bonnie Yochelson Project led by Aaron Siskind. 1938-1940. in the Aaron Unpublished taped interview with Aaron Siskind by Siskind Archive. Center for Creative Photography. Book Maquette. Louis Sullivan Project. Aaron Siskind Bonnie Yochelson for Charles Traub s photography class University of Anzona. Tucson. Reprinted by permission of and Students. Institute of Design. Chicago, 1956. in the at the School for Visual Arts. New York City. February the Aaron Siskind Foundation. collection of John Vinci, the Richard Nickel Committee 1988 Excerpts transcnbed by Deborah Martin Kao in Repnnted by permission of the Aaron Siskind 1994 Excerpts reprinted by permission of the Aaron Foundation. James Blair. Len Gittieman. the Richard Siskind Foundation and Bonnie Yochelson Photo Credits: The photographs and histoncaJ documents Nickel Committee, and John Vinci in this anthology have been reproduced from copy prints. "Learning Photography at the Institute of Design" by Copy pnnts were made by the Boston College Office of "Credo” by Aaron Siskind. 1950, from typescnpt in the Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan from Aperture 4. no 4. Publications and Print Marketing. Geoff Why photogra- Aaron Siskind Archive. Center for Creative Photography. 1956. Reprinted with minor changes as “Four Years of pher. unless otherwise noted. University of Arizona, Tucson. First published in Study Earns a B.S. in Photography" in Infinity 9 2 Center for Creative Photography, Diane Nilson Spectrum (Rhode Island School of Design) vol 6, no 2. Feburary 1960 Repnnted by permission of the Aaron (pages 17. 58. 62) 1956 Repnnted in Nathan Lyons, editor, Photographers Siskind Foundation, Aperture, and Harry Callahan Dukes County Historical Society. Vineyard Museum. Bob on Photography (Englewood Cliffs. New Jersey Prentice- Shellhammer (pages 38. 39) Hall, Inc., 1966) Repnnted by permission of Rhode "Michael Carter's Statement" (Hariem Document) by Harvard University Art Museums (pages 8. 54) Island School of Design and the Aaron Siskind Michael Carter, tyi^escript from the Photo League. International Museum of Photography at George Eastman Foundation. Hariem Document. Feature Group project led by Aaron House. Daniel Bogaard (pages 10. 12. 14. 29. 32. 36. 37) Siskind, in the collection of the George Eastman House. Robert Klein Gallery. Boston Photo Imaging (page 50) “Chicago's Sullivan in New Photographs" by Aaron Rochester. New York Reprinted by permission of the Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design. Del Bogart Siskind and Students. Institute of Design, Chicago, from Aaron Siskind Foundation (page 52) Architectural Forum. October 1954 Ongmally published National Museum of American Art Smithsonian Institution by Time. Inc Repnnted by permission of the Aaron "Museum Fellowship Essay" by Aaron Siskind from (page 18) Siskind Foundation, James Blair, Len Gittieman. the handwritten draft in the Aaron Siskind Archive. Center National Portrait Gallery. Smithsonian Institution (Cover) Richard Nickel Committee, and John Vinci for Creative Photography. University of Anzona. Tucson. Reprinted by permission of the Aaron Siskind “The Drama of Objects" by Aaron Siskind from Minicam Foundation Design Boston College Office of Publications Photography, June 1945 Reprinted in Nathan Lyons, and Print Marketing. Jana Spacek. Director of Design editor. Photographers on Photography (Englewood "244.000 Native Sons" from Look. vol. 4. May 21, 1940 Services. Anne Callahan. Senior Designer Cliffs. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall. Inc.. 1966) Repnnted Photographs repnnted by permission of the Aaron Printing: Quinn Printing. Boston. Massachusetts in Carl Chiarenza. Aaron Siskind: Pleasures and Terrors Siskind Foundation. Editorial Consultant Nancy J. Witting (Boston: Little. Brown and Company, in association with Legal Consultant Steve J. Frank. Cesan and McKenna the Center for Creative Photography. 1982). Repnnted “Outline Nov 6 Religion" by Aaron Siskind and Michael by permission of the Aaron ^isljind Foundatj Carter. *93fJ-19|K). from the fboto League, Harlem Moms I rchive collection of thelNational Portrait Gallery. Smithsonian Photo^HbHy University of Anzona Tucsor Repented Institution. Reprinted by permission of Morris Engel. by permission of the Aaron Siskind Foundation. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 PREFACE 5 Nancy Netzer FOREWORD 6 Carl Chlarenza INTRODUCTION: TOWARD A PERSONAL VISION 9 Charles A. Meyer PERSONAL VISION IN AARON SISKIND’S DOCUMENTARY PRACTICE 12 Deborah Martin Kao THE FEATURE GROUP (1940) 26 Aaron Siskind TABERNACLE CITY: PHOTOGRAPHS BY AARON SISKIND (1940) 32 Henry Beetle Hough INTERVIEW WITH AARON SISKIND (1963) 40 Jaromir Stephany THE DRAMA OF OBJECTS (1945) 50 Aaron Siskind MUSEUM FELLOWSHIP ESSAY (1945-46) 54 Aaron Siskind CREDO (1950) 56 Aaron Siskind THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF AARON SISKIND (1951) 58 Elaine de Kooning GUGGENHEIM ESSAY (1956) 60 Aaron Siskind LEARNING PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE INSTITUTE OF DESIGN (1956) 64 Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind INTERVIEW WITH AARON SISKIND