Edward Steichen

[Gerry Harrison]

Hello,
Been watching the "Genius of Photography" series on Knowledge Network and would like recommendations on the best book printed of the photographer Edward Steichen from a image and history approach.....thanks Gerry.

[lenser]

Try his autobiography "Steichen, a Life in Photogrpahy". Great book, tons of his images, and quite a perspective on his career from before 1900 until his death many decades later.

You might also look into Ansel's perspective and comments regarding Steichen. No love lost there over the direction of creative photography.

Tim

[Bill_1856]

An amazing man, whose legacy is clouded by the vitriol of St. Ansel's pen.
I've always thought that Newhall and Weston's dislike of Steichen was pure professional jealousy, far more than disagreement over the future path of creative photography.
The book by his last wife is also worth checking out of the library. Despite her fawning, I think he was not a nice man.

[lenser]

It's hard to avoid becoming a cult member in favor of or against certain photographers. I am definitely a huge fan of Adams, Weston, Cunningham, and Sexton, both for their incomparable artistry and (if what I read of them is correct) because they seemed to be genuinely interesting and enjoyable people.

From what I've read of Steichen, even reading between the lines in his autobiography, he seems to have been consumed by his own ambitions and quite capable of using his position and power to ensure that he got his own way in his photography career as well as his total control of the photography department at MOMA, no matter whom he stepped on in the process. As Wilhelm says, not a particularly nice man.

Having said that, nothing takes away from his contributions as a photographer. His body of work is both innovative and of tremendous range in subject matter, all done with deep honesty to the subject. His early work of Hollywood talent is worth a long look and much of his editorial work for Conde Nast is quite remarkable.

Two images that have always deeply moved me are his glaring portrait of J. P. Morgan and the hauntingly dignified image of the immigrant women holding the Bible in her lap.

I would like to have known them all, regardless of whether I "liked" them. I'm certainly glad that the record of their images remains and in Sexton's case, grows.

Tim

[Merg Ross]

When assessing the character of Steichen, one only needs to understand how he came to his position at MOMA. Newhall's dislike of him was not jealousy, more likely anger directed at Steichen for stealing his job. That, at least, has been my understanding of the situation. And then there was the very close relationship of Adams, Weston, Newhall and McAlpin, the latter who was the moving force behind establishing a Department of Photography at MOMA. That group, most certainly, had a low opinion of Steichen.

[jetcode]

I had the pleasure of seeing a Steichen portfolio in person. I like the work very much.

[lenser]

We've all left out an absolute must in learning about Steichen....the show and book, "The Family of Man". A magnificent collection of images from photographers around the world that tell the story of humanity in the form of the photographic image. He, along with a small team, organized and edited this incredible document and showed it in many venues across the planet.

Wish I had been around to see it when it was actually presented, but the book certainly has had a huge influence on me anyway.

Tim

[Merg Ross]

I should add to my above post that I never took a side in the West Coast versus Steichen debate. I saw the man for what he had contributed to photography, putting aside politics.

In 1969, at the age of eighteen, I met Steichen at MOMA and he was very gracious and took time to look at my small portfolio of prints. His remark, one I shall never forget was, "keep sawing wood". At the time I was not sure exactly what he meant, whether I had a long way to go and stick with it, or if he approved of what he saw. Whatever he may have meant, he did follow my progress over the next five or six years and through his assistant (Grace Mayer) made an occasional encouraging comment.

There has never been a doubt in my mind of his immense contribution to photography.

[Merg Ross]

I just took ten years off my life, it was 1959 that I met Steichen at MOMA. Sorry.

[Brian Ellis]

We've all left out an absolute must in learning about Steichen....the show and book, "The Family of Man". A magnificent collection of images from photographers around the world that tell the story of humanity in the form of the photographic image. He, along with a small team, organized and edited this incredible document and showed it in many venues across the planet.

Wish I had been around to see it when it was actually presented, but the book certainly has had a huge influence on me anyway.

Tim

That show actually epitomized the difference between Adams-Newhall et al on the one hand and Steichen on the other. The "Adams Newhall Group" for lack of a better term wanted MOMA to go in a more "arty" direction. They viewed Steichen in general and "The Family of Man" in particular as pandering to popular tastes at the expense of advancing photography as an art form and as taking MOMA in exactly the opposite direction from which they had planned.

Right or wrong, it's hard to blame them for being upset. Adams, Newhall, et al (with the help of McAlpin's money) had been the driving force behind establishing a photography department at MOMA to begin with and Newhall's wife Nancy held down the fort at MOMA for Newhall while he served in WWII. Then when he returns from the war, presumably expecting to resume his former position, he basically gets booted in favor of Steichen so that MOMA could go in a different direction than originally conceived.