The New Art: American Photography, 1839–1910
The New Art: American Photography, 1839–1910 offers a bold reinterpretation of the origins and early development of photography in the United States, from its inception in 1839 through the first decade of the 20th century. Drawn from The Met’s remarkable William L. Schaeffer Collection—a promised gift from trustees Jennifer and Philip Maritz—the exhibition features approximately 275 photographs, most never before on public view.
Alongside masterworks by renowned photographers such as Josiah Johnson Hawes, John Moran, Carleton Watkins, and Alice Austen, the exhibition highlights striking images by lesser-known or unidentified practitioners working in small towns and cities across the country. The result is a sweeping and inclusive portrait of early American photography—one that reveals the creative ambition, technical innovation, and cultural significance of both celebrated artists and intrepid amateurs.
Spanning a variety of formats—including daguerreotypes, tintypes, salted paper prints, albumen prints, stereographs, cartes de visite, and cyanotypes—the show explores photography’s rapid rise as a cultural, commercial, artistic, and psychological force. It captures a pivotal moment in American history when the medium helped shape a new sense of national identity, mirroring the social and technological transformations of the age. As early as 1835, philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson presciently wrote, “Our Age is Ocular”—a sentiment vividly embodied in these early images.
Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, notes: “This exhibition reveals long-overlooked treasures that expand our understanding of photography’s role in American life. Thanks to the generosity of Jenny and Flip Maritz, we are able to reexamine and celebrate these works in their rightful context.” Curator Jeff L. Rosenheim adds: “The camera and its democratic output—rivaling the great literature of the time—mark the origins of modern visual communication. To truly understand photography today, we must acknowledge the extraordinary power and authenticity of its earliest expressions.”
Curated by Jeff L. Rosenheim, Joyce Frank Menschel Curator in Charge of the Department of Photographs, with research assistance by Virginia McBride, the exhibition includes iconic pieces such as Young Man with Rooster (1850s), Woman Wearing a Tignon (c. 1850), Musician with Lock of Hair (1870s), and Studio Photographer at Work (c. 1855), as well as Austen’s Group on Petria, Lake Mahopac (1888) and Moore’s Young Man Laying on Roof (1880s–90s).
The New Art: American Photography, 1839–1910 is made possible by the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund and the Diane Carol Brandt Fund, with additional support from the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.
The New Art: American Photography, 1839–1910
until July 20, 2025
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York – USA
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