Public Eye: 175 Years of Sharing Photography

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Thanks to the development of new technology and social media, more photographs are created, viewed, and shared today than ever before. Public Eye, the first-ever retrospective survey of photography organized by NYPL, takes advantage of this moment to reframe the way we look at photographs from the past. What are some of the platforms and networks through which photographs have been shared? In what ways have we, as photography’s public and one of its subjects, been engaged over time? To what ends has the street served as a venue for photographic practice since its beginnings? And, of more recent concern, are we risking our privacy in pursuit of a more public photography? Ranging from photography’s official announcement in 1839 to manifestations of its current pervasiveness, this landmark exhibition, drawn entirely from the Library’s collections, explores the various ways in which photography has been shared and made public. Photography has always been social.

From December 12, 2014 through September 4, 2015, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

2 Comments
  1. Celia Walker says

    Great show!  Loved the installation over the entrance and the Eadweard Muybridge photo especially.

  2. Harriet Blank says

    This video is great!! I wonder who made it? Short, but exciting. Short, but inviting.  It actually makes me want to see this exhibit.  I can't wait!!! The visuals – Great, Audio-Brings excitement!!

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