Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Nina Berman on WORT Radio "A Public Affair"

 Via WORT Radio, Madison, Wisconsin


This Thursday, 12/30 on WORT’s noontime ”A Public Affair”….

APA’s guest will be NINA BERMAN, the award-winning documentary photographer, filmmaker, author and educator. We’ll be discussing, among other topics, her recent film documentary, “When Jets Fly,” — a look at the impact on civilians living near airfields currently being used for Air Force training exercises from Whidbey Island, Washington to Burlington, Vermont, current site of a 20-plane squadron of F-35 attack jets.

Noon to 1:00 (Central), 12/30,  “A Public Affair” WORT 89.9fm, Madison. Listen online, live and archived at: https://www.wortfm.org/news-talk/talk/public-affair/


A Public Affair is WORT's daily hour long call-in talk program. It aims to engage listeners in a conversation on social, cultural, and political issues of importance. The guests range from local activists and scholars to notable national and international figures.


How to listen


Monday, December 27, 2021

First in a series: 2021 in 5 photos Features Ashley Gilbertson's January 6 Photograph of Eugen Goodman

 Via Axios AM

December 27, 2021

First in a series: 2021 in 5 photos

Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman stands firm as rioters push toward the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6 siege in the United States Capitol

Above: Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman stands firm as rioters push toward the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6 siege in the United States Capitol.

Why it matters: "Goodman’s selfless and quick-thinking actions doubtlessly saved lives and bought security personnel precious time to secure and ultimately evacuate the Senate before the armed mob breached the Chamber," the Senate said in awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Goodman and others who protected the Capitol.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

HOLIDAY HOURS

 

black and white photograph of snowy road in forest of pine trees
Henry Monroe   Snowy Trail, Arizona, 2021



  Holiday Hours 2021

Closing at 2pm Friday, Christmas Eve; Closed Saturday Christmas Day, open Sunday Dec 26 

Closing at 2pm Friday, New Year's Eve; Closed Saturday New Year's Day, open Sunday January 2 

Regular opening hours are 10-5 daily. "Tony Vaccaro at 99"continues on exhibition through January 16, 2022.


Thank you for your continued encouragement and support. We look forward to your visit to the Gallery, or please view our collection on line.


Wednesday, December 15, 2021

NY Times Year In Pictures Includes Ashley Gilbertson's January 6 Insurrection Photographs

 Via The New York Times

December 15, 2021

The Year In Pictures

While many people, fearing the virus, continued to stay close to home, photographers traveled the world, documenting turmoil and triumphs.

color photograph of Officer Goodman confronting rioters in the Capitol, Washington, DC, January 6, 2021

"For Ashley Gilbertson, this photograph captured the intensity of the moment when a single man stood firm against a massive mob overrunning the United States Capitol."

"As they turned a corner, the mob paused. A lone policeman was shouting at them to stop and turn back. Men in QAnon shirts shouted back, and another waved a Confederate flag in front of the officer. He drew his baton to fight them back, but it fell to the ground in the chaos. He unclipped the holster of his pistol and put his hand on the grip, and I put a rioter between me and him as a shield. But the officer never drew his sidearm.

His name, I would later learn, was Eugene Goodman. He acted as a diversion to draw rioters away from the Senate chamber. There weren’t many moments that we can be proud of as a nation from Jan. 6, 2021, but this is one of them."


Monday, December 13, 2021

Stream "Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC Tony Vaccaro"

 

Santa Fe, NM – On December 20, 2021, Tony Vaccaro celebrates his 99th birthday, an inspiration to us all.

To help celebrate, we are offering limited free streaming downloads of the HBO documentary "Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC Tony Vaccaro". The film chronicles the life of a man who played two roles during World War II, both at great risk: a combat infantryman on the front lines and a photographer who took and developed roughly 8,000 photographs of the war. Contact Monroe Gallery for details, offer is limited.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on December 20, 1922, Tony is one of the few people alive who can claim to have survived the Battle of Normandy and COVID-19. Tony Vaccaro spent the first years of his life in the village of Bonefro, Italy after becoming an orphan; by age 10 he started taking pictures with a box camera. When World War II broke out he was ordered to return to the US, where he reunited with his sisters and joined his high school camera club. Drafted into the war, by June 1944, now a combat infantryman in the 83rd Infantry Division, he was on a boat heading toward Omaha Beach, six days after the first landings at Normandy. Denied access to the Signal Corps, Tony was determined to photograph the war, and had his portable 35mm Argus C-3 with him from the start. For the next 272 days he photographed his personal witness to the brutality of war.

Returning to the US, Tony started his career as a commercial photographer, eventually working for virtually every major publication: Look, Life, Harper’s Bazaar, Town and Country, Newsweek, and many more. Tony went on to become one the most sought after photographers of his day. By focusing on the splendor of life, Tony replaced the images of horror embedded in his eyes from war.

Monroe Gallery of Photography is honored to present a special exhibition celebrating the 99th birthday of this American hero and distinguished photographer. The exhibit of over 40 photographs spans Tony’s 80-year career and features several never-before-exhibited photographs. The exhibit continues on-line and in the Gallery through January 16, 2021.

poster promo of Underfire documentary


Friday, December 10, 2021

Voice of America: 98-Year-Old NYC Photographer Tony Vaccaro Shows Life as Is – From WWII to Today

 

Via Voice of America

December 9, 2021


98-year-old photographer Tony Vaccaro was a simple infantryman, but he unofficially photographed World War II for 272 days. Anna Nelson met with Vaccaro to talk about his role in documenting the war. Anna Rice narrates her story.









Thursday, December 9, 2021

Never before exhibited photographs of Muhammed Ali on display in Austin: Features Gallery Photographer Bob Gomel

 

Never before exhibited photographs of Muhammed Ali on display in Austin

Via CBS Austin

December 9, 2021


The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin and the LBJ Presidential Library presents the exhibition “One Night in Miami”: From Photo to Film.


installation photograph of Muhammad Ali exhibit at Briscoe Center

#TBT: Never before exhibited photographs of Muhammed Ali on display in Austin



Located in the LBJ Library’s Great Hall, the exhibit showcases iconic photos from the Briscoe Center’s collections that inspired key moments in the 2020 film.

It features a selection of images from Bob Gomel and Flip Schulke, famed photojournalists whose archives are housed at the Briscoe Center. The photos, many of which have never before been exhibited, depict a young Muhammed Ali (then known by his birth name, Cassius Clay) during the early years of his boxing career.

After his victory over Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship in Feb. 1964, Ali celebrated with friends and supporters at the Hampton House, a motel in Miami that served as a gathering place for Black entertainers and celebrities.

There, Ali was joined by his friends Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke, and football player Jim Brown, among others. The gathering inspired Kemp Powers’s 2013 play, “One Night in Miami,” which was adapted into Regina King’s award-winning 2020 movie.


Malcolm X photographs Muhammad Ali at the victory party after Ali’s defeat of Sonny Liston, February 25, 1964. Photograph by Bob Gomel

Malcolm X photographs Muhammad Ali at the victory party after Ali’s defeat of Sonny Liston, February 25, 1964. Photograph by Bob Gomel, Bob Gomel Photographic Archive.


A key scene in the movie recreates Gomel’s photograph of Malcolm X and Ali in the Hampton House diner.

One of the opening scenes of the film was inspired by Flip Schulke’s famous photos of Ali taken in a Miami swimming pool in 1961. The shoot offered Schulke the opportunity to test out his experimental underwater camera setup.

In addition to a selection of rare photos from Gomel and Schulke, the exhibit features equipment from both photographers and related ephemera.

"One Night in Miami”: From Photo to Film runs until May 8, 2022. For more details on the exhibit, please go to: https://briscoecenter.org/exhibitions/one-night-in-miami/


The LBJ Library is open to the public. Admission tickets must be bought online in advance. For details, please go to: https://www.lbjlibrary.org/visit.

In the Gallery with: Sid and Michelle Monroe

 Via 1854 - British Journal of Photography

December 8, 2021


“I think some of the greatest photojournalism contains information that we were never meant to see”


In 1985, Michelle and Sid Monroe sat down with Alfred Eisenstaedt to discuss the possibility of exhibiting the famed LIFE magazine photographer’s work at a Manhattan gallery. Then in his 80s, Eisenstaedt regaled the young couple, then in their 20s and engaged to wed, with stories of an extraordinary life behind the camera. (direct link with slide show)

The Monroes experienced a powerful moment of revelation as Eisenstaedt recounted memories of fascism spreading across Europe and the harrowing realisation he would have to leave Germany to survive. “It was the meeting of a lifetime,” says Sid. “It was remarkable to see this person who had witnessed and photographed history. We were in the presence of something bigger than we had ever encountered before. This is our collective history — we didn’t live this but this is what formed the world we were born into.”

black and wihite photo of US GIs standing in open window of Hitler's retreat in Germany, 1945


Hitler's Window. Germany. 1945 © Tony Vaccaro, courtesy Monroe Gallery of Photography.


The encounter with Eisenstaedt opened their eyes to a new path, one that combined the realms of art, history, and reportage. At a time when photography was still striving to receive proper recognition from the art world, the young couple decided to devote themselves to uplifting, supporting, and preserving the work of photojournalists with the creation of Monroe Gallery in a classic street-level Soho loft on Grand Street. “It was like falling in love,” says Michelle. “It wasn’t a strategic decision that either of us made but more like listening to a piece of music that you were completely moved by.”

Sid concurs. “It became a passion that probably wouldn’t have made any sense if we had thought critically about it, but we decided: this is it. It was a remarkable time. We met many of Eisenstaedt’s colleagues for LIFE, who were all in their 70s or 80s. Although they had retired, they still had offices at the Time-Life Building and were treated like royalty. When we opened our gallery, we thought we hit the jackpot and assumed everyone was going to feel what we feel.”

But in the 1980s, photojournalism wasn’t sexy, it wasn’t conceptual, and although it was reasonably priced, it was a hard sell. At the time, dealers were focused on selling vintage prints, while the Monroes were breaking new ground selling multiples and limited editions. “It was a little bleak in the beginning because people didn’t understand,” Sid says. “But, on the flip side, that allowed us to develop our focus and it became our domain.”


black nd withe photo of Mrs. Cheney hugging young Ben Chaney at James Chaney;'s funeral, 1964

Mrs. Chaney and young Ben. James Chaney funeral. Meridian, Mississippi. 1964 © Bill Eppridge.


After 9/11, the Monroes left downtown Manhattan and headed west, settling in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “It gave us more freedom,” says Michelle. “In New York, you’re always going to be a relatively small gallery and competing for attention. In Santa Fe, you stand out just by doing what you do.” 

Santa Fe living also allows for a distinctive change of pace. “In New York, it’s ‘I’ve got five minutes, show me what you’ve got’,” says Sid. “Here it’s more relaxed. We can sit and talk with collectors — but it’s still a hustle.” 

Indeed, the Monroes have worked diligently over the past 20 years to establish the gallery at the intersection between photojournalism and fine art, showcasing works embedded in our collective consciousness that shape our shared history. The gallery roster includes Bill Ray, Tony Vaccaro, Bill Eppridge, Eddie Adams, Nina Berman, Cornell Capa, Ruth Orkin, and Nina Leen — photographers who not only documented their times but have also transformed the very way we see.

“Eisenstaedt, Carl Mydans, Margaret Bourke-White, Gordon Parks, they taught us how to look at history, and the people we represent are part of the same family tree. Over the past 10, 15 years, we’ve seen more work that has the same visual impact,” says Michelle. The gallery roster has expanded to include more women and artists of colour such as Anna Boyiazis, Gabriela E. Campos, Whitney Curtis, and Sanjay Suchak.

“We are fortunate to have had direct personal relationships with these photographers from the very beginning,” Michelle says. “Initially it’s visual attraction but we’ve learned the consciousness of these photographers and it becomes one and the same with what they are driven to do. To sit across from them and bear witness to what they have seen gives us the motivation to show their work to the world. I think some of the greatest photojournalism contains information that we were never meant to see.”


Tony Vaccaro at 99 is on show at Monroe Gallery until 16 January 2022.



About the author

Miss Rosen is a New York-based writer focusing on art, photography, and culture. Her work has been published in books by Arlene Gottfried, Allan Tannenbaum, and Harvey Stein, as well as magazines and websites including Time, Vogue, Aperture, Dazed, AnOther, and Vice, among others.

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Ashley Gilbertson's Photographs Featured in Latest NY Times Story on Colbalt Mining

 

December 7, 2021

color photograph from New York Times of Felix Tshisekedi, the Congolese president, top in the gray suit, arrived this spring at the Fleuve Congo Hotel in Kinshasa.

The New York Times published another installment about the Democratic Republic of Congo's mining of  cobalt and other metals used in the production of electric car batteries, wind turbines and other mainstays of the green energy revolution with photographs by Ashley Gilbertson.


On the Banks of the Furious Congo River, a 5-Star Emporium of Ambition

Friday, December 3, 2021

“One Night in Miami”: From Photo to Film Exhibit Features Gallery Photographer Bob Gomel

Via The Briscoe Center for American History 

December 9, 2021 – May 8, 2022

LBJ Presidential  Library and Museum, Austin, Texas 

Great Hall


The LBJ Library is open to the public. Admission tickets must be bought online in advance. For details, please go to https://www.lbjlibrary.org/visit.

“One Night in Miami”: From Photo to Film showcases iconic photos from the Briscoe Center’s collections that inspired key moments in the 2020 film. It features a selection of images from Bob Gomel and Flip Schulke, famed photojournalists whose archives are housed at the Briscoe Center. The photos, many of which have never before been exhibited, depict a young Muhammed Ali (then known by his birth name, Cassius Clay) during the early years of his boxing career.

After his victory over Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship in Feb. 1964, Ali celebrated with friends and supporters at the Hampton House, a motel in Miami that served as a gathering place for Black entertainers and celebrities. There, Ali was joined by his friends Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and football player Jim Brown, among others. The gathering inspired Kemp Powers’s 2013 play, “One Night in Miami,” which was adapted into Regina King’s award-winning 2020 movie. A key scene in the movie recreates Gomel’s photograph of Malcolm X and Ali in the Hampton House diner.

black and white photograph of Malcolm X photographs Muhammad Ali at the victory party after Ali’s defeat of Sonny Liston, February 25, 1964. Photograph by Bob Gomel, Bob Gomel Photographic Archive.

Malcolm X photographs Muhammad Ali at the victory party after Ali’s defeat of Sonny Liston, February 25, 1964. Photograph by Bob Gomel, Bob Gomel Photographic Archive.


One of the opening scenes of the film was inspired by Flip Schulke’s famous photos of Ali taken in a Miami swimming pool in 1961. The shoot offered Schulke the opportunity to test out his experimental underwater camera setup.

In addition to a selection of rare photos from Gomel and Schulke, the exhibit features equipment from both photographers and related ephemera.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Stephen Wilkes among group of nature photographers joining forces to protect the environment

 

Via CNN

December 2, 2021


color photograph of Serengeti watering place made by blending multiple photographs taken over time

Stephen Wilkes - Serengeti Day to Night. For his project "Day to Night," Stephen Wilkes creates images of landscapes photographed from a fixed camera angle for up to 30 hours. Blending these images into a single photograph can take months. Pictured, is Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.   ©,Stephen Wilkes

View slide show here

The final moments before the death of the last male northern white rhino, a 66-year-old elephant swimming in the ocean, and renowned primatologist Jane Goodall searching for chimpanzees in Tanzania in the early 1960s; these are all moments captured in a collection of powerful photographs that have been donated to raise funds for conservation projects.

Works by 100 photographers from around the world will be sold until the end of the year by Vital Impacts, a non-profit that provides financial support to community-orientated conservation organizations and amplifies the work of photographers who are raising awareness of their efforts. Contributing is a who's who of nature photography, including Paul Nicklen, Ami Vitale, Jimmy Chin, Chris Burkard, Nick Brandt, Beth Moon, Stephen Wilkes and Goodall herself.

"Each image has a really profound story behind it," said Vitale, an award-winning photographer and co-founder of Vital Impacts. "I worked really hard when I was curating this to make sure that these photographers are diverse, but the one thing they all share is this commitment to the planet. They're using their art to help conservation."

'An inspiration to the world'

Goodall's photograph of herself, sitting with a telescope on a high peak in Gombe, Tanzania, was taken around 1962 using a camera that she fastened to a tree branch. "I was pretty proud of myself. I love that picture," said Goodall in a video message for Vital Impacts. All the proceeds from her self-portrait will go to supporting her Roots & Shoots program, which educates young people and empowers them to care for the world.

color photo og Jane Goodall sittng in forest

Jane Goodall's "Self Portrait," from the early 1960s, in Tanzania. Credit: ©,Jane Goodall


"It's breathtaking work," said Vitale, who only found out that Goodall was a photographer after reaching out to her about supporting the program. "She's been such an inspiration to the world. This one woman has had such an impact for the betterment of the planet."

Vital Impacts has tried to make the print sale carbon neutral by planting trees for every print that is made. Sixty per cent of profits from the sale will be divided between four groups involved in wildlife or habitat protection: Big Life Foundation, Great Plains Foundation's Project Ranger, Jane Goodall Institute's Roots & Shoots program, and SeaLegacy. The remaining 40% will go to the photographers to help them continue their work.

'Our shared life raft'

Vitale was a conflict photographer for a decade before becoming a wildlife photographer. She hopes that people will be "inspired by all of this work" and that the photographs make people "fall in love" with our "magnificent planet."

"The planet is our shared life raft and we've poked some holes in it, but it's not too late," added Vitale. "We can all do little acts that can have profound impacts. That's kind of why I named it 'Vital Impacts,' because I think very often we are all so disconnected and don't realize how we are interconnected. Everything we do impacts one another and shapes this world."

One of her photographs in the print sale, "Goodbye Sudan," shows Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, being comforted by one of his keepers, Joseph Wachira, at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in northern Kenya moments before the rhino's death in March 2018. Now, two females are all that remains of this species.


color photo shows moments before death of the last male northern white rhino in 2018.
.
"Goodbye Sudan" by Ami Vitale shows the moments before the death of the last male northern white rhino in 2018. Credit:© Ami Vitale

"It's such an important story to me because it made me realize that watching these animals go extinct is actually like watching our own demise in slow motion, knowing that it's going to impact humanity," said Vitale.

"It's so deeply interwoven. That's what led me down this path and now I really try to find these stories which show us a way forward, where people are learning how to coexist and protect wildlife and the habitats that we all share."

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Hunt for the ‘Blood Diamond of Batteries’ Impedes Green Energy Push; with photographs and video by Ashley Gilbertson.

 

Via The New York Times

November 29, 2021


The New York Times continued coverage of the dangerous mining conditions that plague Congo, home to the world’s largest supply of cobalt, a key ingredient in electric cars, featuring photographs and video by Ashley Gilbertson.

Full story at this link.