A History of Photography: Selections from the Museum’s Collection comprises a series of installations that trace the course of photography from its invention to the present day, showcasing important new acquisitions and treasured masterpieces.

Every six months, a new selection of photographs, drawn from the rich collection the Museum has built over the past half century, presents the medium’s history in a slightly different light. In this way, an increasingly complex picture of photographic history emerges, encouraging visitors to look closely, move slowly, and return for more.

Each new installation also includes a focused look at the work of a single artist or theme held in depth by the Museum, plus a selection of photographically illustrated books highlighting the key role that publications have played in the development of the medium.

This installation showcases photographs by artists including Berenice Abbott, Julia Margaret Cameron, Adam Fuss, Robert Frank, John Gutman, Chris Killip, Germaine Krull, and Catherine Opie. With a special focus honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the birth of the LGBTQ civil rights movement, the presentation features images of LGBTQ subjects, photographers, and histories by Diane Arbus, Jess Dugan, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Duane Michals, and Mark Morrisroe, among others. The next presentation opens in mid-September.