By: Melissa Macaya
Housed right in the University of Texas, “Discovering the Language of Photography: The Gernsheim Collection” is an exhibition at the Harry Ransom Center that explores the history of photography through the center’s foundational photography collection. The collection is made up of some 35,000 photographs taken by several different artists and was purchased by the university in 1983.
This past week, I got to visit the exhibit and was captivated by the wide range of photographic talent. Featuring more than 175 items, the exhibition showcases one of the seminal collections of the history of photography in the United States. Compiled by the renowned husband-and-wife team of Helmut and Alison Gernsheim between 1945 and 1963, it contains an unparalleled range of more than 35,000 images, beginning with the world’s earliest-known photograph from nature, made by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826-27. The exhibit also showcases various cameras and their evolution throughout history.
The exhibition runs from Sept. 7, 2010, to Jan. 2, 2011
The Gernsheim collection purchased in 1963 by UT is the largest collection of photographs held in private hands, made up of 35,000 photographs.
A Daguerreotype Outfit, ca. 1845
The world’s earliest-known photograph from nature, made by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826-27
Photographs made on metal plates
All Photos by Melissa Macaya
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