Atget/Abbott

J

John Rountree

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I just took my students to the Asheville Art Museum to see a show of Eugene Atget's photographs of Paris and Berenice Abbott's photographs of New York City. Though it is a small show (about 15 prints from each artist) it is really nice. The way the show was presented was a wall of Atget's work , a wall of Abbott's work, and a wall with both Atget and Abbott side by side contrasting similar images. All of the prints were made by Abbott and I am sure the Atget photographs were taken from her personal collection of his images. Atget is the star, but Abbott was a helluva student. I do not know the itenerary once it leaves Asheville, but if it comes your way, don't miss it.
 
For those who don't know Atget was one of the lost photographers who was discovered after his death. His plates were heading for the trash. Another of the lost photographers was H. Bellocq of New Orleans. When one reads of the lives of these men and women one learns that they often lived lives of poverty without recognition.
 
Hope it comes my way, Atget was one of my favorite photographers ever. Abbot I'm not familiar with, I'll have to have a look. Same for H. Bellocq.
Thanks for the heads up!
 
Atget is, in my opinion, one of the frequently overlooked people; the general tendency is to go after HCB so much. A similar case is Charles Negre... I've come across many people who've not heard of Charles Negre... sad indeed!
 
gns said:
Atget, frequently overlooked?
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Perhaps not overlooked, but when one talks rangefinders, one hears HCB uttered reverently, as if in prayer, with Winogrand as the Only Begotten Son, and perhaps Capa in the role of John, a Babtiste.

So no, Atget is not overlooked as much as not often seen floating the clouds high above us.
 
"Atget is not overlooked so much as not often seen floating the clouds high above us".

So he is overlooking us !?!

Which Chech photograhers?
 
Czech out my next thread. Amazing, I am - no sooner do I mention them, than an exhibit appears from out of nowhere. I keep forgetting how good I am.
 
Don't forget all the Hungarians, Russians and other Eastern European photographers from the 20s and 30s. Too many to mention, and many of them get little recognition. Names? Lissitsky, Moholy-Nagy, Eva Besnyö, the Capa brothers, Kertezs, etc.
 
bmattock said:
Perhaps not overlooked, but when one talks rangefinders, one hears HCB uttered reverently, as if in prayer, with Winogrand as the Only Begotten Son, and perhaps Capa in the role of John, a Babtiste.

So no, Atget is not overlooked as much as not often seen floating the clouds high above us.
Click to expand...

Also, Atget used large format cameras not rangefinder cameras.
 
Count Giuseppe Primoli and his brother Count Luigi Primoli had an interesting body of photographic works in the 19th and early 20th century.
they mostly worked in France and Italy and were pioneers of the snapsot style of photography .
 
Atget Exhibit in NYC through Sept 8th.

Atget Exhibit in NYC through Sept 8th.

Follow the "MORE" Link to an interesting article on Atget, and info on an exhibit of his work in NYC.

July 19, 2007
Zabriski Gallery
If you are in New York this summer, come visit the Paris of Eugene Atget at Zabriskie Gallery.
The exhibition of twenty-six of his vintage prints will be on view through September 8th.
MORE:
www.photogalleyreview.com
 
RML said:
Don't forget all the Hungarians, Russians and other Eastern European photographers from the 20s and 30s. Too many to mention, and many of them get little recognition. Names? Lissitsky, Moholy-Nagy, Eva Besnyö, the Capa brothers, Kertezs, etc.
Click to expand...

An amazing number of great Hungarian photographers, I always wonder what was behind this flowering of photographic genius from that country
 
My boyfriend stayed at Berenice Abbott's place in Maine when she was still alive and under the bed where he slept were boxes of Atget's plate glass negatives. She rescued them when she lived in France with Man Ray, working as his assistant and worked hard to publish and promote Atget's work posthumously.

Berenice's work is very fine and important too. A friend of ours is the daughter of Berenice's caretaker who inherited her collection of prints (not the Atget negatives or Berenice's). She was kind enough to give us two prints of Berenice's project on NYC's old Penn Station. They are amazing contact prints from 8X10" negatives.
 
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