In 2014 New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art showcased previously undeveloped rolls of film from Mid-century american street photographer Garry Winogrand. Winogrand was known for his portrayal of American life in the early 1960s. Many of his photographs depict social issues of the time. It shows the role of media in shaping attitudes. When Winogrand passed away, about 2,500 rolls of undeveloped film, 6,500 rolls of developed non-proofed exposures, and contact sheets made from about 3,000 rolls of his photography were discovered. The Garry Winogrand Archive at the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) comprises over 20,000 fine and work prints, 20,000 contact sheets, 100,000 negatives and 30,500 35 mm colour slides as well as a small group of Polaroid prints and several amateur motion picture films.

It was an absolutely wonderful exhibit that took you through New York, Arizona, Texas, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The below photo of the sailor, when viewed in person, is haunting. A lone walking figure on a foggy night in 1950. Is that the BQE? The old West Side Elevated? I couldn’t place it. These moments, some candid some posed, captured by Winogrand, are singular elements in time that we can all relate to. Many of the shots took place at JFK Airport, which is such a microcosm for human life on the move. At the exhibit, many older men and woman stood by smiling, reminiscing about the fashion or an event that surrounded a photo. Art brings people together because we all have some perspective on it. Take a look at some of the wonderful photos that were part of the Met Museum exhibit.

[Photos courtesy of the Met Museum]