Edward Steichen photomurals and related material
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection primarily includes 30 photomural panels by Edward Steichen, prepared for the New York State exhibit at the 1933 Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago. The panels, each about 100 x 40 inches in size, depict the George Washington Bridge, an Adirondack lake (likely Lake George), and the New York State Education Building in Albany. The collection also includes 5 oversize Steichen photographs and a photomontage intended to be enlarged for display at the Exposition. Finally, the collection includes 5 blueprints of the New York exhibition space drawn by architects Eugene Schoen & Sons. Restrictions apply to the photographs; see the access conditions notes.
Biographical / Historical
Edward Steichen (1879-1973) was a major figure in the evolution of American photography and exhibition design. Steichen's photographs were first exhibited in 1899 and in 1902 he was one of the founding photographers of the Photo-Secession group. During World War I he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Photographic Section, supervising aerial reconnaissance photography in France. By the time of the photographs in this collection (early 1930s), Steichen had opened a studio at 80 W. 40th Street in New York City and worked as Chief Photographer for Condé Nast publications, with his photographs appearing in Vogue and Vanity Fair.
By 1932, Steichen was working with photomurals. His mural of the George Washington Bridge was exhibited at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1932, winning the competition's prize money. That same year Steichen completed photomurals for the Men's Smoking Room of the Center Theater at Radio City.
In 1933, Chicago hosted a World's Fair, or International Exposition, with the theme of "Century of Progress." One of the exhibition halls was the States Building, which included exhibits by 23 states and territories, New York among them. Steichen was hired to produce photographic murals for New York's space. It is believed that Steichen produced "back-up" copies of his murals in case the ones for display were damaged. The displayed murals were destroyed with the building after the fair and the back-up copies were stored away, unused, until June 4, 2017, when they went on sale (lot 150B) at Tremont Auctions. These murals, along with additional items from lot 150A of that auction, eventually were donated to N-YHS in 2021.
(The above note is based on various on-line sources, especially the Museum of Modern Art's notes for its Steichen Archive, and notes provided by the donor.)
Arrangement
The collection is organized in three series:
Series I. Photomurals
Series II. Other Exhibition Photographs
Series III. Exhibition Blueprints
Scope and Contents
The collection primarily includes 30 photomural panels by Edward Steichen, prepared for the New York State exhibit at the 1933 Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago. The panels, each about 100 x 40 inches in size, depict the George Washington Bridge, an Adirondack lake (likely Lake George), and the New York State Education Building in Albany. The collection also includes 5 oversize Steichen photographs and a photomontage intended to be enlarged for display at the Exposition. Finally, the collection includes 5 blueprints of the New York exhibition space drawn by architects Eugene Schoen & Sons. Restrictions apply to the photographs; see the access conditions notes.
Subjects
Organizations
Topics
Access Restrictions
Most of the materials in this collection are restricted from access. See the access condition notes at the series level.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Edward Steichen photomurals, PR 440, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, Darrin C. and Susan E. Binder, 2021
About this Guide
Processing Information
The photomural panels were rolled and boxed, and the oversize photographs enclosed, by conservators Alan Balicki and Katarzyna Vargas in early 2022. Before being rolled, the photomural panels were photographed by staff photographer Glenn Castellano. The blueprints were housed by archivist Larry Weimer. Weimer also prepared the finding aid and provided metadata for the objects to the Museum Department for input to TMS for those objects stored offsite by the Museum. The related TMS numbers are recorded in ArchivesSpace for internal reference.
Repository
Series I. Photomurals, circa 1933, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series holds 30 panels comprising what are believed to be the back-up copies of Edward Steichen's photomural for the New York State exhibit at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. From left to right, the mural includes photos of the George Washington Bridge, a lake in the Adirondacks (possibly Lake George), and the New York State Education Building in Albany, each segment separated by an image of a tree.
The panels have original numbering and annotations indicating their placement. Panels numbered with prefix NB are the bottom panels; panels numbered with prefix NT are the top panels. Each row is numbered 1-17, running from left to right, though some numbers are not used, likely to account for gaps in the mural for doorways and other openings in the wall. The size of each panel is approximately 100 x 40 inches. Each panel is documented in the container list but all are restricted from access because of their size and condition. See the following access conditions note.
Arrangement
The finding aid presents the panels in order, reading left to right along the bottom row (panels with prefix NB), then left to right along the top row (panels with prefix NT). Given their unwieldy size and fragility, the objects themselves were rolled and boxed in no particular order but simply in the order in which they were conserved.
Conditions Governing Access
The photomural panels in the series are fragile, exceptionally oversize, and held in specialized storage. Consequently the objects are restricted, and access requires permission from and special arrangements with the N-YHS curator and conservator. Permission will be granted only in the most exceptional circumstances, and a fee for the cost of special handling may be required. In-lieu of physical access, a digital image taken by N-YHS photographer Glenn Castellano in March 2022 of each of the 30 panels is available on request from N-YHS; see the first entry in the container list to request these files. Also, an extensive number of related images, including some detailed close-ups, taken by Tremont Auctions in June 2017 are available through Tremont's website.
Digital images of George Washington Bridge / Adirondack Lake / State Education Building photo mural panels (30), circa 1933, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The digital files are named to follow the sequence of the photomural panels, reading left to right along the bottom (NB panels) then left to right along the top (NT panels). Photos by N-YHS photographer Glenn Castellano, March 2022. The filenames are:
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB01_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB03_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB04_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB05_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB06_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB08_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB09_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB10_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB11_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB12_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB13_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB14_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB16_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NB17_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT01_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT02_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT03_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT04_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT05_George_Washington_Bridge
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT06_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT07_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT08_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT09_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT10_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT12_Adirondack
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT13_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT14_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT15_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT16_Education_Building
nyhs_PR440_Steichen_NT17_Education_Building
Panel NB1 (far left). George Washington Bridge (bottom 1 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB3. George Washington Bridge (bottom 2 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB4. George Washington Bridge (bottom 3 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB5. George Washington Bridge (bottom 4 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB6. Adirondack lake (bottom 1 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB8. Adirondack lake (bottom 2 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB9. Adirondack lake (bottom 3 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933, inclusive
Panel NB10. Adirondack lake (bottom 4 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB11. Adirondack lake (bottom 5 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB12. Adirondack lake (bottom 6 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB13. New York State Education Building (bottom 1 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB14. New York State Education Building (bottom 2 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB16. New York State Education Building (bottom 3 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NB17 (far right). New York State Education Building (bottom 4 of 4). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT1 (far left). George Washington Bridge (top 1 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT2. George Washington Bridge (top 2 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT3. George Washington Bridge (top 3 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT4. George Washington Bridge (top 4 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT5. George Washington Bridge (top 5 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT6. Adirondack lake (top 1 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT7. Adirondack lake (top 2 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT8. Adirondack lake (top 3 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT9. Adirondack lake (top 4 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT10. Adirondack lake (top 5 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT12. Adirondack lake (top 6 of 6). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT13. New York State Education Building (top 1 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT14. New York State Education Building (top 2 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT15. New York State Education Building (top 3 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT16. New York State Education Building (top 4 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Panel NT17 (far right). New York State Education Building (top 5 of 5). RESTRICTED, circa 1933
Series II. Other Exhibition Photographs, circa 1933, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series includes five oversize photographic prints and one oversize photo montage by Edward Steichen. All are listed below. The date of "circa 1933" is used in the list for the photographs; this is based on the date of the Chicago exposition and the approximate date of the prints but the depicted images would have been photographed at earlier, uncertain dates.
Conditions Governing Access
The photographs in the series are fragile, oversize, and held in specialized storage. Consequently the objects are restricted, and access requires permission from and special arrangements with the N-YHS curator and conservator. Permission will be granted only in the most exceptional circumstances, and a fee for the cost of special handling may be required. In-lieu of physical access, a digital image of each print taken by Tremont Auctions in June 2017 is available on request from N-YHS using the filename shown in the container list. A more extensive list of related images are available through Tremont Auction's website.
George Washington Bridge Tower (Filename: DSC_5497_George_Washington_Bridge_1), circa 1933
Scope and Contents
Photo dimensions: approx 47x35 inches. Source of digital image: Tremont Auctions.
George Washington Bridge Cables (Filename: DSC_5502_George_Washington_Bridge_2), circa 1933
Scope and Contents
Photo dimensions: approx 50-3/4 x 40-1/2 inches. Source of digital image: Tremont Auctions.
Empire State Building / "The Maypole" (Filename: DSC_5506_Maypole_Empire_State_Bldg), circa 1933
Scope and Contents
Photo dimensions: approx 50 x 40-1/2 inches. Source of digital image: Tremont Auctions.
Rockefeller Center (Filename: DSC_5499_Rockefeller_Center), circa 1933
Scope and Contents
Photo dimensions: approx 59-1/2 x 47-1/2 inches. Source of digital image: Tremont Auctions.
New York Harbor / RMS Mauretania (Filename: DSC_5505_NY_Harbor_Mauretania), circa 1933
Scope and Contents
Photo dimensions: approx 47x35 inches. Source of digital image: Tremont Auctions.
Lumberjacks at Lake George (Filename: DSC_5328_Lumberjacks), circa 1933
Scope and Contents
Photomontage. Dimensions: approx 24x80 inches. Source of digital image: Tremont Auctions.
Series III. Exhibition Blueprints, 1932, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series includes 5 blueprints created by architects Eugene Schoen & Sons for the New York State Exhibit at the Century of Progress exposition. Schoen job #2105. All prints noted as "Drawn by Lee." The specific drawings are listed below.
Conditions Governing Access
Access to the blueprints is not restricted but are subject to N-YHS's usual policies and procedures. For more information on making arrangements to consult the blueprints, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.