Shadow and Substance: African American Images from the Burns Archive
Saturday, October 15, 2011
- Saturday, March 31, 2012
New York State Museum Photography Gallery
Cultural Education Center, Madison Avenue, Albany, NY
Monday - Saturday, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
The NYS Museum is free. Donations are accepted at the door.
ALBANY, NY.- Shadow and Substance: African American Images from The Burns Archive -- opened at the New York State Museum October 15, showcasing rarely-seen photographs from one of the largest private photography collections in the world.
Open through March 31, 2012 in the Photography Gallery, the
exhibition allows the viewer to perceive how African-Americans were
seen by others and how they wished to be seen. These images do not tell
a complete story of the past, but their eloquent shadows provide unique
glimpses into the lives of African-Americans over the past 160 years.
The 113 images in Shadow and Substance include portraits, snapshots
and photographs of celebration, tragedy and quiet joy, work and family,
strength and perseverance. From early images of slaves and Civil War
soldiers to new voters and political activists, the exhibition is
filled with illustrations of achievement and shocking evidence of
intolerance. Some images may not be suitable for young children.
The images were culled from the comprehensive Burns Archive of
Historic Vintage Photographs that include specializations in medical
and health care, death and dying, sports and recreation, in addition to
images of African-Americans. The collection was amassed by Dr. Stanley
B. Burns, an ophthalmologist, collector and curator in New York City
who was the founding donor for several photography collections,
including those of the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Bronx Museum of the
Arts. Burns has authored several books including “A Morning’s Work:
Medical Photographs from the Burns Archive & Collection,
1843-1939”; “Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography in America” and
“Forgotten Marriage: The Painted Tintype and Decorative Frame,
1860-1910.”
The traveling exhibition is organized by the Indiana State Museum
and curated by Dr. Modupe Labode, assistant professor of history and
public scholar of African-American History and Museum Studies at
Indiana University.
