Made or Taken? Photographs of Women, 1840-1980

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

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Made or Taken? Photographs of Women, 1840-1980
December 1, 1989–March 11, 1990
North Balcony, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Beginning with the daguerreotype portrait of Dorothy Catherine Draper – the first woman in the world to sit before a camera – this exhibition from the Spencer's collection presents photographs of women both famous and anonymous by photographers such as A.J. Russell, Nadar, Edward Weston, Walker Evans, Dian Arbus, and Helmut Newton. These works test some of our basic assumptions about the nature of photography. Are photographs pure documents, simply "taken" from the world by the photographer? or are they products of the photographer's own ideas, "made" from his or her imagination just like any other work of art? This exhibition was organized by students in a graduate seminar in the history of photography.

Works of art

Portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe, Yousuf Karsh (1908–2002)
Yousuf Karsh (1908–2002)
She Who Commands Cobwebs, Clarence John Laughlin (1905–1985)
Clarence John Laughlin (1905–1985)
Christmas at Hinky Dinky, Lincoln, Nebraska, James Alinder (1941–2023)
James Alinder (1941–2023)
Educational Dilemma: To Cheat, Reed Estabrook (born 1944)
Reed Estabrook (born 1944)
Nude Facing Unmade Bed, Campden Hill, London, Bill Brandt (1904–1983)
Bill Brandt (1904–1983)
The Critic (Mrs. Cavanaugh and Friend About to Enter the Metropolitan Opera House), Weegee (1899–1968)
Weegee (1899–1968)
Diane Arbus, Central Park, Love-In, Garry Winogrand (1928–1984)
Garry Winogrand (1928–1984)
Lawrence High School Homecoming, Lawrence, KS, Earl Iversen (born 1943)
Earl Iversen (born 1943)
Veiled Woman, India, Linda Connor (born 1944)
Linda Connor (born 1944)
Beth Beri, Vaudeville Dancer, Orval Hixon (1884–1982)
Orval Hixon (1884–1982)
Hopi Maiden with Squash Blossom Hairdress I, Adam Clark Vroman (1856–1916)
Adam Clark Vroman (1856–1916)
Mrs. Martin Luther King, Dean Brown (1936–1973)
Dean Brown (1936–1973)
untitled (nude woman), George Platt Lynes (1907–1955)
George Platt Lynes (1907–1955)
Wife and Car, Emmet Gowin (born 1941)
Emmet Gowin (born 1941)
Wife and Car, 1971
Self-portrait on Geary Street, Imogen Cunningham (1883–1976)
Imogen Cunningham (1883–1976)
Little Orphan Annie, Lewis Wickes Hine (1874–1940)
Lewis Wickes Hine (1874–1940)
Sharecropper's Wife, Hale County, Alabama, Walker Evans (1903–1975)
Walker Evans (1903–1975)
Serving Barbecue at Pie Town Fair, New Mexico, Russell Lee (1903–1986)
Russell Lee (1903–1986)
Marie Dressler, Orval Hixon (1884–1982)
Orval Hixon (1884–1982)
Madalyn Murray in her bedroom, Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
Torso, Édouard Boubat (1923–1999)
Édouard Boubat (1923–1999)
Torso, 1980
NYC, Robert Frank (1924–2019)
Robert Frank (1924–2019)
NYC, 1948
Gamblers, Las Vegas, Nevada, Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Peasant Girls, Westerwald, August Sander (1876–1964)
August Sander (1876–1964)
The family of a migratory fruit worker from Tennessee now camped in a field near the packinghouse at Winter Haven, Florida, Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Norma-"The Poor Man's Mae West", Weegee (1899–1968)
Weegee (1899–1968)
Portrait of George Sand, Nadar (1820–1910)
Nadar (1820–1910)
untitled (woman in a floral gown), Gertrude Stanton Käsebier (1852–1934)
Gertrude Stanton Käsebier (1852–1934)
untitled (two girls), Gertrude Stanton Käsebier (1852–1934)
Gertrude Stanton Käsebier (1852–1934)
untitled (two girls), circa 1900
Nude on Silk Shawl, Edward Weston (1886–1958)
Edward Weston (1886–1958)
Nude on Silk Shawl, circa 1923
St. Mary's Mission, Kansas, Pottowatamie Indian School, Alexander Gardner (1821–1882)
Alexander Gardner (1821–1882)
Anything Goes, Bud Lee (1941–2015)
Bud Lee (1941–2015)
Isadora Duncan, Edward Steichen (1879–1973)
Edward Steichen (1879–1973)
The Burning of Rome, George Henry Seeley (1880–1955)
George Henry Seeley (1880–1955)
Woman, New York, Paul Strand (1890–1976)
Paul Strand (1890–1976)
untitled (portrait of Gertrude Käsebier), Charles Fox
Charles Fox
Profile of Artist's Wife, Oscar Gustav Rejlander (1813–1875)
Oscar Gustav Rejlander (1813–1875)
Catherine Deneuve, Paris (not published), Helmut Newton (1920–2004)
Helmut Newton (1920–2004)
Scarsdale High School Cheerleaders (Photographed for Kodak Advertisement), Ralph Bartholomew (1907–1985)
Ralph Bartholomew (1907–1985)
Georgia, 1949, Overseer, Marion Palfi (1907–1978)
Marion Palfi (1907–1978)
Mrs. Jane Cully Half-Mast at Fun City Opening Party, Ron Galella (1931–2022)
Ron Galella (1931–2022)
Lella, Bretagne, Édouard Boubat (1923–1999)
Édouard Boubat (1923–1999)
Atlanta, 1949, Peach Street, Marion Palfi (1907–1978)
Marion Palfi (1907–1978)
Jayne Mansfield Cimber-Ottaviano, actress, with her daughter, Jayne Marie, thirteen, Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
Portrait of Dorothy Catherine Draper, Dr. John W. Draper
Dr. John W. Draper