Politics, Race, Celebrity: Photographs from the Esquire Collection | Spencer Museum of Art

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Exhibition

Politics, Race, Celebrity: Photographs from the Esquire Collection

Politics, Race, Celebrity: Photographs from the Esquire Collection

Luke Jordan, curator
Kate Meyer, curator

Gallery 404, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Politics, Race, Celebrity shares photographs of trenchant, surprising, and memorable moments captured by photographers working for Esquire magazine. This exhibition situates photographs from Esquire in dialogue with concurrent cultural and historical movements and explores the relationship between the photographs and the ways they appeared in the pages of Esquire.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Diane Arbus (1923–1971), Marguerite Oswald

Neil Selkirk (born 1947), Jimmy Hoffa

Ron Galella (1931–2022), "Mr. Michael Macdonald and preoccupied couple"

Ron Galella (1931–2022), "Guests at a New York psychedelia fest"

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), James Baldwin

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), James Baldwin

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), James Baldwin

Minoru Aoki (born 1936), Stokely Carmichael

William Helburn (1924–2020), "...If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself."

Jim Marshall (1936–2010), "Janis Joplin of Big Brother & The Holding Company standing tall"

United Press International (founded 1907); Frank Cancellare (1910–1985), "Why is This Man Laughing?"

United Press International (founded 1907), "Richard Nixon Examines the Hiss film 'found' in a Pumpkin"

United Press International (founded 1907), Richard Nixon

Carl Fischer (1924–2023); George Lois (1931–2022), "Jean Genet, William Burroughs, Terry Southern, John Sack, –Chicago!"

Frank Bez (1930–2018), "Yes, it's Batman and Robin, and yes, it's Andy Warhol and his latest girl-person (named Nico), and that, friends, is the Sixties whether you like it or not..."

Dan Wynn (1919–1995), “Body and Soul: Gloria Steinem and her partner, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, demonstrate the style that has thrilled audiences on the Women’s Liberation lecture circuit.”

Carl Fischer (1924–2023); George Lois (1931–2022), "The Masculinization of the American Woman"

Diane Arbus (1923–1971), untitled (Marguerite C. Oswald)

United Press International (founded 1907); Robert L. Greger (1939–2013), "In New York, a policeman attempts to remove a Negro demonstrating against racial discrimination"

Carl Fischer (1924–2023), untitled (unpublished crucifixion scene)

Carl Fischer (1924–2023), "Edward A. Oquendo, co-initiator of B.A.N.D. (Blacks Against Negative Dying)"

Duane Michals (born 1932), Thomas Hart Benton, Kansas City, Missouri

Art Kane (1925–1995), Joe Louis

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), James Baldwin

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), "And so on into the night, James Baldwin, novelist, agitator, playwright (here with actor Otis Young of Charlie) and all-around public man."

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), “His attention is close, punctuated with pats, touches and quizzical looks, as here, with a schoolteacher who is one of his fans, in a Village eatery.”

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), James Baldwin

Robert Adelman (1930–2016), “There may be no such thing as a perfect stranger after James Baldwin has passed through. In public places he seems open to the world at large, stranger or friend, and listens actively as he talks."

Carl Fischer (1924–2023), Andy Warhol’s Mother: “Every year before Easter he go to confession. He was a little boy. Now he grown up. He go to confession more.”

Mike Salisbury (born 1943), Edward Ruscha

Dan Wynn (1919–1995), Gloria Steinem

Dan Wynn (1919–1995), untitled (Gloria Steinem)

Dan Wynn (1919–1995), untitled (Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes)

Dan Wynn (1919–1995), untitled (Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes)

Dan Wynn (1919–1995), untitled (Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes)

Wide World Photos (founded 1941), "Nixon returns from vacation cruise in Coast Guard seaplane after receiving Robert Stripling's wire stating 'case clinched.'"

Wide World Photos (founded 1941), William Wheeler and Richard Nixon

United Press International (founded 1907), "He unearthed microfilmed secrets of the state in a pumpkin on a Maryland farm; posed for pictures while examining the film under the traditional sleuth's magnifying glass"

Wide World Photos (founded 1941), "Nixon, Chambers (left) and Robert Stripling, investigator for H.U.A.C., confer over latest headlines, August, 1948."

Esquire magazine (founded 1933), "[Pat Nixon], modified to fit your style"

Esquire magazine (founded 1933), "[Trish Nixon], modified to fit your style"

Esquire magazine (founded 1933), "Now, let's try to imagine the President's daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. David Eisenhower, styled to fit the swinging world of 1969..."

Esquire magazine (founded 1933), "...a President for the leather boys."

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "...finally rejoices as it's in the groove."

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "...attacks with brilliant violence..."

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "He has to keep his feet on the ground"

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "...builds orchestra into a tonal unit."

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "Bernstein courts a mood on the keys."

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "...but the spirit soars high and wide"

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "...or shushes it like an overexuberant child"

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "...while he energetically cues his men"

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "At times he hums with the orchestra,"

Ruth Orkin (1921–1985), "This vehement character is not inciting a mob–he is leading an orchestra."

Carl Fischer (1924–2023), "Mealymouth of the Year: Cassius Clay"

Jim Marshall (1936–2010), "Jimi Hendrix. His guitar stands tall."

Daniel Bagan (born 1955), Gloria & Dorothy

Henry L. Jackson (1911–1948); Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, May 1948

Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, March 1965

Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, January 1967

Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, December 1967

Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, November 1968

Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, June 1969

Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, October 1971

Arnold Gingrich (1903–1976), Esquire, January 1967

Events

April 7, 2019

Talk

Politics, Race, and Celebrity in the Esquire Collection

2:00–3:00PM

Spencer Museum of Art, Larry and Barbara Marshall Family Balcony, 404

May 23, 2019

Talk

Photography and the Esquire Collection

10:15–11:15AM

Spencer Museum of Art, Kemper Family Foundations Balcony, 408