Chase National Bank, New York, 1928/1981
Beaumont Newhall
(American, 1908-1993)
Beaumont Newhall was born in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1908 and studied art history at Harvard University. One of the most prominent historians of photography as well as an artist in his own right, Newhall made significant contributions to the field. The founding director of the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, he also served as the curator and director of the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House, Rochester, New York during the formative years of that institution. The author of a great many books, exhibition catalogues, and articles on photography, Newhall also published several editions of the classic text The History of Photography. Newhall was honored by institutions such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Royal Photographic Society, and the John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. He died in 1993.(American, 1908-1993)
An unusual and rewarding perspective on urban space is evident in Beaumont Newhall’s Chase National Bank, New York. Offering a purely geometric experience of urban architecture, this photograph asserts Newhall’s skill as a practicing photographer.