American art to World War II

Photography

The United States is especially known for the development of "straight photography"—making direct and unapologetic use of the medium.

1900 - 1945

videos + essays

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Shigemi Uyeda’s <i>Reflections on the Oil Ditch</i><br>Getty Conversations
Shigemi Uyeda’s Reflections on the Oil Ditch
Getty Conversations

Using photography, Shigemi Uyeda captured the environment of Los Angeles and the growing popularity of oil production in the early 20th century.

Harold Edgerton, <i>Milk-Drop Coronet Splash</i>
Harold Edgerton, Milk-Drop Coronet Splash

A drop of milk landing into a bowl makes an elegant crown shape, thanks to Edgerton’s stroboscope.

Lotte Jacobi, <em>Albert Einstein</em>
Lotte Jacobi, Albert Einstein

Jacobi seems to have been able to see more facets of Einstein than the editors of Life cared to share with their readership.

Dorothea Lange, <em>Migrant Mother</em>
Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother

Meet the two women behind this iconic 1936 photograph.

Ansel Adams: Visualizing a Photograph
Ansel Adams: Visualizing a Photograph

Straight from the horse’s mouth: the process of making a photograph, in the artist’s own words.

Walker Evans, <em>Subway Passengers, New York City</em>
Walker Evans, Subway Passengers, New York City

These photographs, taken covertly on the New York City subway, show that seeing is in itself a creative act.