Other People's Pictures: Snapshots from the Peter J. Cohen Gift

This exhibition comprised 200 small black-and-white photographs mostly of American women from the early and mid-twentieth century. The pictures were selected from a gift donated by Peter J. Cohen, a tireless collector who amassed approximately 50,000 amateur photographs culled from antique shops, flea markets, private dealers, and online sources. Gathered in this exhibition, they are seen in a new context and imbued with fresh meaning. Separated from their individual origin stories, they become cultural artifacts, blank slates for narrative rewrites, ripe for reinterpretation. Most of the photographs are anonymous and capture moments in the lives of ordinary people, often depicting celebrations, vacations, and gatherings of family and friends. Individual images were chosen for their eclectic, idiosyncratic, sometimes humorous nature as well as for their subject matter, with a particular focus on the lives and activities of women.

This exhibition was organized by the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. Support was provided by the Evelyn Metzger Exhibition Fund and the Hoene Hoy Photography Endowment Fund.