Nancy Newhall: A Literacy of Images: Nancy Newhall Chronology

Nancy Newhall: A Literacy of Images

September 19, 2008 - January 25, 2009

Nancy Newhall Chronology

1908

Born Nancy Wynne Parker on December 15, in Swampscott, MA

1930

Graduates from Smith College

1933

First one-person painting exhibition is held at the Grace Horne Galleries in Boston, MA

1935

Nancy Wynne Parker and Beaumont Newhall become engaged

1937

Marries Beaumont Newhall on July 1, in Swampscott, MA

Beaumont and Nancy collaborate on their first article "Against Iconoclasm," published in Magazine of Art

1939

Writes to Gilbert Seldes, Director of television programming for CBS, to express interest in reaching a broad audience through television

1940

First trip West, to California

MoMA's Department of Photography is founded by Beaumont Newhall, Ansel Adams, and David McAlpin

Meets Alfred Stieglitz

1942

Takes over MoMA's Department of Photography while Beaumont serves in WWII

Curates "New Acquisitions: Photography by Alfred Stieglitz," MoMA, December 16, 1942-February 28, 1943

1943

MoMA's Photography Center is established, with Willard D. Morgan appointed director, and Nancy appointed acting curator

Curates "Birds in Color: Flashlight Photographs by Eliot Porter," MoMA, March 10- April 18, 1943

Curates "Helen Levitt: Photographs of Children," MoMA, March 10-April 18, 1943

Curates "Tunisian Triumph: War Photographs by Eliot Elisofon," MoMA, June 14-July 24, 1943

Curates "Action Photography," MoMA, August 18-September 19, 1943

1944

Curates "Pacific Report: Photos by Eugene Smith," MoMA, May 10-June 30, 1944

Curates "Manzaanar: Photographs by Ansel Adams of the Loyal Japanese-Americans at Relocation Center," MoMA, November 10-December 24, 1944

Returns to Owens Valley, Yosemite, CA for the summer

1945

Curates "Paul Strand: Photographs 1915-1945," MoMA, April 25-June 10, 1945

Beaumont Newhall returns from WWII

1946

Curates "The Photographs of Edward Weston," MoMA, February 11-March 31, 1946

Edward Steichen is appointed Director of the Department of Photographs at MoMA; Beaumont Newhall resigns

Beaumont begins teaching at Black Mountain College, NC

1947

Beaumont and Nancy Newhall visit Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks

Curates "Alfred Stieglitz: His Photographs," MoMA, June 10-August 31, 1947

1948

Beaumont serves as curator of George Eastman House, Rochester, NY (1948-1958)

1950

Time in New England with Paul Strand, Nancy's first major book, is published

1951

Joins Beaumont and Ansel Adams for an intensive photographic expedition through Santa Fe, Taos, Chimayo, and other Northern New Mexico villages

Attends the Aspen Conference, Aspen, CO

1952

Travels with Ansel Adams on assignment for Arizona Highways to Death Valley, Mission San Xavier del Bac, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

1955

Curates This Is the American Earth, with Ansel Adams, at the LeConte Memorial Lodge in Yosemite; the exhibition travels to Smithsonian, MoMA, and the California Academy of Science

1956

Films John Muir

1957

A Contribution to the Heritage of Every American: The Conservation Activities of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. is published

1958

Masters of Photography is published, with an introduction by Beaumont

Edward Weston: The Flame of Recognition , a complete issue of Aperture (Vol. 6, . No. 1), is published

Beaumont serves as director of George Eastman House, Rochester, NY (1958-1971)

1960

This Is the American Earth, a collaboration with Ansel Adams that includes the work of thirty-two photographers, is published by the Sierra Club

1961

Volume I of Edward Weston's Daybooks: Mexico is published

1963

Designs The Eloquent Light, an exhibition of Ansel Adams' work held at the San Francisco de Young Museum; the show was the largest retrospective show for a photographer at the time, and included more than 500 works

The Eloquent Light, Nancy's first biographical volume on Adams is published, covering his career from 1902-1938

1966

Volume II of Edward Weston's Daybooks: California is published

1967

Fiat Lux: The University of California, a comprehensive photographic essay commissioned for the centennial celebration of the University, is published

1974

Nancy Newhall dies on July 7 from injuries suffered in a rafting trip at Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, WY

(above: Paul Strand, Café de la Paix, Audierne, Finistère, France, 1950, gelatin silver print, courtesy of The Page Collection, San Francisco. Copyright ©Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive)

(above: Brett Weston, Church, Brooklyn Outskirts, 1945, from New York City Portfolio, gelatin silver print, courtesy of The Black Dog Collection. Copyright ©The Brett Weston Archive brettwestonarchive.com)

(above: Minor White, Vicinity of Naples, New York, 1955, gelatin silver print, courtesy of The Page Collection, San Francisco. Reproduced with permission of the Minor White Archive, Princeton University Art Museum. Copyright © Trustees of Princeton University.)

Please click here to return to the main article

Search Resource Library for thousands of articles and essays on American art.