Eisenstaedt and Us
On exhibit through May 26, 2012
Celebrated photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898 – 1995) captured some of the most famous images of the 20th century, from wars to movie stars to scenes from everyday life. Less well-known are his photographs of Martha’s Vineyard, taken during the 50 years he summered in Chilmark. Through these photographs, Eisenstaedt preserved the memory of people, objects, buildings, and landscapes of the Island he loved. They take on immediacy and distinction when seen through his lens.
In the exhibit Eisenstaedt and Us, the photographer’s Island meets the Museum’s collections. Carefully selected photographs correspond to artwork and objects. What Eisenstaedt preserved on film, the Museum preserved in reality, and visitors to the exhibit will be able to see the images with the objects for the first time. They will also be able to listen to Eisenstaedt talk about his work on Martha’s Vineyard in a selection from the Museum’s oral history collection.
The exhibit features six rarely exhibited Eisenstaedt photographs, including an image of Manuel Swartz Roberts. Roberts operated a boat building shop on the Edgartown waterfront and designed and built the catboat Vanity now part of the museum's collection. Also on view will be a model of the schooner Mary Ann. Eisenstaedt photographed this model when it was on display in the Museum’s Thomas Cooke House.