Articles and information about The Wittliff’s Southwestern & Mexican Photography Collection.
Recently, Wittliff intern, Deandra Lee, curated Souls of Prom, a photo installation featuring photographs by Will van Overbeek. This new exhibition at The Wittliff’s Treasures gallery showcases six images from his 2005 Prom series. Lee’s enthusiasm comes through in her introductory curatorial statement, “I was excited to learn about a photographer who has been photographing …
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By Katie Salzmann The Wittliff celebrates all forms of storytelling from the region, and we collect, preserve, and provide contextualization for important cultural objects. Within the archive of noted New Mexico historian Marc Simmons are several kachina dolls gifted to Marc from members of the Hopi tribe. This past semester, we hosted an internship that …
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Collections at Texas State University. The groundbreaking archive captures the faces and dignity of work of a bygone way of life. A recent interview event at The Wittliff celebrated and honored the photographer and coastal region rancher who documented them — Louise O’Connor. The photographs are large scale, colorful and vibrant, dominating the gallery in …
Continue reading "When photos speak"
The young Tejano singer onstage — clad in skintight black head-to-toe, hair dyed black in a short shiny pompadour and wearing big loop earrings — looks like she’s skipping or maybe doing a modern tango. She’s in flight, and the camera went click. In that moment, photographer Al Rendon caught the teenage Selena Quintanilla in …
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The iconic photograph of the legendary Vaughan Brothers – Jimmie and Stevie Ray – sitting on a couch, smiling, arms over each other’s shoulders and flanked by electric guitars was taken by Scott Van Osdol and Jeff Rowe in spring 1984. Perhaps no other photograph captures the public’s romanticized image of the blues guitarists in …
Continue reading "Backstory to an iconic photo of “brotherly love”"
By Kimberly Conner To experience Inhabiting Darkness (Habitar La Oscuridad) is to understand that whether we navigate the world with sight, or without it, we are united by a shared humanity. This collection of stunning black and white images offers a rare insight into what it means to live with visual impairment. Curated based on …
Continue reading "Inhabiting Darkness (Habitar La Oscuridad): The photography of Marco Antonio Cruz shines a light on compassion"
Written by Wittliff student worker, Hannah Alvarado. Representing the life of an artist using only their photographs is a seemingly impossible task. Especially a life as singularly impactful as photographer, screenplay writer, author and The Wittliff Collection’s late founder, Bill Wittliff. David Coleman, The Wittliff’s director since 2011, is one of three contributors who took on …
Continue reading "Blessings, Besos and Bill Wittliff: A conversation"
In 2017, The Wittliff exhibited a selection of images from Edward Curtis The North American Indian. Soon thereafter, we were contacted by Dr. John Mckiernan-Gonzalez, Director of the Center for the Study of the Southwest, who recommended that we look at the photographs of Will Wilson, a Native American photographer. We are excited to share the news …
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In 2013, Susan Toomey Frost donated her collection of Mexican Border Town postcards representing 22 Mexican cities and towns along the 1,969-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico. The collection consists of 3,857 images, including real photo postcards and printed postcards. Many are identified by photographer, including such notable names as W.H. Horne and Robert …
Continue reading "“Recuerdos” And Souvenir Postcards From Mexico"
Recently The Wittliff played host to hundreds of fans eager to meet famed photographer Keith Carter. The room was filled to capacity with dignitaries, authors and respected photographers from across the state. Among the photographers in attendance were Wyatt McSpadden, Matt Lankes, Kenny Braun, Bill Wright and Amanda Smith. They were all there to celebrate …
Continue reading "“Keith Carter Fifty Years” celebrated at The Wittliff"