Louisiana Lens
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Timely and Timeless: Photography in Louisiana History
Jules L. Cahn John H. Lawrence Photography Lecture at PhotoNOLA
5:30–6:30 p.m.
Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street
Free ticketed admission; seating limited
About the Book
Louisiana Lens celebrates the achievement of one of America’s leading photography curators with works ranging from early daguerreotypes of city landmarks to born-digital photographs documenting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Author John H. Lawrence, who spent four decades building THNOC’s photographic collection, traces the development of the medium alongside the growth and change of New Orleans and Louisiana over nearly two centuries. This volume serves as both a capstone of Lawrence’s career and an invaluable survey of Louisiana photography.
Speakers
John H. Lawrence
John H. Lawrence, a New Orleans native, was responsible for building the extensive photographic holdings at The Historic New Orleans Collection, where he worked for 46 years before retiring as director of museum programs at the end of 2020. As THNOC's head of curatorial collections, Lawrence oversaw holdings numbering more than half a million items. He has written and lectured widely about contemporary and historic photography and about the administration and preservation of pictorial collections, and he has curated dozens of exhibitions on a wide range of photographic, artistic, and general historical topics. He holds degrees in literature and art history from Vassar College and a certificate in museum management from the Getty Leadership Institute, formerly the Museum Management Institute.
Jeff L. Rosenheim
Jeff L. Rosenheim is Joyce Frank Menschel Curator in Charge, Department of Photographs, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A specialist in American photography, he has written or cowritten more than twenty books, and he lectures widely on the history of photography and studio art.