Photography

When E. John Bullard was appointed as Director of the New Orleans Museum of Art in 1973, he continued the expansion of the art collection in both old and new areas. Bullard recognized that photography as an art form was of increasing importance and yet was still undervalued, enabling the Museum to build a major, comprehensive collection with limited funds. NOMA began acquiring photographs for the collection in 1973 and now has an exceptional photography collections, numbering more than 7,000 images.

NOMA's photography collection is world-renowned as an encyclopedic and refined sampling of some of the greatest achievements within the art history of the medium. From an 1843 view from his hotel window by William Henry Fox Talbot, to a 1974 portrait of a Mexican dwarf inside his hotel room produced by Diane Arbus; from works by Ansel Adams to works by Piet Zwart; from a view inside the New Orleans Museum of Art by Clarence John Laughlin to a view of Mount Fuji by Kukasabi Kimbei, the Museum's collection of images reflects photography's continuous and comprehensive capabilities.

NOMA has an equally engaging and diverse photography exhibition history and program. Past presentations have included examinations of the photographic career of E. J. Bellocq, the photographic depiction of romantic couples, and photographic journalism in the local newspaper.

The New Orleans Museum of Art began its photography collection to recognize the significance and impact of the medium on 19th and 20th century art and culture. As the 21st century begins, the Museum relishes its continuing mission to track and acknowledge photography's influence and development.