©Russell Lee, Jack Whinery and His Family, Homesteader Pietown, New Mexico, 1940, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, Chromogenic print, museum purchase.

The Addison Gallery of American Art, located on the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, has two new exhibitions drawn from their extensive collection of photographs. The first exhibition, Photographers Among Us, reflects the evolution of American documentary photography from the 19th century to the present day and examines the power of photography to capture history, shape public opinion, and deepen Americans’ understanding of events at home and around the world. The exhibition brings together over 200 works from the Addison’s deep holdings in the medium by such photography icons as Berenice Abbott, Richard Avedon, Margaret Bourke-White, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Lewis Hine, Danny Lyon, Bill Owens, and Gordon Parks, among others.

The second exhibition is Gun Country, which examines the historical underpinnings of America’s fixation with firearms and illuminates gun culture as integral to the story of America through more than 40 works and includes a sound art installation created by Andover high school students that addresses the prevalence of guns in the media and in pop culture. Both exhibitions run through July 31, 2018.

©Timothy H. O’Sullivan, A Harvest of Death, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1863, from Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War, Volume I, albumen print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, museum purchase, Collection Care and Enhancement Fund.

Photographers Among Us explores American documentary practice throughout the 20th century and its role in recording history, illuminating social movements, and catalyzing change. Provoking questions about authenticity and the power of photography to shape public opinion, the exhibition presents a roster of renowned photographers, including Berenice Abbott, Richard Avedon, Margaret Bourke-White, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Lewis Hine, Danny Lyon, Bill Owens, and Gordon Parks. Photographers Among Us examines the many dimensions of photojournalism and documentary photography through a survey of 225 works that capture scenes of war, mass incarceration, suburbia, and urban and rural landscapes, among other images that continue to resonate today. Photographers Among Us is on view through July 31, 2018.

“This exhibition serves as a timely examination of the great American tradition of documentary photography,” said Judith F. Dolkart, The Mary Stripp and R. Crosby Kemper Director of the Addison Gallery of American Art. “The Addison’s deep holdings in this area provide a forum for discussing the relevance of the lens in capturing critical moments—episodes that may change the course of events. We look forward to guiding visitors and students through the evolution of photojournalism in order to provide context and insight into documentary practice today.”

“With cameras in mobile phones, the ability to serve as a citizen witness has grown enormously,” said Addison Gallery of American Art Curatorial Fellow Tessa Hite. “This exhibition aims to place this phenomenon within the larger continuum of documentary practice, inspiring visitors to capture the world around them and think critically about the images they consume on television, online, and in the media.”

Photographers Among Us charts the evolution of documentary photography, from the Civil War through the late 20th century, providing an opportunity for visitors to follow technological developments in the field. The exhibition is organized thematically, focusing on early social reform and Depression-era photography, magazine photo-essays, images of war, and extended looks at communities and changing landscapes. Investigating a range of images for government-sponsored projects, newspapers, and photobooks.

©Berenice Abbott, Henry Street from New York IV, print 1979, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Robert Feldman (PA 1954) in memory of Beth Lisa Feldman.

©Robert Frank, Political rally — Chicago from The Americans, neg. 1955-56, print c. 1981, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, museum purchase.

©William Eugene Smith, Country Doctor, 1948, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Hart Leavitt.

©William Christenberry, The Underground Nite Club, Greensboro, Alabama, 1986, incorporated color coupler print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, museum purchase.

©Dorthea Lange, Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, neg. 1936 print 1950, 11 x 14 in., gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, museum purchase.

©Bill Owens, I enjoy giving a Tupperware party in my home. It gives me a chance to talk to my friends. But really, Tupperware is a homemaker’s dream, you save time and money because your food keeps longer., from Suburbia, 1972, print 1988, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010).

©Robert Capa, Death of a Loyalist, September 5th, 1936, Fallen Soldier, neg. 1936, print later, gelatin silver print, 16 x 20 in. (40.64 x 50.8 cm),Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Jonathan Otto (PA 1975).

©Lewis Hine, Carrying In Boys at Cumberland Glass Works, Bridgeton, N.J., 1909, 4 5/8 x 6 5/8 in., gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Jacob and Ruth Kainen.

©Danny Lyon, The line. Ferguson, Huntsville, Texas, USA. Ferguson is a prison farm for young men, ages seventeen to twenty-one. from Conversations with the Dead , 1968, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C.

©Lucien Aigner, A bit of exercise to get used to the masks., 1934, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010).

Shedding light on one of the most controversial issues in American society, the Addison Gallery of American Art is mounting an exhibition drawn from its collection that traces the representation of firearms in the United States from the Civil War through the present day. On view through July 31, 2018, the intimate display will examine the historical underpinnings of the nation’s distinct fixation with guns and the ubiquity of firearms in America’s cultural landscape. Spanning 155 years, Gun Country brings together more than 40 works, ranging from an albumen print by Timothy H. O’Sullivan taken during the Civil War; photographs documenting pivotal scenes of 1968, including the assassination of Bobby Kennedy; to modern and contemporary works by artists Andy Warhol, Carroll Dunham, and others.

Presented in the Museum Learning Center, the exhibition is accompanied by a sound art installation created in collaboration with Phillips Academy students. Entitled “Speaking of Guns,” the work is a culmination of months of compiling excerpts that refer to guns in contemporary music, poetry, and news headlines that were read and recorded in the classroom. Student voices will fill the gallery with words that reflect reactions to the national conversation about gun violence and gun culture.

“Because of the comprehensive nature of the Addison’s holdings, we are able to draw upon the collection as a powerful lens for examining important narratives in American history that reflect the nation’s anxieties, ambitions, and desires,” said Judith F. Dolkart, The Mary Stripp and R. Crosby Kemper Director of the Addison Gallery of American Art. “The right to bear arms has been central to the story of America since its founding with the national debate over gun control taking new turns in recent years. We look to the Addison’s holdings and the space of the Museum Learning Center as platforms for engaging students and visitors in this broader dialogue.”

“The prevalence of guns renders them simultaneously visible and invisible in our culture. Firearms have been a common fixture of American life for centuries,” said Stephanie Sparling Williams, Addison Gallery of American Art Assistant Curator and Visiting Scholar. “Gun Country reveals this duality through images that capture the peripheral and central nature of the gun in society.”

©John G. Ellinwood, Coon Hunters, c. 1895, toned gelatin silver print, 7 1/2 in. x 9 3/16 in. (19.05 cm x 23.34 cm) Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, museum purchase, 1979.19

©Dick Durrance II, Break, rifle range, Ft. Jackson, S.C., July 1966, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of the artist (PA 1961), 1994.17.11

©Dick Durrance II, Firing range, Ft. McClellan, Ala., September 1966, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of the artist (PA 1961), 1994.17.13

©Dick Durrance II, Graduation parade, Ft. McClellan, Ala., November 1966, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of the artist (PA 1961), 1994.17.15

©Dick Durrance II, Infantryman, 1st Air Cavalry Division, carrying M-60 machine gun on road approaching LZ Stud, Quang Tri Province, March 1968, gelatin silver print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of the artist (PA 1961) , 1994.17.25

©Harold Edgerton, .30 Bullet Piercing an Apple from Harold Edgerton: Ten Dye Transfer Photographs, neg. 1964, print 1984-1990, dye transfer print, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of The Harold and Esther Edgerton Family Foundation, 1996.58.6

©Bill Owens, I don’t feel that Richie playing with guns will have a negative effect on his personality. (He already wants to be a policeman). His childhood gun-playing won’t make him into a cop-shooter. By playing with guns he learns to socialize with other children. I find the neighbors who are offended by Richie’s gun, either the father hunts or their kids are the first to take Richie’s gun and go off and play with it. from Suburbia, 1972, gelatin silver print, 10 in. x 8 in., Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010), 2006.77.108

©Bill Owens, We like to play war. from Suburbia, 1972, gelatin silver print, 10 in. x 8 in., Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010), 2006.77.108

©Lucien Aigner, Prison guards loading tear gas guns., c. 1934, gelatin silver print, 5 1/16 x 7 in. (13 x 18 cm), Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010), 2015.11.13