You Don’t Know Me: Works by Unknown Photographers

November 18, 2023–February 18, 2024, Gallery 118

The power of an image does not rely on knowing the name of its creator. Many of the objects in museums were made by people whose names were never recorded. But, by removing the maker’s identity from the equation, we have the opportunity to look, very closely, at what it is we can see and learn from the artwork itself.

You Don’t Know Me showcases more than 150 years of photography by unknown photographers. These are images of people and moments that meant something special—someone chose to capture that photograph and others have chosen to keep it and care for it ever since. Who, what, when and where would a photographer believe a moment or scene was worth capturing? And Why? Personal photographs, as most of these are, are familiar to us, both in format and subject matter, although we may not know the specifics.

Grab your detective cap and take a look for yourself to figure out what stories you think lurk behind the frame.

Featured Image: Unidentified photographer, Untitled [Couple], about 1970s, Polaroid

EXHIBITION SPONSORS:

SUPPORTING 
Wanda and Bill Lukens

PROMOTING 
Norma Landis and Rick Hoffman