PDN Photo of the Day » Lillian Bassman

A Developing Story (10 photos)

Amber Terranova — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:00:40 +0000

All photos © John Cyr. Above: Andrea Modica’s developer tray. 10×12

John Cyr has spent the past year visiting darkrooms of notable black and white photographers in order to photograph their developer trays. Amassing over fifty trays thus far, Cyr believes that each tray contains a history as unique as the photographers that have used them. Not only do these trays reference the photographer’s body of work, but they also record fingernail scratches, tong marks and developer stains that have accumulated through as much as forty years of constant use. During this time of digital proliferation, Cyr finds importance in photographing developer trays so that the photographic community will remember the specific tools that were seminal in photography’s traditional darkrooms. To see more of Cyr’s work click here.

Ansel Adams’ developer tray. 16 x 20.

Sally Mann’s developer tray. 20 x 24.

Developer tray from the Photo History Collection of Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Sylvia Plachy’s developer tray.

Larry Fink’s developer tray. 16 x 20.

Lillian Bassman’s developer tray. 16 x 20.

The developer tray in the photo studio of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Wynn Bullock’s Developer Tray.

Andreas Feininger’s developer tray.

Fantasy on the Dance Floor

Amanda Mauro — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:40 +0000

This image will be on display with the Peter Fetterman Gallery at this year’s AIPAD show from March 18-21. For more details on the AIPAD show, visit the website. To see more work from Lillian Bassman and the Peter Fetterman Gallery, click here.

Lillian Bassman: Women

Holly Stuart Hughes — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:00:23 +0000

“Margy Cato, Test Shoot, O,” taken in the 1950s by Lillian Bassman, is featured in the exhibition “Lillian Bassman: Women,” opening October 10 at the Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica. The 93-year-old Bassman was named Art Director at Junior Bazaar in 1945, and became Art Director of Harper’s Bazaar two years later. Her own fashion photography is renowned for its elegance, and she often experimented with darkroom manipulation. This fall Abrams will publish a new book of her fashion photos.