Eleanor and Barbara, Chicago

Harry Callahan was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, famed for his experimentation and his humanistic approach. He taught at Chicago’s Institute of Design from 1946 to 1961, and during this period he embarked on an innovative series featuring his wife, Eleanor, and their daughter, Barbara. Callahan combined features of casual snapshots (frontally posed figures, central framing, and harsh shadows) with the inherent qualities of an 8 × 10 camera (intense clarity, stillness, and large scale). This photograph from the series entered the collection at the end of Hugh Edwards’s tenure. Before retirement, Edwards wrote these departing words to Callahan: “As for so many others, your work, teaching, and influence have always been an inspiration for me and so they will continue to be.”