Why are family photos in the Harvard Art Museums collections? What can we learn from them, and how did they get here in the first place? This seminar will explore the ethics of collecting and exhibiting anonymous family photos to ask what private pictures can teach us about the broader histories of this genre of photography in the art museum context.

This seminar is part of Gray Area, a new series that features members of our curatorial staff exploring artworks that capture the complexities of humanity, political landscapes, ethics, ideologies, power dynamics, and critical thinking in our times. Through this series, we hope to encourage people to observe and consider their own individual gray areas, and to think about how their unique experiences guide the choices they make.

Led by:
Madison Brown, John R. and Barbara Robinson Family Curatorial Fellow in Photography, Division of Modern and Contemporary Art

Free admission, but registration is required. You can register by clicking on the event on this form, beginning Tuesday, October 7.

Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the program to allow sufficient time to sign in at the Art Study Center reception desk (Level 4), and be prepared to present a photo ID. Late seating is not permitted. All coats and bags must be placed in a locker prior to entering the study room, with lockers available on the Lower Level, Level 1, and Level 4. Children age 14 and older are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.