original c. 1956 john szarkowski gelatin silver print depicting the guaranty building designed by the architectural firm of sullivan and adler – louis sullivan and the architecture of free enterprise exhibition

About This Item

unframed c. 1956 original john szarkowski gelatin silver print believed to have been displayed at the “louis sullivan and the architecture of free enterprise” exhibition that ran from october 25th through december, 2nd of 1956. the photograph is simply titled “the guaranty building, buffalo, ny.” the black and white photographic image depicts the exterior of the late 19th century adler & sullivan-designed guaranty building taken from street level. the photograph is hand-signed, stamped and typed with annotations and/or markings on print verso. john szarkowski was a well-known and highly regarded photographer, curator, historian, and critic. from 1962 to 1991 szarkowski was the director of photography at new york’smuseum of modern art. he was born and grew up in the small northern wisconsin city of ashland, and became interested in photography at age eleven. in world war ii szarkowski served in the u.s. army, after which he graduated in 1947 in art history from the university of wisconsin–madison. he then began his career as a museum photographer at the walker art center, minneapolis. at this time he was also a practicing art photographer; he had his first solo show at the walker art center in 1949, the first of a number of solo exhibitions. in 1954 szarkowski received the first of two guggenheim fellowships, resulting in the book the idea of louis sullivan (1956). in 1962, he was picked by edward steichen to be steichen’s successor at the museum of modern art. acquired from the art institute of chicago.