Exhibition curated by Suzy Taraba.
Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964, University of Chicago Ph.B. '03), arts critic, novelist and photographer, played an important role in the American literary and arts scene of the 1920s through the 1940s. In addition to the acclaim he received for his own work, Van Vechten was instrumental in promoting the careers of other writers and artists, among them Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein and Wallace Stevens. This exhibition focuses on a selection of photographs including portraits, the work for which Van Vechten is now best remembered, and his less well-known scenes from American life, landscapes, architecture and statuary. Also on display are Van Vechten's publications and a selection of the writings of those he championed.