The New York Photo League was a group of professional and amateur photographers that were united in social justice and documentary-style representations of mid-20th century life, often in urban settings. Some members who were actively involved or supported the Photo League include Aaron Siskind and Weegee. The collective documented changes in the socio-political landscape of their time, and their exposure of working-class issues, often presented with leftist leanings, caused the salon to be blacklisted after 15 years, a victim of McCarthy-era censorship.
The New York Photo League pioneered the subjective genre of documentary photography that continues to this day. This exhibition draws from extensive Photo League museum collections at the Jewish Museum in New York City and the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio.
The Radical Camera
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street (near Third)
through Jan. 21, 2013, $5–$12, 415-688-7800
www.thecjm.org
