Nickolas Muray ( American, b. Hungary, 1892-1965), "Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Santa Monica, California", 1929. Gelatin silver print. George Eastman Musuem, gift of Mrs Nockolas Muray. © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives
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American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy
26/09/2025 - 01/03/2026
George Eastman Museum
900 East Avenue
NY 14607 New York
www.eastman.org
American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy examines the pioneering artistry that emerged out of backdrops of persecution and perseverance. The exhibition follows a remarkable number of émigrés and exiles from Hungary to Berlin and Paris, and then on to New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, where they reinvented themselves and American photography. This exhibition is the first full examination of their circuitous journeys to the United States—in the aftermaths of two world wars and Hungary’s student-led revolt in 1956—and the wondrous artistic legacy that developed along the way.
More than 150 stunning and surreal photographs capture the unexpected beauty of fleeting shadows, gritty urban life, glamorous celebrities, and the promises of America. Included are works by notable artists such as André Kertész, Nickolas Muray, Martin Munkácsi, and György Kepes, along with less familiar names whose images are instantly recognizable. One example is Robert Capa, a pioneer of modern photojournalism whose photographs of Omaha Beach on D-Day are among the most famous of World War II.
Providing a missing chapter in art history, the exhibition focuses on the astounding impact of Hungarian-born artists on photography in the United States, especially in urban centers.
26/09/2025 - 01/03/2026
George Eastman Museum
900 East Avenue
NY 14607 New York
www.eastman.org
American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy examines the pioneering artistry that emerged out of backdrops of persecution and perseverance. The exhibition follows a remarkable number of émigrés and exiles from Hungary to Berlin and Paris, and then on to New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, where they reinvented themselves and American photography. This exhibition is the first full examination of their circuitous journeys to the United States—in the aftermaths of two world wars and Hungary’s student-led revolt in 1956—and the wondrous artistic legacy that developed along the way.
More than 150 stunning and surreal photographs capture the unexpected beauty of fleeting shadows, gritty urban life, glamorous celebrities, and the promises of America. Included are works by notable artists such as André Kertész, Nickolas Muray, Martin Munkácsi, and György Kepes, along with less familiar names whose images are instantly recognizable. One example is Robert Capa, a pioneer of modern photojournalism whose photographs of Omaha Beach on D-Day are among the most famous of World War II.
Providing a missing chapter in art history, the exhibition focuses on the astounding impact of Hungarian-born artists on photography in the United States, especially in urban centers.