Frances Benjamin Johnston photographed herself in 1896 as an independent ‘new woman’, sitting by a fireplace with a cigarette and a beer stein. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-38981 (left), and Carol M. Highsmith took a self-portrait in a broken mirror at the Willard Hotel during its 1980s restoration. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-16608 (right).
America for the Ages
2024
American society has undergone enormous changes since the late 19th century, and, in some cases, its history has been lost to time. In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, America for the Ages aims to inspire renewed appreciation of the nation’s diversity and majesty through the discerning eyes of two distinguished photographers: Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864–1952) and Carol M. Highsmith (1946–). Linked by fate and a shared vision, both photographers recognized the historical significance of visual documentation for future generations.
A proposal was developed in consultation with Highsmith, including a curatorial overview outlining planning, funding, programming, merchandise, and budgeting, along with a working checklist. Requiring approximately 2,500 to 4,000 square feet of display space, the exhibition aims to showcase 100 objects, such as framed photographs, correspondence, and ephemera. The target audiences include women, historians, photographers, and international visitors. Programming options include exhibition tours, an Independence Day picnic, and films featuring the work of pioneering women photographers.
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Roles: Research, Exhibition Proposal Development
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Venues: To be determined
Project lead: Carol M. Highsmith
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