Description
The cards reinforced middle-class Americans' sense of family. They allowed people to show off their material achievements and comforts, and the best cards projected an informal immediacy that encouraged viewers to feel emotionally connected with those portrayed. The experience even led sitters to act out before the camera. By making photographs an easygoing fact of life, the cards forecast the snapshot and today's ubiquitous photo sharing.
Organized by senior curator John Rohrbach, Acting Out is the first ever in-depth examination of the cabinet card phenomena. Full-color plates include over 100 cards at full size, providing a highly entertaining collection of these early versions of the selfie and ultimately demonstrating how cabinet cards made photography modern.
Published in association with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Exhibition dates:
Amon Carter Museum of American Art: August 15-November 1, 2020
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): August 8-November 7, 2021
About the Author
John Rohrbach is Senior Curator of Photographs at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Reviews
"Acting Out adds to the historical narrative of photography."
* Dallas Morning News *Book Information
ISBN 9780520306684
Author John Rohrbach
Format Hardback
Page Count 232
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 1633g
Dimensions(mm) 248mm * 279mm * 25mm