Alfred Stieglitz

A Stieglitz World of Photography

Alfred Stieglitz, a young Jersey boy from Hoboken, was born in 1864 to a world that was less than inviting and accepting of new variations of art. Despite the odds against him, he completely changed the art world. The impact Stieglitz had on the art community and the careers of other artists is undeniable and invaluable. He worked tirelessly throughout his entire life to prove photography’s capabilities as a medium of artistic expression along the same lines as paintings and sculpture, a task he attacked with a fiery passion. Through this battle, he broke through many boundaries and opened doors for photography. The work and achievements of Alfred Stieglitz made a large impact on the artistic field of photography in a post-modernist art world, so much so that he changed the course photography took in future years as well as today.

Stieglitz broke into the art world during the windup of the 19th century. At the time, acceptance of photography had increased but still had much work to be done. The rise in organizations of established photographers had been a sign of the amount of participation in the art, but Stieglitz felt that the groups lacked a certain level of vigor that he exemplified for the craft. This caused him to join the Society of Amateur Photographers, not because of their views on the craft, most of which Stieglitz disagreed with, but because of their periodic journal, American Amateur Photographer. After becoming editor of this journal, Stieglitz began his effort to push for a strong photographical aesthetic in America. The journal helped Stieglitz introduce “better quality” avant-garde images to the art world, a process in which he was extremely selective. He published only the most innovative and dynamic submissions regardless of the prominence of the photographer.

After leaving the Society of Amateur Photographer, Stieglitz helped form the Camera Club. With this organization, he made large strides in improving...