Camera Classics


Story and images provided by OSU Museum of Art

Cameras are usually viewed as photography’s workhorses, existing only to fulfill their operators’ vision. However, an exhibition at the OSU Museum of Art looks at cameras from a different perspective – as objects of design, intended to please the eye as well as create images.

Camera Classics presents a selection of cameras ranging from the 1890s to the present day, exploring notable examples in relation to current design trends, user demands, cultural significance, and technical advances. The exhibition includes Eastman’s early view and pocket brownie cameras, Walter Dorwin Teague’s Art Deco gift camera, the Polaroid Land Camera, and the camera-embedded iPhone.

Camera Classics is drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and the Kravis Design Center in Tulsa. It is complemented by Impressionist to Modernist: Milestones in Early Photography, an exhibition featuring more than 70 rare, vintage prints capturing a pivotal period in the development of photography. Impressionist to Modernist is on view at the museum until April 7, 2018.

Camera Classics is curated by Arlette Klaric, Associate Chief Curator and Curator of Collections, OSU Museum of Art.  A spring reception is scheduled for Friday, March 2, from 5 to 7 pm to celebrate the exhibitions on view.

Museum hours are Tuesday – Saturday: 11 am to 4 pm, Thursday: 11 am to 7 pm. Admission is free thanks to the generous support of our OSU Museum of Art Advocates.

About the OSU Museum of Art

Located at 8th and Husband in the downtown Stillwater Cultural District, the OSU Museum of Art works closely with the OSU Department of Art, Graphic Design, and Art History. The OSU Museum of Art engages audiences with dynamic programs and access to a growing collection of original art that serves as a resource for study of art and its history by the campus, community, and the people of Oklahoma.