NEWS FROM THE ARCHIVE
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART ACQUIRES FOURTEEN PIECES FROM PHILLIP LEONIAN COLLECTION
May 2025
The National Gallery of Art has acquired 14 pieces from the Phillip Leonian photography archives. The selection consists of eight prints from the Walking series, three from Turns, and three unique photomontage pieces, including two from Phillip's Worlds series and one from the series Zero Positive.
In an unfinished manuscript, Phil offered some insight into the Zero Positive series:
"Equal portions of positive and negative versions of the same image are added together. Basic research with simple silhouettes demonstrates a checkerboard reversal of position between black and white. The edges are maintained at the expense of tonal discrimination as in other processes combining positive and negative images (e.g. bas relief, fine line derivation.) The pure black and white images indicate potential value which cannot be assed until the discipline of a standard photographic form is applied."
May 2025
The National Gallery of Art has acquired 14 pieces from the Phillip Leonian photography archives. The selection consists of eight prints from the Walking series, three from Turns, and three unique photomontage pieces, including two from Phillip's Worlds series and one from the series Zero Positive.
In an unfinished manuscript, Phil offered some insight into the Zero Positive series:
"Equal portions of positive and negative versions of the same image are added together. Basic research with simple silhouettes demonstrates a checkerboard reversal of position between black and white. The edges are maintained at the expense of tonal discrimination as in other processes combining positive and negative images (e.g. bas relief, fine line derivation.) The pure black and white images indicate potential value which cannot be assed until the discipline of a standard photographic form is applied."
BROOKLYN MUSEUM ACQUIRES LARGE SELECTION OF PHILLIP LEONIAN WORK
February 2025
The Brooklyn Museum has acquired 86 pieces from the Phillip Leonian Archive.
This acquisition features 84 works that showcase Phillip Leonian's range and versatility as a photographer. It includes selections from Phillip's Walking, Turns, Mini Cine, and Transcendentals series, as well as a large selection of sports images, and a four unique pieces from his Waterworks and Zero Positive series.
Additionally, two early prints by Edith Leonian were also included in the acquisition. One was taken on the Coney Island set of the silent film The Panto Players, the other was taken on the Brooklyn Bridge as an assignment for an Alexey Brodovitch class in which Edith was at the time enrolled.
February 2025
The Brooklyn Museum has acquired 86 pieces from the Phillip Leonian Archive.
This acquisition features 84 works that showcase Phillip Leonian's range and versatility as a photographer. It includes selections from Phillip's Walking, Turns, Mini Cine, and Transcendentals series, as well as a large selection of sports images, and a four unique pieces from his Waterworks and Zero Positive series.
Additionally, two early prints by Edith Leonian were also included in the acquisition. One was taken on the Coney Island set of the silent film The Panto Players, the other was taken on the Brooklyn Bridge as an assignment for an Alexey Brodovitch class in which Edith was at the time enrolled.
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON ACQUIRES PHILLIP LEONIAN WORK
January 2025
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has acquired 15 pieces by Phillip Leonian, spanning five different series: Walking, Sports, Worlds, Mini Cine, and Transcendentals.
January 2025
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has acquired 15 pieces by Phillip Leonian, spanning five different series: Walking, Sports, Worlds, Mini Cine, and Transcendentals.
PHILLIP LEONIAN PHOTOGRAPH INCLUDED IN PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART EXHIBITION
January 2025
We are excited to announce that the Phillip Leonian photograph, Cathy Rigby on Balance Beam, has been included in the current exhibition, Staged: Studio Photographs from the Collection.
On view January 18–June 29, 2025, the exhibition "brings together photographs from the nineteenth century through the present day, exploring ways that photographers—and sometimes their subjects—have worked and played within the confines of the studio."
Phillip's photograph of Cathy Rigby is displayed next to another stroboscopic photograph, Moving Skip Rope by Harold Edgerton. This juxtaposition places two of the twentieth century's most scientific photographic minds in conversation.
January 2025
We are excited to announce that the Phillip Leonian photograph, Cathy Rigby on Balance Beam, has been included in the current exhibition, Staged: Studio Photographs from the Collection.
On view January 18–June 29, 2025, the exhibition "brings together photographs from the nineteenth century through the present day, exploring ways that photographers—and sometimes their subjects—have worked and played within the confines of the studio."
Phillip's photograph of Cathy Rigby is displayed next to another stroboscopic photograph, Moving Skip Rope by Harold Edgerton. This juxtaposition places two of the twentieth century's most scientific photographic minds in conversation.
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART ACQUIRES PHILLIP LEONIAN WORK
January 2025
Happy New Year! With the start of a the new year, we would like to announce another exciting acquisition: The Philadelphia Museum of Art has acquired 23 pieces of Phillip Leonian's work.
The acquisition consists of several photographs from the Walking series, 13 sports photographs (including c-prints of both Muhammad Ali as King and Cathy Rigby on the Balance Beam), a constructed photograph from Phillip's Worlds series, and a dream-like photograph from the Transcendental series.
Stay tuned for more announcements this year!
January 2025
Happy New Year! With the start of a the new year, we would like to announce another exciting acquisition: The Philadelphia Museum of Art has acquired 23 pieces of Phillip Leonian's work.
The acquisition consists of several photographs from the Walking series, 13 sports photographs (including c-prints of both Muhammad Ali as King and Cathy Rigby on the Balance Beam), a constructed photograph from Phillip's Worlds series, and a dream-like photograph from the Transcendental series.
Stay tuned for more announcements this year!
MORE EXCITING NEWS
October 2024
The Phillip Leonian Archive has been a flurry of excitement for the last few months. In addition to the Briscoe Center's acquisition of the Archive (taking place in summer 2025), various museums have already acquired several pieces by Phillip Leonian.
We are excited to announce:
Amon Carter Museum of American Art has acquired three of Phillip's prints for their collection, including a c-print from the Walking series titled, Is Someone Kidding the College Girl, that accompanied an article of the same name in the January 11, 1966 issue of LOOK magazine.
Cleveland Museum of Art now has in its collection eight pieces by Phillip, including four inkjet prints of Muhammad Ali and four gelatin silver prints, three of which feature the various ways Phillip captured motion in a single frame.
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts has acquired three pieces from Phillip's Waterworks series that will be part of an exhibition scheduled for the end of 2025.
Milwaukee Art Museum has acquired two pieces, including a print of the cover image for Harold Edgerton's Electronic Flash, Strobe (McGraw-Hill, 1970), featuring a stroboscopic photograph of two fencers demonstrating use of the épée.
The Morgan Library and Museum now has six pieces by Phillip Leonian in its collection, including several from the Walking series, one from the related Turns series, and two photomontage creations, all of which exemplify Phil's life-long interest in capturing both space and time.
Keep your eye out for more exciting acquisitions announcements in the coming months!
October 2024
The Phillip Leonian Archive has been a flurry of excitement for the last few months. In addition to the Briscoe Center's acquisition of the Archive (taking place in summer 2025), various museums have already acquired several pieces by Phillip Leonian.
We are excited to announce:
Amon Carter Museum of American Art has acquired three of Phillip's prints for their collection, including a c-print from the Walking series titled, Is Someone Kidding the College Girl, that accompanied an article of the same name in the January 11, 1966 issue of LOOK magazine.
Cleveland Museum of Art now has in its collection eight pieces by Phillip, including four inkjet prints of Muhammad Ali and four gelatin silver prints, three of which feature the various ways Phillip captured motion in a single frame.
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts has acquired three pieces from Phillip's Waterworks series that will be part of an exhibition scheduled for the end of 2025.
Milwaukee Art Museum has acquired two pieces, including a print of the cover image for Harold Edgerton's Electronic Flash, Strobe (McGraw-Hill, 1970), featuring a stroboscopic photograph of two fencers demonstrating use of the épée.
The Morgan Library and Museum now has six pieces by Phillip Leonian in its collection, including several from the Walking series, one from the related Turns series, and two photomontage creations, all of which exemplify Phil's life-long interest in capturing both space and time.
Keep your eye out for more exciting acquisitions announcements in the coming months!
