Library of Congress Gallery Exhibit: Herblock and Photographers Observe the Environment

Exxon Refinery Explosion and State Capitol of Louisiana 12/24/1989

Photographs often take on lives of their own...and sometimes years later end up in places you would never imagine when you were actually making the image.

Many years ago photography collectors Kent and Marcia Minichiello purchased a set of my documentary photographs related to people living near and protesting pollution in "Cancer Alley," the petro-chemical laden area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, as part of their extensive environmental photography collection.  Several years ago they donated their collection to The Library of Congress.

Now two of those prints are currently on display at the Library of Congress, Jefferson Building through 3/23/2013 in the wonderful show Down to Earth: Herblock and Photographers Observe the Environment.

The show couples a selection of thought provoking Herblock (the award-winning Washington Post editorial cartoonist who's collection of original drawings is housed at the Library) environmentally themed cartoons with photographs from the Library's collections.

Exhibit hours are Mon.-Sat. 8:30am-4:30pm in the Graphic Arts Galleries on the ground floor of the Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE, Washington, DC.  Free admission.

You can read the press release for the show and get a link to the online version of the exhibit here.

I'll be doing a brief noon gallery talk after the first of the year and will post the date once it is set.

Lastly, it's a wonderful honor to be in the show on many levels, including that I love editorial newspaper cartoons and that I once photographed Herblock early in my career and remember him as a kind and great person.