Eleanor and Barbara
Date1953
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 8 15/16 × 8 3/4 inches (22.7 × 22.2 cm)
Sheet: 11 1/2 × 11 inches (29.2 × 27.9 cm)
Matted: 20 × 16 inches (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
Credit LineGift of Richard and Ronay Menschel.
Object number2022.65
Copyright© The Estate of Harry Callahan, courtesy Pace Gallery.
The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextHarry Callahan was a pioneering American photographer. Among his best-known works are the numerous portraits of his wife Eleanor, a constant model throughout his career. Here, Callahan poses Eleanor unclothed in bed with their young daughter Barbara climbing on top of her. Light filters in through the window next to them, the radiating rays directing the viewer’s eyes to this quiet moment of domestic life. Callahan’s prolific practice included taking dozens of photographs a day. His output, however, was exceptionally curated, and he consistently produced less than ten finished prints a year, noting "I guess I have shot about 40,000 negatives, and of these, I have about 800 pictures I like.” Callahan taught at the Institute of Design in Chicago and later founded the photography department at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence in 1961 where he served as an influential teacher to many burgeoning American photographers.
