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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, January 1966-May 1973

ARCH.2003.36, Rendition: 805449

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct

The image shows a page from a publication titled "The Newgate Calendar," which is described as an omnium-gatherum of news and reviews about Harvard and the lively arts. The page is from the December 1972 issue of the Harvard Bulletin, specifically page 57.

The main content of the page is an article titled "Recasting reality," discussing the exhibition "Contemporary American Photographs" at the Fogg Art Museum. The article mentions various photographs from the exhibition, including works by Diane Arbus, Minor White, and Naomi Savage, among others. It highlights the diverse styles and subjects explored by contemporary photographers who use the photographic medium to push beyond traditional representation and explore new possibilities.

The page includes two photographs:

  1. The top photograph is a black-and-white image of a fungus, titled "Fungus, Ipswich, 1962," by Paul Caponigro.
  2. The bottom photograph is an aerial view of New York City, titled "New York City, 1936," by Berenice Abbott, which is also mentioned in the article.

The text accompanying the photographs provides additional context and information about the exhibition and the photographs themselves.

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-72B-Instruct

This image shows a page from a publication titled "The Newgate Calendar," dated December 1972. The page is numbered 57 and is labeled "HARVARD Bulletin" in red handwriting. The content is about an exhibition of contemporary American photographs at the Fogg Art Museum through December.

The article, titled "Recasting reality," discusses the exhibition and mentions various photographers and their works. It describes the nature of the photographs and the techniques used by the artists to "recast the reality before them."

There are two images on the page:

  1. A photograph titled "Fungus, Ipswich, 1962" by Paul Caponigro. The image is a close-up of a mushroom with a detailed view of its gills and a dark, textured background.
  2. A photograph titled "New York City, 1936" by Berenice Abbott. The image shows an aerial view of skyscrapers in New York City.

The article provides a detailed description of the exhibition, the photographers involved, and the museum's collection efforts. It also mentions the significance of the exhibition in the context of photographic history and the museum's teaching collection.

Qwen, qwen.qwen3-vl-235b-a22b

This image shows a single page from the December 1972 issue of the Harvard Bulletin, specifically page 57, as indicated by the printed text “DECEMBER 1972 | 57” at the bottom center of the page.

The page itself is titled “The Newgate Calendar” with the subtitle “an omnium-gatherum of news and reviews about Harvard and the lively arts.” The main article on this page is titled “Recasting reality,” which reviews the exhibition “Contemporary American Photographs” at the Fogg Art Museum (now the Harvard Art Museums).

Article Summary:

The article discusses an exhibition featuring American photography from the 1960s and early 1970s that moves beyond traditional representation toward experimental, abstract, and multi-media works — often derived directly from the photographic process itself (e.g., with lenses and chemicals).

It highlights the work of several artists including:

  • Diane Arbus (portrait of a dwarf),
  • Minor White (abstract study of a rock),
  • Naomi Savage (St. Brigid Passion Week),
  • Edward Steichen (1913 photo of women at Longchamps),
  • Paul Strand, Walker Evans, Aaron Siskind, Harry Callahan, Bruce Davidson, Anne Worrington, Carol Ginzales, and Emmet Gowin.

A key point is that the photos are owned by the Fogg and were acquired with a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1971, making the Fogg the first major museum to receive a grant specifically for acquiring photographs. Davis Pratt, Associate Curator of Photographs, selected the works.

The article also mentions that the collection will continue to grow until January 31, 1973, and notes that 2,000 photographs by Ben Shahn (given by his wife) are part of the collection, with a selection shown at the Fogg.

At the bottom, the article references a photograph by Berenice Abbott (1936) titled “New York City,” also on view at the Fogg.


Visual Elements:

  • The page features two black-and-white photographs:
    1. The top photo is captioned: “Fungus, Ipswich, 1962, by Paul Caponigro.” It shows an abstract, close-up view of a white, feathery or veiny fungus against a dark background, emphasizing texture.
    2. The bottom photo is captioned: “New York City, 1936, a photograph by Berenice Abbott, at the Fogg.” This is a high-angle, geometric cityscape photograph, likely capturing buildings and streets, typical of Abbott’s work.

Annotation:

The page has been clearly annotated by hand in red ink:

  • “Harvard Bulletin” is underlined in red at the bottom center.
  • Below that, “DECEMBER 1972” is also underlined in red — reinforcing the publication date and source.

Context:

The page is displayed within an open, brown hardcover book or scrapbook with visible binding on the right — suggesting that this article was intentionally preserved or collected, perhaps as part of a personal or institutional archive related to Harvard or art history. The aged paper and handwriting imply this is a physical artifact from the early 1970s or shortly after.

In summary, this is a clipping from the Harvard Bulletin reviewing a groundbreaking photography exhibition at the Fogg Museum, showcasing innovative American photography and the museum’s commitment to collecting this medium — preserved as a historical document with handwritten annotations.

Amazon, amazon.nova-pro-v1:0

The image shows an open book with a magazine-like page on the left. The page is titled "The Newgate Calendar" and features a black-and-white photograph of a mushroom on the right side. The photograph is credited to Paul Caponigro. Below the photograph, there is a small image of a cityscape, which is credited to Berenice Abbott. The text on the page discusses the exhibition of contemporary American photographs at the Fogg Art Museum, highlighting the works of various photographers, including Diane Arbus, Minor White, Naomi Savage, and others. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of photographic styles and themes, reflecting the evolving nature of photography as an art form.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

An open book with the title "The Newgate Calendar" is on a white surface. The book has a black-and-white photograph of a mushroom and a text that reads "Recasting reality." The text discusses contemporary American photographers and their works. The book also has a photograph of New York City in 1916. The book's pages are folded, and the text is written in black ink.

Amazon, us.amazon.nova-2-lite-v1:0

The image shows an open book or magazine page titled "The Newgate Calendar", which appears to be from The Harvard Bulletin, dated December 1972. The page is structured with text and accompanying photographs, focusing on an article titled "Recasting reality".

Text Content:

  • The article discusses contemporary American photographers and their work, specifically highlighting the Fogg Art Museum's exhibition titled "Contemporary American Photography: at the Fogg through December."
  • It explores how photographers are moving beyond traditional representations to explore new possibilities in the medium. The article mentions several photographers, including Diane Arbus, Minor White, Paul Strand, Walker Evans, Edward Weston, Aaron Siskind, Harry Callahan, Bruce Davidson, Ansel Adams, Edward Steichen, David Pratt, and Ben Shahn.
  • The article also details the exhibition's scope, noting that it includes works from 31 photographers, with a focus on black-and-white prints. It discusses the diversity of styles and the evolution of photographic techniques over the past decade.
  • There is mention of a matching grant of $10,000 awarded to the Fogg by the National Endowment for the Arts, which helped fund the exhibition.

Photographs:

  1. Top Right Photograph:

    • Captioned: "Fungus, Ipswich, 1962, by Paul Capotore."
    • This black-and-white photograph depicts a close-up, abstract, and textured image that resembles organic, natural forms, possibly a close-up of a mushroom or similar subject.
  2. Bottom Photograph:

    • Captioned: "New York City, 1966, a photograph by Berenice Abbott, at the Fogg."
    • This black-and-white photograph shows an urban scene, likely a view of New York City, with architectural details and possibly a street or skyline visible.

Layout and Design:

  • The page is formatted with a clean, structured layout typical of academic or cultural publications.
  • The text is organized into paragraphs, with headings and subheadings to guide the reader.
  • The photographs are placed strategically to complement the written content, providing visual examples that support the discussion of contemporary photography.

Additional Details:

  • The page includes a footer indicating the publication as HARVARD BULLETIN, with the issue dated DECEMBER 1972.
  • The overall tone suggests an academic or cultural critique of contemporary photography, emphasizing innovation and artistic exploration in the medium.

This page serves as a historical document, offering insight into the state of photography in the early 1970s and the Fogg Art Museum's role in showcasing and supporting contemporary photographers.

OpenAI, gpt-4o-2024-11-20

This image shows a page from a publication titled "The Newgate Calendar," with content related to art and photography exhibitions at Harvard University's Fogg Art Museum. The main section describes an exhibition showcasing contemporary American photography in the 1970s, highlighting works by various artists.

In the middle of the page is a black-and-white image labeled "Fungus, Ipswich, 1962, by Paul Caponigro," showing a detailed photograph of a mushroom's patterns and textures.

Below this section, there is a smaller black-and-white photo captioned "New York City, 1936, a photograph by Berenice Abbott, at the Fogg." It shows an aerial view of New York City.

At the bottom is a handwritten note in red ink that reads, "HARVARD BULLETIN DECEMBER 1972." The page appears to be part of a scrapbook or archival collection.

OpenAI, gpt-4

This is a photograph of an open publication with an article on the left side and images with captions on the right side, attached to a brown paper background, possibly a scrapbook or an archival folder.

The article's title reads "The Newgate Calendar," with a subtitle that suggests it's a collection of news and reviews about Harvard and the lively arts. The heading "Recasting reality" seems to introduce a piece about "Contemporary American Photographers" at the Fogg Art Museum. Below, the text is partially obscured by the spine of the book, but it appears to discuss various artists and their work within this exhibition. Notable mentions include Minor White's 'Portrait of a Dwarf,' Ansel Adams, and the diversity of styles displayed at the Fogg's collection. The article also details how the photographs recast reality into unusual respects, reach into software systems, and mention the response to the exhibition.

To the right, there are two images with captions. The top image is titled "Fungus, Ipswich, 1962, by Paul Caponigro." It shows a high-contrast black and white photograph of what appears to be a fungus with intricate textures and a heart-like shape in the center.

The bottom image is a photograph titled "New York City, 1946, a photograph by Bernice Abbott, at the Fogg." It presents an urban scene with buildings, one of which is under construction, reminiscent of mid-20th-century New York City's architecture.

A handwritten note on the bottom right corner of the page says "Harvard Bulletin December 1971" and below that, "December 1972" with an underlined "1972", suggesting a possible misprint or error reference.

At the corner of the page, there is a label or stamp that says "Jacques Dupont," but the full context or significance of this name within the image isn't clear.

OpenAI, gpt-4.1-mini-2025-04-14

The image depicts a page from a publication called "The Newgate Calendar," which appears to be an omnium-gatherum of news and reviews about Harvard and the lively arts. The page features an article titled "Recasting reality," discussing an exhibition called "Contemporary American Photographs" at the Fogg Art Museum that runs through December.

The article talks about the nature of the photographs in the exhibition, highlighting how contemporary photographers explore beyond straightforward representation, sometimes using lenses, chemicals, or multimedia processes. It mentions a few notable figures and describes the diversity and difficulty in categorizing the works shown, which includes only a few prints by each of 31 photographers.

On the right side of the page, there's a black-and-white photograph of a fungus titled "Fungus, Ipswich, 1962," credited to Paul Caponigro. Below the article is another black-and-white photograph showing an aerial cityscape of New York City from 1936, by Berenice Abbott.

Two handwritten notations are present in red ink: "HARVARD BULLETIN" near the bottom right corner of the article, and "HARVARD BULLETIN DECEMBER 1972" beneath the cityscape photo. The latter seems to be a reference to the source and date of the publication.

OpenAI, gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07

The image shows a page from an old scrapbook or album. It has a worn brown edge and a large newspaper clipping mounted on it. The clipping is titled “The Newgate Calendar” and includes a column of text on the left with a large black-and-white photograph on the right that looks like a close-up of a fungus or mushroom-like form against a dark background. There is a small caption beneath the photo and a red handwritten note in the bottom right that reads “HARVARD BULLETIN.” A second, smaller black-and-white image of a city scene is partially visible underneath the clipping.