Vintage Kodak Photos at Grand Central Show Idealized American Life

Rebecca Harris — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 20:07:31 +0000

In 1950, the Eastman Kodak Company launched a billboard advertisement campaign in Grand Central Terminal that would become a staple cultural component of the famous railway station for four decades. Now, 20 years later and with the centennial celebration of the terminal just months away, some of the images have returned to their original home.

: Norm Kerr, 1965 / Eastman Kodak Co. (Courtesy of George Eastman House)

Kodak Coloramas — massive, panoramic photographs depicting idealized scenes of American life — were once championed as “the world’s largest photographs.” A single Colorama ad, measuring 18 feet high and 60 feet wide, dominated the east interior wall of the terminal’s main concourse.

Beginning July 28, visitors will be able to view scaled-down prints of the iconic images on display at the New York Transit Museum, located in the Gallery Annex of Grand Central Terminal. The Kodak Colorama exhibit includes 36 prints, which, at about two feet high and six feet wide each, are a mere fraction the size of the original images.

The advertisements ran continuously from 1950 to 1990, with Kodak boasting 565 different photographs over a 40-year period. Every three weeks, like clockwork, the company would undertake the expensive and laborious process of replacing the ad with a new image.

: Norm Kerr, 1968 / Eastman Kodak Co. (Courtesy of George Eastman House)

“The Colorama images were highly stylized ideas of American life that became part of the Grand Central experience for millions of visitors over a 40-year span,” said Gabrielle Shubert, director of the Transit Museum.

The campaign ended in 1990, when the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission declared Grand Central Terminal a landmark.

Many of the images, which portray idealized snapshots of 20th century American culture, are reminiscent of Norman Rockwell paintings; and not without reason. Rockwell — famous for his paintings and illustrations of everyday American life — served as an artistic director on some of the photo shoots for the Colorama campaign, according to Rob Del Bagno, manager of exhibits for the Transit Museum.

Although the ad campaign ran for four decades, the exhibit features only photographs from the 1960s.

“The curator felt that that decade was the heyday of Kodak — and the heyday of advertising,” Del Bagno said.

: Donald Marvin, 1962 / Eastman Kodak Co. (Courtesy of George Eastman House)

He added that the exhibit, which will run until November 1, marks one of many upcoming events and activities meant to honor the centennial of of Grand Central Terminal. The iconic New York transportation hub, which opened to railway traffic in 1913, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in February.

“As we prepare for our Centennial, the return of these images serves as a reminder of how Grand Central has been at the center of life and culture in New York and the Northeast for all these decades,” Shubert said.

Poster Art Goes Mobile

City Arts — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:02:04 +0000

by CAROLINE BIRENBAUM

A terrific selection of original artwork for posters commissioned by the London Underground and its successor London Transport, is on exhibit at the NY Transit Museum Gallery Annex in Grand Central Station through July 8.

Never before shown in the U.S., the works are on loan from the venerable London Transport Museum, whose collection includes over 700 maquettes and 5000 vintage posters.

Charged with expanding use of public transit beyond weekday commuting, Frank Pick, publicity officer for the Underground Group in the first decade of the 20th century, applied the new concept of travel posters to promoting local attractions, and handpicked artists to submit designs.

In the course of his lengthy career, he enriched the urban environment by setting high artistic standards while being receptive to diverse styles of expression. The unifying factor was the distinctive typeface designed in 1917 by Edward Johnston.

The 51 works on view in New York range from the very first pictorial poster commissioned by Pick, John Hassall’s comical 1908 gouache, “No Need to Ask a P’liceman,” to Paul Catherall’s 2007 color linocut, “Primrose Hill,” and include examples by famous artists and unfamiliar names alike.

All but four works in the show were approved for production. Thumbnail photos of the printed posters enable comparison between the model and the final version—often colors were heightened or simplified, and lettering added.

Anyone in a hurry can enjoy the exhibit purely for the visual pleasure it affords. With a bit of time, the simple, clear wall labels and unobtrusive thematic installation will make you aware of the variety of media, artistic styles, production requirements and processes, and criteria for acceptance involved in the long-running endeavor.

New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store is located adjacent to the Station Master’s Office, Grand Central Station main level. Free. Open daily except major holidays.

If you like the Annex Gallery, why not pay a visit to the Transit Museum itself. Located on Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn Heights, it is one of the major institutions of its kind in the world, offering numerous exhibitions and special programs. www.mta.info/museum

For more information: London Transport Museum: www.ltmuseum.co.uk

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Vintage Kodak Photos at Grand Central Show Idealized American Life

Poster Art Goes Mobile