Opening Feb. 18, at the Bruce Museum, the new exhibition “Street Smart: Photographs of New York City, 1945-1980” provides a glimpse at life in the Big Apple during the post-war period. Featuring 30 black-and-white works drawn from the Bruce Museum’s permanent collection, the show records both cacophonous scenes of urban life and moments of quietude and respite from the chaos.
In the decades that followed World War II, New York City was a world cultural center hosting a whirlwind of activities from protests and race riots to jazz performances. At the same time, the role of photography in American life was changing. As exposure to wartime propaganda made the public question the objective truth of photographic imagery and as cameras became more affordable and easier to use, many American photographers began to imbue their pictures with a more personal approach. The exhibition features works by the fivr photographers Larry Fink, Herman Leonard, Leon Levinstein, John Shearer, and Garry Winogrand, who record in intimate detail how street-savvy New Yorkers navigate the bustling landscape.
“Street Smart” will be on view through June 4. The Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr., is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 203-869-0376 or visit brucemuseum.org.
