Aperture Marks 75 Years With Anniversary Book, "Nothing to Lose but Photography"
In 2024, Aperture will mark its seventy-fifth anniversary with a special publication entitled "Nothing to Lose but Photography," showcasing a collection of images and writings from its history. This title pays homage to Ansel Adams, one of the magazine's founders, and is inspired by the first issue. The magazine emerged from the 1951 Aspen Conference on Photography, which led to a call for serious photography journals in 1953. Notable early supporters included Jacob Deschin, Dr. Edwin H. Land, Henry Luce, and artists such as Laura Gilpin, Roger Mayne, and Dorothy Norman. To finance the anniversary book, Aperture requests donations of $100 or $500 by October 31. Additionally, in September 2026, Aperture plans to open a new location at 380 Columbus Avenue, featuring artists like Tina Barney and Stephen Shore.
Key facts
- Aperture's seventy-fifth anniversary falls next year and will be marked by the book "Nothing to Lose but Photography"
- The book's title quotes Ansel Adams, an Aperture founder, from the magazine's first issue
- Aperture traces its founding to the 1951 Aspen Conference on Photography
- In 1953 the founders appealed for subscribers, arguing photography deserved journals like the other arts
- Early subscriber lists included Jacob Deschin, Edwin H. Land, Henry Luce, Laura Gilpin, Roger Mayne, and Dorothy Norman
- Rome student Robert Bright praised the magazine's first year in a published letter
- Gifts of $100 or $500 made before October 31 earn donors a listing in the book and a copy on publication
- Aperture opened its new home at 380 Columbus Avenue in September 2026
Entities
Artists
- Ansel Adams
- Jacob Deschin
- Edwin H. Land
- Henry Luce
- Laura Gilpin
- Roger Mayne
- Dorothy Norman
- Robert Bright
- Tina Barney
- Stephen Shore
- Hiroshi Sugimoto
- Ming Smith
- Coreen Simpson
- Miranda Barnes
- Melissa O'Shaughnessy
- Gillian Laub
- Elizabeth Kahane
- Susan Meiselas
- Tommy Kha
- Robin Schwartz
- Dawoud Bey
- Kwame Brathwaite Jr.
- Anastasia Samoylova
- Mitch Epstein
- Lyle Ashton Harris
- Justine Kurland
- Stefan Ruiz
- Carole Naggar
- Dean Majd
- Abdulhamid Kircher
- Ethan James Green
- Deana Lawson
- Fred Ritchin
- Kelli Connell
- Landon Nordeman
- Robert C. Bishop
Institutions
- Aperture
- Aperture Foundation
- The New York Times
- Life
- Polaroid
Locations
- Aspen
- United States
- Rome
- Italy
- New York
- 380 Columbus Avenue