Lens on Albany: The Art & History of Photography in the Capital City
The 24th Annual History Fair
Sunday, May 7th from 12pm to 4pm
FREE
Join us for the 24th Annual Albany History Fair, Lens on Albany! Experience the art and history of photography in the Capital City over an afternoon of special presentations, themed tours, collection highlights, and immersive activities.
Stuart Lehman presents his extensive stereograph collection and the history of the art.
Clifford Oliver presents the vintage photo collection that has impacted his work as a photographer.
Friends Union returns by popular demand to entertain with traditional music.
Special Presentations:
12:30pm Historian and collector, Stuart Lehman, discusses how the new art of photography changed how people viewed the world in the 19th century—and how the “stereoscope” brought the world right into your parlor in the earliest version of 3D.
1:30pm Artist Clifford Oliver presents the vintage photo collection that has impacted his work as a photographer.
2:30pm Camille Dobbs, Lead Educator at Youth FX, and student photographers discuss “Gordon Parks: My Camera is a Weapon,” a collaboration with the Albany Institute of History & Art that mentored students to create original works responding to the photographs of artist-activist Gordon Parks.
3:30pm Albany City Historian Tony Opalka discusses photography as documentation—and highlights historic photographs of South End streetscapes that have disappeared.
12:15pm, 1, & 2:15pm “Minnie’s Picture”—a dramatic monologue in which Cherry Hill’s Minnie Knapp (portrayed by Jocelyn Khoury) describes what it was like to have her tintype taken, followed by Q & A with costumer Brittney Belz.
1-4pm Music by Friends Union band
Throughout the Afternoon:
- Historic house tours (available on a first come, first served basis)
- Collection highlights
- Cyanotype (sunprint)-making
- Vintage portrait simulations
- Tables and Displays by Capital Region Heritage Partners and Community Organizations
- Refreshments by South End Grocery Store
Remember: Fair admittance, house tours, presentations, and activities are all FREE, no reservation required. House tours are available on a first come, first served basis.
