Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-22
CAMERA ANGLES
Museum
To Expand
Photo Aid
By A. ]. WEDDERBURN
Curator Of Photography
The 9mithsonian Inetitufion

The Smithsonian fnstitution
Good news for those inter-
ested in the history and tech
niques Of photography is
embodied In the approval by
Congress of o new museum to
be known as the Museum Of
History and Technology.
Greatly expanded facilities
for exhibition win apply to the
National Museums section Of
photography as well as to the
other sections and divisions Of
this department Of historic
Smithsonian Institution.
For years exhibits relating to
Photographic history have been
restricted to o bare outlining
OF the principal highlights in
the development Of still and
motion picture cameras and
the photo processes and tech
niques. ~
In the new museum. which
is scheduled for completion in
about five years. not only viii
1t be possible to display hun
dreds Of cameras, projection
devices, and other important
items hitherto kept in the stor-
age or reference collection, but
plans are In the making for q
comprehensive exhibition
which will not only explain
how photography came about
but also the many applications
of photography to our way Of
living.
Few Realize Impact
Few people realize the true
significance Of photography
and how we encounter 1t
daily, In one form or another.
no matter where we 60 or
what we do. 1t will be one
Of the primary purposes Of
the exhibits. which are even
now In the drawing board
stage, to show the tremendous
impact photography has had
on the development Of the
sciences, industry, education.
information, entertainment.
and the greatest of all hobbies.
AS we have indicated. present
plans are two-fold: % To out
line history and development,
and 90 to show the ways
photography is utilized. There
will be q step-by-step series Of
exhibits that will trace the
camera and its accessories and
the Photographic processes
from the very origins to the
present state of development.
The exhibits will be pro-
fusely illustrated with his
torical items that have been
collected by the National
Museum for many years. His
torical data will be supplied
by printed label and audio-
visual means.
Among the subjects will be
both still and motion pictures,
development of the cameras,
projectors. printing and en-
larging, optics, artificial light
ing, monochrome and color
processes. plates, films, papers.
processing. photo = chemistry.
and other pertinent subjects.
Aid Reaches Far AfieId
The second major division
Of exhibits will show the ire
mendous influence of photog-
raphy in other fields of en-
deavor. For example. 1t will
be shown how the science of
medicine has been aided by
photography; how photogra-
ply is used by branches Of
science and industry as q re-
search tool; how our armed
forces rely on photography in
many ways,
Other major exhibits In this
division viii show how pho
Biography is used in our edu-
cational system: its develop
ment over a comparatively
short time as a foremost means
Of entertainment by way Of
the motion picture; how it has
radically changed the formal
Of newspaper and magazine:
what 1t has meant in the adj
vertising world: its impact as a
tool in the hands of the Grim
inologist: and what it means
to all Of us as q great world
wide hobby.
Photography rs Art
Additionally much space will
be given over to photographs
place in art. In the new mu-
scum there will be ample room
to display many Photographic
works Of art from the national
THOSE WERE THE n