Echoes of the Lens

Echoes of the Lens at the Staunton Augusta Art Center gathers photography spanning more than two centuries, from the early 1800s to the present, drawn from the personal collection of Frank and Janet Marshman. The show traces the medium's evolution in one place, opening with a calotype, one of the first photographic processes to produce a reproducible negative, and moving into landmark modern work. Among the highlights is a group of Paul Strand photographs from his Mexican portfolio. Strand, a modernist working in the early twentieth century, helped push photography beyond snapshots and documentation and into the fine art world. The collection also includes Dorothea Lange's 'Migrant Mother,' one of the most recognized images of the Great Depression. Executive Director Angus Carter, a photographer himself, has framed the exhibition with context throughout so visitors new to the history can follow the collection. Echoes of the Lens runs through August 12 at the Staunton Augusta Art Center in Staunton, Virginia.