This course explores the ways in which objects and material culture embody personal narrative. Moving back and forth from ephemeral traces of events and experiences to the culturally invested luxury goods that create legacy to the objects that facilitate daily life, this class will use, as its primary references, examples that draw from queer and African American cultures to underscore the potential of objects to tell the stories that not only reflect majority traditions and experiences but those of the disenfranchised, the details of whose lives are often obscured. In addition to readings that will provide background for class discussion, student will be asked to play the roles of detectives, archeologists, and curators at various sites around New York City. Each student will also be asked to create an annotated material record that reveals the public and private lives of one individual. That record may consist of texts, objects or any variety of media chosen or designed by the student. This blogs serves as an archive for the work done in the context of this course and related materials that become relevant to this exploration.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Early Photographs of Elvis Presley

Alfred Wertheimer was 26 years old and haven't been a professional photographer for long when he was hired to take publicity shots of a young performer from the South. Little did anyone know that he was about to become a sensation. This young southerner was sir Elvis Presley. Within 10 days of his assignment, Wertheimer had luck on his side and managed to capture a 21 year old Presley before his burst of fame.
“He permitted closeness, without that I wouldn’t have gotten my intimate photographs. With Elvis, you could get within three feet.”

 In the 10 days Alfred had with Elvis, he had photographs of him shaving, sleeping and locking lips with a woman backstage. Only a handful of the collection were posed. This was the king of rock-n-roll before all happened. These are artifacts of him behind the scenes, it really is just a 21 year old man doing his thing.



Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/arts/music/alfred-wertheimer-early-photographer-of-elvis-presley-dies-at-84.html?_r=0

 -Nova
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