The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum (IPHF) in St. Louis at 3415 Olive Street is a wonderful place to visit, but it’s not easy to write about. I’ve been a big fan since it opened and have already done some blogs about it. On April 5, 2014, I posted “New to St. Louis, the IPM” and on September, 13, 2015, I included it in a blog named “Hiding in Plain Sight in St. Louis”. When Ruth & I visited last Thursday, I was glad to see that I was in a crowd. The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum is, I must conclude, catching on.
However, it’s not easy to write about because…well… We went there to see the stupendous Ansel Adams mountain-lake photo on its website. It was not on display. What was on display was a vast collection of photos by Ernst Haas, an Austrian photographer I knew nothing about. Alas, it was closing before the end of the week.IPHF, which is opened only Wednesday through Saturday, is now closed for exhibition change. The staff was discussing the upcoming Hall of Fame induction and the exhibit that might accompany it, but no one told me about either the induction ceremony or the exhibit.
An ongoing Photography Hall of Fame in St. Louis sounds like a great idea. The IPHF has been around since 1965 but was not always here. For its 50th anniversary it’s apparently creating a Hall of Fame as part of the celebration. I know no details about it other than what’s on its website. On October 28, 2016, IPHF will honor World Photo Day and induct 8 visionaries into a Hall of Fame. Among the inductees are Ken Burns, Steve Jobs, Annie Leibovitz, and….Ernst Haas.
Haas once looked like this. Above is his “Nights of New York City” from 1972. A limited edition print of it was available for purchase at IPHF for $2,750. Below is another of his photographs. The man at the desk told me that Haas was his favorite. I can see why. Born in 1929, Haas died in 1986. After studying medicine and having a photographic career in Austria, he turned down a gig at Life Magazine, acquired a Leica, and had his first solo color exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1962.
I know what will be on exhibit at the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019, but I don’t know what you’ll find if you visit it next week. It may or may not be opened.
Hank