Photography & Power: Gilded Age Images from the Preservation Society Archives 📸
The Preservation Society of Newport County holds an extraordinary archive of Gilded Age photographs, featuring portraits of celebrities, prominent families, Newport landmarks, and foreign landscapes. Rare images by pioneering photographers such as Felice Beato, José María Mora, Matthew Brady, and Marian Hooper Adams offer a fascinating glimpse into the glamour and complexities of the era.
In this lecture, Dr. Nicole Williams, Curator of Collections at The Preservation Society of Newport County, will examine how these photographers pushed the limits of their medium, often blurring the line between truth and artifice. She will explore how their work cultivated intimacy, challenged injustice, and conveyed knowledge and power, as well as how these historical photographs shed new light on Newport’s iconic architecture and art collections.
📍 Location: The Preservation Society of Newport County
📅 Date: March 27, 2025
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
🎟 Price: Free – $20 per person (Virtual & Member Pricing Available)
Dr. Williams earned her PhD from Yale University in the History of Art, specializing in American art. She has taught at Yale University and Washington University in St. Louis, with a focus on 19th-century American art, women’s histories, and craft practices in the industrial age.
