More than 130 Carl Van Vechten Portraits Offer a Who’s Who of 20th Century Cultural Leaders

NORFOLK, Va. (August 28, 2026) – Between the 1930s and 1950s, hundreds of cultural luminaries from the early 20th century sat for portraits in a small studio in an apartment at 150 West 55th Street in Manhattan.

In his apartment studio, American photographer Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) photographed some of the most influential artists, writers, musicians and cultural leaders of the time.

More than 130 of those photographs are now part of the Chrysler Museum of Art’s collection. The transformative gift from the Philadelphia Museum of Art includes images of Walter P. Chrysler Jr., whose collection formed the foundation of the Museum. Before the gift, the Chrysler Museum only held one image by Van Vechten.

Best known for documenting and championing the Harlem Renaissance, Van Vechten was a writer, critic and photographer who used his influence to promote Black artists, writers and musicians, introducing their work to broader audiences and creating an unparalleled photographic record of the movement’s leaders. The gift showcases figures associated with the Harlem Renaissance and its legacy, such as Bessie Smith, Alain Locke and Mahalia Jackson, as well as key individuals from early modern LGBTQ history, including W.H. Auden, Don Bachardy and Truman Capote. Reflecting Chrysler’s interest in collecting photographs of artists, the gift also features portraits of Alexander Calder, Giorgio de Chirico, Salvador Dalí and Rockwell Kent.

“This extraordinary gift strengthens the Chrysler Museum’s collection and deepens our representation of early American photography,” said Mark A. Castro, Ph.D., director of curatorial affairs at the Chrysler Museum of Art. “Carl Van Vechten’s photographs document a remarkable network of prominent cultural figures whose impact continues to resonate today.”

Most portraits were taken in Van Vechten’s studio. A notable exception is an image of Georgia O’Keeffe taken at her home, Ghost Ranch, posed in front of a cow’s skull. Van Vechten captured the images for personal satisfaction and as gifts for the sitters. “I don’t sell my photographs,” he said, “and so I can do exactly what I want.”

Van Vechten’s portrait photography captures a distinct sense of immediacy and personality, reflecting the trust he shared with many of his sitters.

“Carl Van Vechten’s portraits humanize people whose names we know and whose work has forever changed their fields,” explained Caroline Culp, Ph.D., the Chrysler Museum’s Brock curator of American art. “We see sometimes imperfect snapshots of these larger-than-life people, and it’s a really humanized dialogue with leading cultural figures from the past.”

The collection comes to the Chrysler Museum from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which received thousands of photographs in 1965 as a gift from John Mark Lutz. Lutz shared a decades-long personal and professional relationship with Van Vechten after the two met in New York in 1931, and he served as the subject of some of the photographer’s earliest portraits.

The gift includes a group of 10 photographs of Walter P. Chrysler Jr. taken by Van Vechten in 1937 along with portraits of members of his social circle, including photographer and society chronicler Jerome Zerbe.

Viewing the works

Select photographs from the gift will be featured in “Define Yourself!,” on view Nov. 6, 2026 through April 25, 2027. The exhibition exploring themes of identity, representation and self-definition is organized through the Chrysler Museum’s Atlantic Coast Cohort partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“In Good Company: Carl Van Vechten and the Faces of Modern Culture,” opening May 7, 2027, will feature approximately 50 of Van Vechten’s portraits. Organized around the individuals whose achievements transformed modern arts and culture, portraits will include W. H. Auden, Truman Capote, Walter P. Chrysler Jr., Aaron Copland, Salvador Dalí, George Gershwin, Lillian Gish, Mahalia Jackson, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, Bessie Smith, Gertrude Stein, Tennessee Williams, Anna May Wong and many others. The exhibition will include context on each sitter with historical photographs, poems, quotes and reproductions of works of art. “In Good Company” will be on view through July 25, 2027.

As part of the Goode Works on Paper Center, the photographs are available for viewing with an appointment. chrysler.org/goode-works-on-paper/

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ABOUT THE CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART
The Chrysler Museum of Art welcomes you to connect with art, creativity and our shared humanity. Internationally recognized for its collection of more than 35,000 objects, including one of the largest glass collections in America, the Museum offers free admission; includes the state-of-the-art Perry Glass Studio, a full-service restaurant, shop, theater and works on paper space; and oversees the historic Myers House. The Museum boasts an ambitious schedule of exhibitions, events and programs and has been nationally recognized for its commitment to inclusion through its innovative gallery host program. For more information, visit chrysler.org. Follow on social media @ChryslerMuseum to receive the latest updates.

High-resolution images and credits are available. Permission and credit are required for the use of all images, print or digital. Cropping may not be permitted on some images; see caption sheet if applicable.

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