1972, printed 1975
(American, 1932-)
Gelatin silver print
Image: 15.2 x 22.8 cm (6 x 9 in.); Matted: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.)
Gift of Russ Anderson 1992.316
The oldest extant photograph of the Acropolis was taken in 1842.
Almost since its discovery in 1839, photography has been an essential part of travel. A breakthrough occurred in 1888 with the arrival of the Kodak, the first camera so simple to operate that everyone could document their own adventures. In Kenneth Josephson’s 1972 image of sailors photographing the Erechtheion, an ancient Greek temple on the Acropolis in Athens, he included another option. In those days before cell phones, some tourist attractions were served by a local professional who would shoot visitors in front of the famous monument and send them the prints later.
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