NYU Kimmel Windows

Ralph Ellison (1913–1994) is widely regarded as one of the foremost figures in American literature. His first and only novel published during his lifetime, Invisible Man (1952), remains a seminal work, hailed as a breakthrough representation of the American experience and Black everyday life. Lesser known, however, is Ellison’s lifelong engagement with photography, which ran parallel to his writing.

This exhibition is drawn from the book Ralph Ellison: Photographer, published by The Gordon Parks Foundation, The Ralph and F***y Ellison Charitable Trust, and Steidl. It is curated by Michal Raz-Russo and John F. Callahan, editors of Ralph Ellison: Photographer.