This Saturday, the Missouri History Museum opens two new exhibits: “Pulitzer Prize Photographs” and “In Focus: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Photographs.” The first is a traveling exhibit from the Newseum in Washington, displaying the most comprehensive collection of Pulitzer-winning photos ever assembled. The second provides a companion exhibit that shows off the work of local photojournalists.
On Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Sarah Fenske talked with Jody Sowell, director of exhibitions and research for the Missouri Historical Society, and Robert Cohen, a staff photographer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, about what the new shows entail.
Sowell described some of the photos in the exhibit as “immediately recognizable” to visitors, where they might have first seen the iconic photographs in school history books.
“Not only are these iconic photos, but they have fascinating stories behind them,” he said. “And then there are photos you’ve likely never seen and don’t know the story of.”
Photojournalists often chronicle the toughest moments in history to capture the right image that will be remembered for decades to come. But the “In Focus” exhibit also showcases the the average lives of St. Louisans.
Cohen said: “90% of my day is ‘slice-of-life’ images, where people are allowing us into their homes. We’re just showing their daily lives, and the more open they are to us, the better job [photojournalists] do.”
Listen to the full discussion:
Related Exhibits
What: "Pulitzer Prize Photographs" & "In Focus: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Photographs"
When: Aug. 3, 2019, through Jan. 20, 2020
Where: Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112)
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury, Evie Hemphill, Lara Hamdan and Alexis Moore. The engineer is Aaron Doerr, and production assistance is provided by Charlie McDonald.
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