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Cape Kennedy, Florida

Garry Winogrand

Artwork Details

Cape Kennedy, Florida
1969; printed 1978
Garry Winogrand
gelatin silver print on paper
9 1/16 x 13 1/2 in. (23.02 x 34.29 cm);
Gift of Stanley T. Lesser, A.B. 1951, J.D. 1953
1981/2.65.1

Description

Subject Matter:

This photograph depicts a scene outside the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where a group of tourists and spectators have gathered to witness an unseen event happening in the sky above. In the center of the frame is a platform on which people stand, their binoculars and cameras raised to the sky. While everyone is focused on the sky above, a lone woman in a dress and sunhat faces the photographer, and appears to be taking a photograph of him while he is photographing her. This image was created in 1969, a momentous year for space travel and exploration, in which the US successfully landed humans on the Moon. The Soviet Union and the United States had been locked in a fierce competition for supremacy of outer space, and the cultural anticipation would’ve reached a fever pitch at the time this photograph was created. This context lends some humor to this image; while something potentially monumental may be occurring in the sky, the photographer and the woman are instead engaged in photographing one another.

Physical Description:

This photograph depicts a crowd of people gathered outside on a low platform. The crowd appears to viewing an event happening in the sky above them. In the foreground stands a woman who faces the photographer, a camera raised to her eyes.

Usage Rights:

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