Overview

In this exercise we practice a method -- 'Object Observation' -- by which art and artifacts can deepen students' historical understanding. Focusing on the genre of portraiture, we start by applying the method to Carl Van Vechten's photographic portraits of celebrities (Creative Americans: Portraits by Carl Van Vechten 1932 - 1964). Van Vechten's portraits present three decades of famous American literary figures, artists and scholars. His effort to capture the personalities of his subjects provides us with an interesting glimpse of his own preoccupations as an artist, as well as those of the larger American culture at mid-century. Following this we break into groups and investigate other historical periods and themes using portraits from other American Memory collections. Finally, we practice 'curating' our own mini-collection of portraits, as students may do, to illustrate a theme or development we have discovered. 

Objectives 

At the end of the exercise, participants will be able to: 

• Demonstrate improved observation and questioning skills in regard to historical art and artifacts; 
• Formulate thoughtful questions about the relationship between the sitter for a portrait, the artist, the historical climate, and the contemporary viewer. 

Tasks in brief 

In this activity, participants will: 

• practice an "object observation" exercise, and provide objective and subjective descriptions of a photographic portrait; 
• determine the kinds of information that a portrait reveals, and the "tools" of a portrait artist; 
• search for portraits contained in several American Memory collections, and articulate questions about the subject, the artist, and the historical period of particular portraits; 
• reflect on the nature of portraiture; 
• choose a small collection of portraits to tell a particular story. 

Resources 

1. Portrait of Billie Holiday. (Carl Van Vechten, 1949) 
2. Object Observation sheet 
3. Biographical background on Carl Van Vechten 
4. Occupational index of Van Vechten's subjects (excerpt)
5. American Memory Collections
   1. Creative Americans: Portraits by Carl Van Vechten, 1932-1964
   2. Selected Civil War Photographs from the Library of Congress, 1861-1865
   3. Around the World in the 1890s: Photographs from the World's Transportation Commission, 1894-1896
   4. By Popular Demand: Jackie Robinson & Other Baseball Highlights
   5. Color Photographs from the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information (1938-1944) 
   6. The South Texas Border, 1900-1920: Photographs from the Robert Runyon Collection

Exercise 

1. Introduction: Object Observation 

"Object Observation" is an exercise that was developed by educators at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and refined by teachers at The New York City Museum School as a strategy for honing careful looking and gallery teaching skills. The exercise offers the opportunity to practically apply the theories of museum learning or the process of "passionate learning" embraced by museum professionals -- learning that is object-based and requires detailed observation, extensive research, analysis and synthesis of information, and the presentation of new information in a variety of formats. 

"Object Observation" is designed to encourage closer looking skills, and reinforce the adage "the more you look, the more you will see"; increase articulation skills, by focusing on the use of descriptive language; give confidence in a person's interpretation skills, or the ability to discern and extrapolate information based on observation and previous experience/knowledge; stimulate one's curiosity, and the quest for additional information; emphasize the possibilities of new research, and challenge a person to begin a process of synthesizing information (from observation, research, questioning, listening to and conferring with colleagues) that ultimately leads to new understanding. 

In addition, "Object Observation" serves educators by sensitizing them to the rewards of listening as a teaching and learning tool and the diversity of perspectives, interests, concerns and skills of others. 

• Observation and Recording  
  Participants will focus on one image from the Van Vechten collection (e.g. Resource A: Portrait of Billie Holiday). Using Resource B: Object Observation, participants will individually record observations that are objective and subjective. "Objective" observations describe what is in the photograph, as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices or interpretations. In an art historical context, these descriptions tend to be more "formal", relating to the forms and structures, or the arrangement and relationship of various elements in the work of art. "Subjective" descriptions can include personal judgments, interpretation, and feelings. Finally, individuals will list 3 - 5 questions about the photograph. 

• Sharing Observations (15 minutes)  
  The group will take turns presenting their objective and then subjective observations. The group will also compare and discuss their answered and unanswered questions, and consider the process for additional research (closer observation, seeking label copy, artistic statements, biographical information, etc.). 

• Research about Carl Van Vechten, the photographer (10 minutes)  
  Participants consult Resource C, a biographical sketch of Van Vechten, and Resource D, an Occupational Index of his subjects, to learn more about the nature and scope of his work. (This abbreviated step stands in for what would normally be a longer period of student research.) 

• Discussion (10 minutes)  
  The group shares information and insights about Van Vechten and his work, and discusses how this additional information altered their understanding of the portrait we studied. 

2. Searching for Portraits/Curating a Mini-Collection (45 minutes) 

In pairs, search one of several American Memory collections that include portraits of celebrities or ordinary people. Some feature people within a particular category or profession (e.g. Presidents and First Ladies, baseball players, vaudevillians) and some feature portraits from a particular event or time period (e.g. mid-19th century daguerrotypes, Civil War photos, or 1890s travel photos from around the world). 

Just as artists make choices in the creation of an individual image, collectors and curators make choices in the selection of images to tell a particular story. After searching one of the collections below, select 4 - 6 portraits to tell a particular story -- it could be about the changing nature of portraiture, changing images of celebrities, changes in the work of one photographer, or changing fashions. Refer to the suggested themes for ideas.  Print out the images or bookmark their Web addresses.

Search tip: Try searching on terms by which portraits are often catalogued in the collections: portrait, group, man, woman, (men/women) girl, boy, children. 
 

3. Analyzing the portraits (30 minutes) 

Arrange the portraits to tell a story. You may wish to use the Online Exhibit Maker to do this. Apply skills developed in the object observation exercise. Discuss the photographs in terms of what you were able to determine about the purposes of the portraits, the intention/goals of the artist, and the intention/goals of the subject. You might also develop a list of the conventions or tools of portraiture (e.g. busts or half-length, full - body, pose, dress/costume, composition, lighting/light source, facial expression, hands/gesture, surroundings, props) that communicate information. 

Each group will have an opportunity to view the other mini-exhibitions. 

4. Presentation and Reflection (30 minutes) 

Each group will present their "exhibition" of portraits, and discuss the organizing principles of their collection. As a group, participants will consider the appeal of portrait photographs, and the kinds of information revealed about the subject, the artist, the collector/curator, and the viewer themselves. 

Participants will also discuss the value of understanding how choices are made - by an artist, a celebrity, and a collector/curator - to present a particular idea or image. 

Resource B: Object Observation Sheet

Objective Observations Describe what you see in the photograph --  the forms and structures, the arrangement of the various  elements. Avoid personal feelings or interpretations.Your description should help someone who has not seen the image to visualize it.		Subjective Observations Describe your personal feelings, associations and judgements about the image. Always anchor your subjective response in something that is seen.  For example, "I see...., and it makes me think of ....."
Questions you now have about the photograph: