The photographic archive of Sidney B. Felsen has been acquired by the Getty through the generosity of a gift made by Jack Shear.
Felsen’s photographs are personal yet their subjects are artworld personalities, ones that historians will be studying for decades to come. The majority of the over 70,000 photographs will enter the Getty Research Institute, while a smaller selection will become part of the Getty Museum’s photography collection. As a co-founder of the legendary artists’ workshop and publisher, Gemini G.E.L., Felsen and his camera have been present during quiet yet historic moments as artists changed the global landscape of art during the latter half of the 20th century. Felsen’s photographs capture both private acts of creativity and more public moments of relaxation, a family album created with the eye of someone whom the artists have loved, respected and, most importantly, trusted for over a half-century.
