From Platinum Prints to Warhol’s Polaroids: Montclair Art Museum Unveils 25 Years of Photography Acquisitions in One Must-See Exhibition

Montclair, NJ — What does a museum photography collection look like in the 21st century— and how does it take shape? Platinum to Postcards: Collecting Photography at MAM (2000– 2025) offers a rare look at the Montclair Art Museum’s photography acquisitions over the past 25 years—from early 20th-century prints to bold contemporary works. On view now, the exhibition invites visitors to experience the breadth and evolution of the medium—and the Museum’s expanding vision.

Curated by Chief Curator Gail Stavitsky, the exhibition showcases more than 40 photographs acquired since the year 2000, from platinum prints to archival pigment prints, Polaroids to postcards. The result is a dynamic portrait of photography’s role in shaping—and reflecting— American art, culture, and identity.

“This is more than a collection of beautiful images,” says Stavitsky. “It’s a story of artistic innovation, cultural shifts, and the growing diversity of voices represented in photography today. It’s also the story of the Montclair Art Museum and how we’ve committed ourselves to collecting with purpose.”

Highlights from the Exhibition Include:

• A look inside Warhol’s world: See a rarely exhibited selection of Andy Warhol’s personal Polaroids, preserved in a spiral-bound book and now displayed in a special installation.
• Cross-generational storytelling: From Alfred Stieglitz’s protégé Karl Struss to rising contemporary artists like Alia Ali (Yemeni-Bosnian-American) and Holly Wilson (Delaware Nation), the exhibition spans generations, styles, and perspectives.
• Works rarely or never before exhibited: Discover photographs by Louis Stettner, Robert Barry, Kiki Smith, and Vik Muniz, many on view for the first time or after many years in storage.
• Photographic techniques across time: From the soft-focus elegance of early platinum prints to digital pigment prints and Cibachrome works without traditional frames, the exhibition showcases the ever-evolving material language of photography.
• Themes of identity and concealment: Highlights include Holly Wilson’s portrait of her son wearing a ghost mask and Alia Ali’s vivid textile portraits, both exploring visibility, cultural belonging, and self-representation.

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Platinum to Postcards also complements the Museum’s reinstallation of Native art through works by Indigenous photographers Cara Romero (Chemehuevi Indian Tribe) and Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit/Unangax̂), bridging collection-building with contemporary cultural narratives.

From postcard-sized prints that once passed through the mail to larger-than-life portraits exploring identity and place, this exhibition offers a full-spectrum experience of photography’s past, present, and future. Whether you're a seasoned collector, an art enthusiast, or simply curious about the power of images, Platinum to Postcards promises something unforgettable.

Platinum to Postcards: Collecting Photography at MAM (2000–2025)
Now on view at the Montclair Art Museum