Alfred stieglitz artworks academy

Stieglitz had edited two previous publications—The American Amateur Photographer and Camera Notes—before deciding in 1902 that he wanted to put his energies toward an autonomous, high-quality magazine intended to elevate and promote the art of photography.

In the prospectus for Camera Work, he argued that the journal would be independent, “owing allegiance only to the interests of photography.”^[1] The first issue was published in January 1903, and Stieglitz declared therein his standards of inclusion: “Only examples of such work as gives evidence of individuality and artistic worth, regardless of school, or contains some exceptional feature of technical merit, will find recognition in these pages.”^[2]

Camera Work was a sumptuous, erudite publication.

Its Art Nouveau cover was designed by Edward Steichen, and the quarterly printed some of the best of American art criticism, often reproducing reviews of 291 shows from other publications. Most importantly for Sti