Speaking With Hands

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In October 1993, Henry M. Buhl acquired a photograph by Alfred Stieglitz featuring Georgia O'Keeffe's hands, which became the foundation of a vast private collection exceeding one thousand images by renowned and emerging photographers. Centered on the theme of the hand, the collection spans photography's history, from a 1840 photogenic drawing by William Henry Fox Talbot to 2002 Polaroids by Cornelia Parker. It includes a diverse range of photographic practices—scientific, journalistic, and fine-art photography—highlighting contemporary art's influence. This book, published alongside a major exhibition from The Buhl Collection, illustrates the hand's significance as a photographic motif, reflecting photography's capacity to capture detail and ephemeral movement. Selected works portray the hand both literally, in portraiture, and figuratively, emphasizing gestures in documentary images. Artistic representations from the 1920s onward treat the hand as an abstract conceptual device. Jennifer Blessing examines the nature of collecting photographs and the unique appeal of hands in this medium. Kirsten A. Hoving discusses their prominence in Surrealist works, while Ralph Rugoff addresses the uncanny qualities of hands in contemporary photography. The catalogue entries, authored by Matthew S. Witkovsky, Melanie Mariño, and Nat Trotman, encompass 150 artists and 168 works, serving as a valuable resource for photography history.