A few takeaways:

(1) It is nice to see the original prints in person. I’ve, for a long time, admired these images from afar through digital representations or through the eye of the magazine printer. These were all original prints vetted by the photographers so you get a higher sense you are viewing the images as the photographer originally intended.

(2) There a lot more imperfections in these prints. Some stains were because of old age and poor storage. Some prints have travelled around the world in dozens of exhibitions. Some images weren’t spotted very well. In Henri Cartier Bresson’s print of the Decisive Moment, was especially worn with some creases in the corners. It doesn’t hold a candle next to Ansel Adam’s prints in terms of contrast and depth.

(3) Observing the other guests in the gallery, I noticed that most looked over the academic masters, like a few Ansel Adam prints. The guests instead focused on the image next to Ansel Adam’s print about snow fall in Japan. Both prints were beautiful, but the opportunity to see a Ansel Adam print with all the skill was a wonder. I spend most of my time staring at Ansel Adam, Henri Cartier Bresson, William Klein, Liu Heung Shing, Diane Arbus. While I was focusing and studying these prints closely, I could feel the other guests wafting by to some other print that caught their attention. For me, I came for the names of the legendary photographers I’ve long admired.

(4) The moment is more important that the image itself. This is a sentiment often repeated. It doesn’t matter whether the image was made on an iphone or a lomo camera, the moment you’re witness and the story the image tells is much more important that the image quality. Out of the photographs I saw those days, I was least impressed by Diane Arbus’ prints, or Henri Cartier Bresson’s, which seemed to have a lower contrast and looked flatter than what I’ve seen online. However, that doesn’t matter as much as the interactions Diane Arbus had with the disenfranchised twins or Bresson’s moment. The image would be just as impactful and relevant if it was filmed with any other camera. On the other hand, if it was recorded just a half second later, the image would not be one of those revered street photography images today.