The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which is situated at the Lincoln Center, announced its forthcoming exhibition celebrating the Friedman Abeles Studio's theatre photography through the charmingly innovative presentation of lenticular prints.
Dubbed "Reanimating Theater: The Photography of Friedman-Abeles," the show will also feature an "animated" version of varying sets of photos depicting famed and ever-beloved classic Broadway productions.
The exhibition will open next month, March 15, and will run until Sept. 25.
A colored photograph of the original cast of Purlie, shot by the Friedman-Ables Production Studio and is currently held by the New York Public Library.
Friedman-Abeles Studio's Expansive History in Broadway
Starting from 1954 until 1970, the Friedman-Abeles Studio visually documented a huge chunk of their overall productions in New York's Main Stem.
Many of the studio's photos known to the public were shot in black-and-white, however, it also produced a series of colored photographs for many of the shows, which was eventually acquired by the Library for the Performing Arts in the form of colored slides.
One primary factor that prevented the studio from properly mass-producing copies of the hued images was the astronomical costs that were tied with it during the pre-digital era, which meant only a limited selection was ever publicized through magazines, album liners, or otherwise.
That said, the Public Library has been toiling continuously in the past three years to digitize the studio's entire photo collection, comprising of the negatives taken from tens of shows alongside the aforementioned color slides.
Because of this momentous effort, the images can now be uniquely showcased during the forthcoming exhibition by "animating" them using lenticular printing technology to simulate movements using numerous shots.
Highlighted shows include Broadway mainstays like the inaugural productions of "Camelot," "West Side Story," and "Bye, Bye Birdie."
Supporters of the Library's digitization initiative comprise the Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Estate of June Reig Maxwell, The Schloss Family Foundation, and the Frederick Loewe Foundation, Inc.
In addition, the New York institution also recognizes the operational support of both Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman, alongside exhibition-related assistance given by Judy R. and Alfred A. Rosenberg and the Miriam and Harold Steinberg Foundation.
