In a world where digital media has conquered every area of our lives, it is hard to imagine the rush of anticipating a copy of LIFE magazine in the mail. Yet there was a point in time when a third of the American population eagerly awaited its weekly delivery. LIFE magazine, founded by Henry Luce in 1936, became the blueprint for photojournalism. Rather than writing, the stories in the magazine revolved around the work of the greatest photographers of the time. This winter, Staley Wise Gallery is showcasing iconic images drawn from the photographer’s and magazine’s archives across several decades of the magazine’s lifetime. On view from Dec. 11, 2025-Feb. 7, 2026, the exhibition will feature works by Margaret Bourke-White, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Harry Benson, Nina Leen, Carl Mydans and John Dominis, among many others.
The photographers were recruited to capture the most significant accomplishments in politics, science, religion, theater, art and fashion. No matter the occasion, every event was captured with excellence by master photographers. Photographers like Harry Benson documented groundbreaking moments in fashion and film. Such as Kate Moss and Nadja Auermann Backstage during Paris Fashion Week (“Kate Moss & Nadja Auermann, 1993”), or Al Pacino behind the scenes on the film “The Godfather” (“The Godfather: Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino and Diane Keaton, New York, 1971”). These images, along with others by Martha Holmes, portraying Jackson Pollock dripping paint onto a canvas (“Jackson Pollock in his studio, Springs, Long Island, New York, 1949”) or Gjon Mili capturing Billie Holiday singing to a crowd in the 1940s (“Billie Holiday, NY, 1943”) stand still with time, creating a time capsule which holds unreplicable moments in the history of art and entertainment.
In equal importance, images by Margaret Bourke-White and John Olson capture the great feats of industrialization and the civil rights movement in the United States. They depict workers, rioters and citizens within factories and streets, fighting for their freedom or living in its wake. Moreover, LIFE did not just feature big moments. The section “LIFE goes to a ...”, showcased the everyday lives of ordinary readers. Images from this feature are equally compelling – covering everything from Little League baseball games to high school dances. In one image, photographer Carl Iwasaki captured the shadow of two teenagers kissing on the sidewalk (“Teenage dating,” 1961). In another fatefully similar image, Iwasaki captured an adult couple kissing in their kitchen (“Kissing in the kitchen, Denver, CO, 1958”). Connecting the two reveals a lifelong love story, illustrating LIFE magazine’s enduring presence throughout every stage of American life.
Before social media provided a window into the big and small moments of daily life and culture, LIFE magazine provided a central platform through which culture was seen and understood. LIFE magazine will forever be the driving force that introduced photography into the everyday lives of Americans, not only depicting culture but shaping life in the 20th century.
