Monroe Gallery of Photography presents “La Dolce Vita”, a major exhibition of over 40 photographs by Tony Vaccaro. The exhibition begins with a public reception for Tony Vaccaro, regarding to turn 97, on Friday, November 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit continues through January 19, 2020 and includes several new finds from its archive on display for the very first time.
Tony Vaccaro photographed on the set of ‘La Dolce Vita’ and, at the age of 97, he is indeed living ‘the good life’. On November 1, Tony was inducted into the Photography Hall of Fame and the International Museum of Photography for his “artistic talent, innovation and significant contribution to the art and science of photography”, and following the 2016 HBO Films documentary “Under Fire: The Untold Story of Private Tony Vaccaro,” his career received worldwide recognition.
At the age of 21, Tony enlisted in World War II, and in June 1944, having become a combat infantryman with the 83rd Infantry Division, he was on a boat heading for Omaha Beach, six days following the first landing in Normandy. Denied access to the Signal Corps, Tony was determined to photograph the war and had his Argus C-3 35mm portable with him from the start. For the next 272 days, Tony fought and photographed on the front lines of war.
After the war, Tony stayed in Germany to photograph the rebuilding of the country for Stars And Stripes magazine. Returning to the United States in 1950, Tony began his career as a commercial photographer and worked for virtually every major publication: Look, Life, Harper’s Bazaar, Town and Country, Newsweek and many more. Tony became one of the most sought following photographers of his time, photographing everyone from President John F. Kennedy and Sophia Loren to Pablo Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Tony always carries a camera with him and works six or seven hours a day without a break; making prints in his studio and finding work for his assistants. The Monroe Gallery will be sponsoring a free screening of “Under Fire: The Untold Story of Private First Class Tony Vaccaro” in the gallery on Saturday, November 30 starting at 5 p.m. The screening will be followed by a meeting with Tony Vaccaro. Tony Vaccaro turns 97 on December 20.
Tony Vaccaro : La Dolce Vita
November 29, 2019 – January 19, 2020
Monroe Gallery of Photography
112 Don Gaspar Ave
Santa Fe, NM 87501
