Uncommon Modern: Photographic Portraits of Midcentury Vernacular Architecture in Greater Philadelphia, 1937-70

Just outside of the common narrative of architecture in the Philadelphia region and flourishing during the optimistic middle decades of twentieth century, is a remarkably vital, highly original architectural legacy which embraced both the modernity of architectural expression as well as the regional character of Southeastern Pennsylvania. We’ve come to find that this legacy was hidden in plain sight, in the many commercial vernacular buildings that form the backdrop of the everyday life of our communities.

Bringing this legacy into focus for the first time, this exhibition presents a series of forty color photographs by Betsy Manning, a photo-journalist whose work boldly explores places many fail to see. As she, herself, puts it, “I don’t feel obligated to photograph well-known buildings.” Since 1990, Manning has photographed hundreds of these structures; preparing lists of sites, tracking down leads for new ones, and occasionally, leaving the car engine running while shooting a marginal location. She attempts to capture the matter-of-fact reality of the subject, grime and all, while always engaging with the underlying optimism central to American modernism. While this exhibition comes at a time of rising awareness and curiosity about the period, it does not attempt to be comprehensive, or even analytical about the subject. It does, as photography so often reveals, show a world that is both inspiring and also, at times, sadly forsaken.

Uncommon Modern was made possible through the generous financial suport of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau for Historic Preservation.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Opening reception: September 20, 2012, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Exhibition Opening Reception & Remarks
Thursday, September 20, 2015
6:00--8:00 p.m.

On view:  September 12, 2012 through January 18, 2013