Vehicles of Change
February 27 to August 22, 2021 Jepson CenterThis exhibition will consider the pivotal role the automobile played in advancing societal and political revolutions in the United States in the 20th century. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, buses and cars were used to combat systematic racism and segregation enforced by Jim Crow. This was exemplified most famously in the Montgomery bus boycott and in the Freedom Riders’ journeys to the South. Moreover, the modification of American landscapes—with drive-ins, parking lots, and highways—created new spaces and possibilities for leisure, consumption, and self-expression. Featuring 20th-century photographs from the museum’s collection, this exhibition shines a light on the largely liberating impact of automobility in this moment of American history.
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View image 1 in lightbox:
Joan Liftin (American, B. 1935); Judy, Mt Sterling, Kentucky, c. 1982; Color Cibachrome print on paper; Gifts of Helen Levitt, 1999.11.3; © Joan Liftin
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View image 2 in lightbox:
Frederick C. Baldwin (American, B. 1929); The Ballot Bus II, 1963; Gelatin silver print; Museum purchase, 2009.3.5; © Fred Baldwin
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View image 3 in lightbox:
Bruce Davidson (American, B. 1933); Untitled, 1961; Vintage gelatin silver print; Gift of an anonymous donor, 2018.16.335; © Bruce Davidson, 1961
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View image 4 in lightbox:
Elaine Mayes (American, B. 1936); Bus, Salt Lake, Autolandscape, 1971; Archival pigment print; Proposed Museum purchase with funds provided by Mrs. Robert O. Levitt, T.2021.5.; © Elaine Mayes
This exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Anne-Solene Bayan, Assistant Curator.