Harry Callahan

(American, 1912–1999)

Harry Callahan was a pioneering American photographer who worked in both color and black-and-white. Among his best-known works are the numerous portraits of his wife Eleanor, who served as a constant model throughout his career. His prolific practice included taking took dozens of photographs a day. Callahan's output, however, was exceptionally curated, and he consistently produced less than ten finished prints a year. “I guess I've shot about 40,000 negatives and of these I have about 800 pictures I like,” he once said. Born on October 22, 1912 in Detroit, MI, Callahan taught at the Institute of Design in Chicago, and went on to found the renowned photography department at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence in 1961. During this time period, he served as an influential teacher to many important young American photographers. Callahan accumulated many honors during his life, including being featured in Edward Steichen's landmark “The Family of Man” exhibition in 1955, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1996. The artist died on March 15, 1999 in Atlanta, GA, leaving behind some 100,000 negatives and 10,000 proof prints. Today, Callahan’s works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others.

Harry Callahan Artworks

Harry Callahan (2,164 results)
Eleanor Chicago 1952, 1952

Harry Callahan

Eleanor Chicago 1952, 1952

Sale Date: November 17, 2016

Auction Closed

ELEANOR AND BARBARA, CHICAGO, 1953

Harry Callahan

ELEANOR AND BARBARA, CHICAGO, 1953

Sale Date: November 10, 2016

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1948, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1948, 1948

Sale Date: November 5, 2016

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1958

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1958

Sale Date: November 3, 2016

Auction Closed

New York, 1978

Harry Callahan

New York, 1978

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

New York, 1978

Harry Callahan

New York, 1978

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Chicago (trees in snow), 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago (trees in snow), 1950

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1952

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1952

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1947

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1947

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Oak Street Beach, Chicago, 1955

Harry Callahan

Oak Street Beach, Chicago, 1955

Sale Date: October 27, 2016

Auction Closed

New York, 1977

Harry Callahan

New York, 1977

Sale Date: October 27, 2016

Auction Closed

Portrait of Aaron Siskind, 1951

Harry Callahan

Portrait of Aaron Siskind, 1951

Sale Date: October 27, 2016

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1949

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1949

Sale Date: October 27, 2016

Auction Closed

CHICAGO, 1949

Harry Callahan

CHICAGO, 1949

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF ELEANOR, 1948–1953

Harry Callahan

SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF ELEANOR, 1948–1953

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

CHICAGO, 1949

Harry Callahan

CHICAGO, 1949

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

NEW YORK, 1945

Harry Callahan

NEW YORK, 1945

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

ELEANOR, CHICAGO (SILHOUETTE), 1948

Harry Callahan

ELEANOR, CHICAGO (SILHOUETTE), 1948

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

CHICAGO, 1948

Harry Callahan

CHICAGO, 1948

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

SELECTED IMAGES OF TELEPHONE WIRES, 1960–1969

Harry Callahan

SELECTED IMAGES OF TELEPHONE WIRES, 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Grasses, Wisconsin, 1959

Harry Callahan

Grasses, Wisconsin, 1959

Sale Date: September 23, 2016

Auction Closed