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)
Detroit (Grasses), 1941

Harry Callahan

Detroit (Grasses), 1941

Sale Date: October 23, 2015

Auction Closed

Providence, Rhode Island, 1970

Harry Callahan

Providence, Rhode Island, 1970

Sale Date: October 27, 2015

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1951

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1951

Sale Date: October 27, 2015

Auction Closed

Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Fall, 1958

Harry Callahan

Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Fall, 1958

Sale Date: October 27, 2015

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1960

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1960

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

Water's Edge (bk w/photographs, 4to), 1980

Harry Callahan

Water's Edge (bk w/photographs, 4to), 1980

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

New York City, 1974

Harry Callahan

New York City, 1974

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1948

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1948

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1947

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1947

Sale Date: October 8, 2015

Auction Closed

Ireland, 1979

Harry Callahan

Ireland, 1979

Sale Date: October 8, 2015

Auction Closed

Georgia Mountains, 1990

Harry Callahan

Georgia Mountains, 1990

Sale Date: October 6, 2015

Auction Closed

Detroit, 1942

Harry Callahan

Detroit, 1942

Sale Date: October 6, 2015

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Lake Michigan, 1953

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Lake Michigan, 1953

Sale Date: October 6, 2015

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1956

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1956

Sale Date: October 6, 2015

Auction Closed

LIGHT STUDY, 1946

Harry Callahan

LIGHT STUDY, 1946

Sale Date: October 7, 2015

Auction Closed

ELEANOR AND BARBARA, CHICAGO, 1953

Harry Callahan

ELEANOR AND BARBARA, CHICAGO, 1953

Sale Date: October 7, 2015

Auction Closed

CHICAGO (DOUBLE EXPOSURE), 1955

Harry Callahan

CHICAGO (DOUBLE EXPOSURE), 1955

Sale Date: October 7, 2015

Auction Closed

CHICAGO (TREES IN SNOW), 1950

Harry Callahan

CHICAGO (TREES IN SNOW), 1950

Sale Date: October 7, 2015

Auction Closed

SELECTED IMAGES OF WABASH AVENUE, CHICAGO, 1958

Harry Callahan

SELECTED IMAGES OF WABASH AVENUE, CHICAGO, 1958

Sale Date: October 7, 2015

Auction Closed

COLLAGE OF WOMEN'S FACES, 1956

Harry Callahan

COLLAGE OF WOMEN'S FACES, 1956

Sale Date: October 7, 2015

Auction Closed

Detroit, 1941

Harry Callahan

Detroit, 1941

Sale Date: October 5, 2015

Auction Closed