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)
Broken windows and fire escape (Wells..., 1949

Harry Callahan

Broken windows and fire escape (Wells..., 1949

Sale Date: December 11, 2014

Auction Closed

Eleanor and Barbara, Chicago, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor and Barbara, Chicago, 1954

Sale Date: December 11, 2014

Auction Closed

Multiple Exposure Tree, Chicago, 1956

Harry Callahan

Multiple Exposure Tree, Chicago, 1956

Sale Date: November 21, 2014

Auction Closed

Aix-en-Provence, France, 1957

Harry Callahan

Aix-en-Provence, France, 1957

Sale Date: November 26, 2014

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1948

Sale Date: September 29, 2014

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1949

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1949

Sale Date: November 14, 2014

Auction Closed

NantucKet, 1972

Harry Callahan

NantucKet, 1972

Sale Date: November 14, 2014

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Port Huron, 1954

Sale Date: November 14, 2014

Auction Closed

New Hampshire, 1961

Harry Callahan

New Hampshire, 1961

Sale Date: November 18, 2014

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1948

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1948

Sale Date: November 18, 2014

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1948

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1948

Sale Date: November 14, 2014

Auction Closed

Ireland (from The suite PB832-4 (3 works)), 1979

Harry Callahan

Ireland (from The suite PB832-4 (3 works)), 1979

Sale Date: October 28, 2014

Auction Closed

Mother in Law Plant, 1951

Harry Callahan

Mother in Law Plant, 1951

Sale Date: October 23, 2014

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 16, 2014

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 16, 2014

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 16, 2014

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 16, 2014

Auction Closed

Pátzuaro, Mexico, 1963

Harry Callahan

Pátzuaro, Mexico, 1963

Sale Date: October 16, 2014

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 17, 2014

Auction Closed

Grasses, Wisconsin, 1959

Harry Callahan

Grasses, Wisconsin, 1959

Sale Date: October 17, 2014

Auction Closed

Weed Against Sky, Detroit, 1948

Harry Callahan

Weed Against Sky, Detroit, 1948

Sale Date: October 17, 2014

Auction Closed

Eleanor and Barbara, Lake Michigan, 1953

Harry Callahan

Eleanor and Barbara, Lake Michigan, 1953

Sale Date: October 17, 2014

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1947

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1947

Sale Date: October 17, 2014

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1947

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1947

Sale Date: October 17, 2014

Auction Closed