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 (Double exposure), 1952–1953

Harry Callahan

Eleanor (Double exposure), 1952–1953

Sale Date: April 3, 2012

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1948

Sale Date: April 3, 2012

Auction Closed

Michigan (Flower and stem), 1948

Harry Callahan

Michigan (Flower and stem), 1948

Sale Date: April 3, 2012

Auction Closed

Port Huron, Michigan (Grasses), 1952

Harry Callahan

Port Huron, Michigan (Grasses), 1952

Sale Date: April 3, 2012

Auction Closed

Chicago (Trees in snow), 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago (Trees in snow), 1950

Sale Date: April 3, 2012

Auction Closed

Detroit, 1943

Harry Callahan

Detroit, 1943

Sale Date: April 4, 2012

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1959

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1959

Sale Date: April 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1948

Sale Date: April 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1954

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1954

Sale Date: April 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Multiple trees, 1949

Harry Callahan

Multiple trees, 1949

Sale Date: April 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1952

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1952

Sale Date: April 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1947

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1947

Sale Date: April 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Providence (+ Provincetown; 2 works), 1971

Harry Callahan

Providence (+ Provincetown; 2 works), 1971

Sale Date: April 3, 2012

Auction Closed

Lincoln avenue, 1948

Harry Callahan

Lincoln avenue, 1948

Sale Date: February 17, 2012

Auction Closed

La salle street, chicago, 1948

Harry Callahan

La salle street, chicago, 1948

Sale Date: February 17, 2012

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1947

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1947

Sale Date: February 28, 2012

Auction Closed

Untitled (World Trade Center), 1974

Harry Callahan

Untitled (World Trade Center), 1974

Sale Date: December 13, 2011

Auction Closed

State Street, Chicago, 1959

Harry Callahan

State Street, Chicago, 1959

Sale Date: December 13, 2011

Auction Closed

Providence (fall), 1962

Harry Callahan

Providence (fall), 1962

Sale Date: December 12, 2011

Auction Closed

New York, 1977

Harry Callahan

New York, 1977

Sale Date: December 12, 2011

Auction Closed

Providence, 1977

Harry Callahan

Providence, 1977

Sale Date: December 12, 2011

Auction Closed

State Street, 1959

Harry Callahan

State Street, 1959

Sale Date: December 12, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled (Wall abstraction), 1960

Harry Callahan

Untitled (Wall abstraction), 1960

Sale Date: December 19, 2011

Auction Closed

Virgin Gorda, 1977

Harry Callahan

Virgin Gorda, 1977

Sale Date: November 10, 2011

Auction Closed