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)
Camera Movement on Flashlight, 1946–1947

Harry Callahan

Camera Movement on Flashlight, 1946–1947

Sale Date: April 16, 2010

Auction Closed

Chicago (Trees in Snow), 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago (Trees in Snow), 1950

Sale Date: April 16, 2010

Auction Closed

World Trade Center, 1974

Harry Callahan

World Trade Center, 1974

Sale Date: April 16, 2010

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1970–1979

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1970–1979

Sale Date: April 13, 2010

Auction Closed

Eleanor (in water), 1949

Harry Callahan

Eleanor (in water), 1949

Sale Date: April 13, 2010

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1947

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1947

Sale Date: April 13, 2010

Auction Closed

Port Huron, 1952

Harry Callahan

Port Huron, 1952

Sale Date: April 13, 2010

Auction Closed

Barbara, 1954

Harry Callahan

Barbara, 1954

Sale Date: April 13, 2010

Auction Closed

Maine, 1962

Harry Callahan

Maine, 1962

Sale Date: April 15, 2010

Auction Closed

Barbara, Chicago, 1953

Harry Callahan

Barbara, Chicago, 1953

Sale Date: April 15, 2010

Auction Closed

Eleanor and Barbara, Lake Michigan, 1953

Harry Callahan

Eleanor and Barbara, Lake Michigan, 1953

Sale Date: April 15, 2010

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1953

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1953

Sale Date: April 15, 2010

Auction Closed

Atlanta, 1977

Harry Callahan

Atlanta, 1977

Sale Date: December 8, 2009

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: December 8, 2009

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1950

Sale Date: December 8, 2009

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1949

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1949

Sale Date: December 8, 2009

Auction Closed

New York, 1977

Harry Callahan

New York, 1977

Sale Date: December 12, 2009

Auction Closed

World Trade Center, 1974

Harry Callahan

World Trade Center, 1974

Sale Date: December 12, 2009

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1950

Sale Date: December 7, 2009

Auction Closed

Barbara and Eleanor, 1954

Harry Callahan

Barbara and Eleanor, 1954

Sale Date: December 7, 2009

Auction Closed

Eleanor and Barbara, 1953

Harry Callahan

Eleanor and Barbara, 1953

Sale Date: December 7, 2009

Auction Closed

Water's edge (folio w/48 plates), 1980

Harry Callahan

Water's edge (folio w/48 plates), 1980

Sale Date: December 7, 2009

Auction Closed

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1952

Harry Callahan

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1952

Sale Date: December 8, 2009

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1950

Sale Date: November 20, 2009

Auction Closed