SECTION:   WHAT TO SEE

GUILLERMO THORN
Advertisement for the Yacht "Emma B.," Asbury Park c.1890 albumen silver print courtesy of Frank J. Esposito Collection

Victorian New Jersey: Photographs by Guillermo Thorn from the Kean University Collection

February 21 through August 30, 2009
2nd Floor Fine Art Galleries

Guillermo Thorn (1837-1920) was among the most important New Jersey photographers of the 19th century. He worked from the early 1850s to 1910, a time when photography was truly a new art form. For most of his career he lived in Plainfield, New Jersey. Yet unlike many of his contemporaries, Thorn took great pleasure in working beyond the confines of rigid portrait poses in an indoor studio. Whenever possible, he traveled the country side, documented the natural landscape of New Jersey and the lives of ordinary citizens involved in pleasant activities of the Victorian age. Among his favorite scenes were people at the seaside, rural landscapes, regional celebrations and local architecture. Thorn created artful images that reveal a remarkable sensitivity. This exhibition, from the Kean University Collection, provides a window into the world of Guillermo Thorn.

Main Museum Building and Auditorium Galleries
205 West State Street, Trenton Tuesday – Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm Sunday, noon to 5 pm
Closed Mondays & State Holidays