Alfred Stieglitz tried to CHANGE the point of view of American photographers. Taking pictures of poor horses pulling charriots through the deep Manhattan snow. Noticing the poor people on a cruise ship to Europe. He liked provocation too: Some of his exhibitions got some trouble, because he presented nudes. Stieglitz HAS changed the goals of photography world wide, not only in America.
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I’ve written some book reviews for amazon, where I introduced a Stieglitz-quotation, he once said: “When I look back to those early days when the Flat Iron Building was such a passion of mine, I think of my father, who said to me, ALFRED HOW CAN YOU PHOTOGRAPH THAT HIDEOUS BUILDING? – Why Pa, I answered, it is not hideous. That’s the new America. That building is to America, what the PARTHENON was to Greece. MY FATHER WAS HORRIFIED.“
photo above, featuring the Flat Iron Building, Manhattan: by frizztext; my comment: if the PARTHENON was / is part of an old ICONOGRAPHY – what should be the elements of a MODERN ICONOGRAPHY? The Flat Iron Building? Or in the meantime the destroyed WTC-TWINS? Or, more than any architecture, the portraits of modern human beings? If you are not sure, what I mean, maybe you like to visit my photo group MODERN ICONOGRAPHY at http://www.flickr.com/groups/modern_iconography/
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both photos sent to my group BLOG IT by Erik Anestad – click on the pictures to enter his flickr galleries! The first photo is the famous one by Steichen, the second a cover by Erik Anestad
more than one hour video at youtube featuring:
Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye (1999)
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Flickr Comments 
A great artist
A wonderful movie
Have a fine light my friend
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wonderful, frizztext! I enjoyed this a lot!
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thank you for reblogging, George!
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Wonderful post and photos!
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I like to learn these things through you. While taking pictures is a hobby of mine (and my husband’s), I haven’t really examined it from the level that you seem to have extensively studied it. I hope to find the time to watch the video you shared here. Will bookmark this to remind me.
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my wife is a professional photographer and I’m writing photography book reviews since some decades (I was ranking no. 2 amazon reviewer in Germany) – photography often for me was a more creative memory pool than music, paintings or even written or spoken words …
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What a talent!
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Frizz, I just never imagined Stieglitz considering the Flatiron Building in NYC as being for America what the Parthenon was for Greece! A NYC photographer whose blog I follow, Nikki at SeeWhatEyeSee, also loves the Flatiron Building. As I think these images over, I can see how this building symbolizes the blendings and the streamings of activities into each other that is so uniquely American–and NYC! Thanks for this perspective today, Frizz! Also, contemplating Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keefe together has always blown my mind. What segues of visions floating around their heads I am imagining!
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a house like a ship:
below one in my hometown Wuppertal, Germany
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and Stieglitz changed the focus of photography
leaving the kings and queens,
featuring the poor people, deepest level of society
and ocean ships …
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another good NEW YORK photographer:
INGE MORATH
I’ve written some book reviews featuring her work …
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Thank you for this wonderful post that teaches a lot about photography.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
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I enjoyed watching the movie and I learned a great deal.Thanks for posting.
Ruth in Pittsburgh
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I’ve always loved the Flat Iron Building (and Stieglitz’s work, of course)…
difficult for me to imagine anyone would find that incredible structure hideous…
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That is an incredible photo Frizztext! Where did you take it from?
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you can shoot the Flat Iron Building from the Empire State Building’s platform – they have an elevator 🙂
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An intriguing building and architecture. I like it.
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