Humanity demands that no life should pass without some recognition, whether it is a marked grave, a painted posthumous portrait, or a postmortem photograph. Securing the Shadow: Posthumous Portraiture in America is the first museum exhibition dedicated to an examination of American self-taught portraiture of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries through the lens of memory and loss. Each gravestone, painted portrait, and daguerreotype is a whisper through the years to “remember me,” because, as photographer Mathew Brady declared in 1856, “you cannot tell how soon it may be too late.”

Join exhibition curator Stacy C. Hollander for a special Closer-Look Tour that will focus on the inclusion of archival material in the exhibition. Securing the Shadow will include significantly more archival material than AFAM has used in past exhibitions—a growing trend among cultural institutions. Archivist Mimi Lester will also be present for any questions pertaining to our museum’s treatment of archival materials.

This event is held in conjunction with the twenty-eighth anniversary of New York Archives Week, October 19-27, 2016, an annual celebration aimed at informing the general public of the diverse array of archival materials available in the New York City area. Please visit the The New York Archivists Round Table website to learn more.

This will be a daytime tour, open by RSVP to approximately fifteen participants. To RSVP, please contact Rachel Heidenry at publicprograms@folkartmuseum.org or 212. 595. 9533 ext. 382.

Image: Unidentified Family, artist unidentified, possibly Michigan, c. 1828–35, oil on canvas, 29 x 66″; 36 x 73″ (framed), private collection. Photo by William Bengtson.