Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Receives Major Gift of Nearly 2,000 Important Photographs

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A man in formal attire and a top hat sits upright on a dark horse, holding the reins. They are positioned sideways in front of a tall brick wall with decorative stone pillars and some leafy shadows.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has announced that it has received a major gift of nearly 2,000 photographs, including important works by Nadar, Alfred Stieglitz, and Cindy Sherman.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts received the donation of nearly 2,000 photographs from Joy of Giving Something Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on expanding access to photography and photographic education. The collection includes works by more than 450 artists and spans nearly 200 bodies of work created from the 19th century to the present day.

A small white house sits beneath dark, dramatic storm clouds that loom over rolling hills, creating a moody and atmospheric landscape.

A young girl with short hair, wearing a pink sweater, gray skirt, and red knee-high socks, stands on a wet street holding a black bicycle. Brick houses and a green fence are in the background under a cloudy sky.

A person with short hair, wrapped in a towel, stands in a bathroom facing a sink. Their reflection is visible in the mirror, showing a thoughtful expression. The image is in black and white.

The donation comes from the extensive collection assembled by financier Howard Stein, who began collecting photography in the 1980s and built one of the most significant collections of historic, modern, and contemporary photography in the United States. Stein founded Joy of Giving Something Inc. in 1998 to support photography, related media, youth education initiatives, and innovative arts projects.

Among the highlights of the gift are a large group of images by French photographer Charles Marville, rare daguerreotypes by Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey, and notable prints by Gustave Le Gray, Eugène Atget, and photography pioneer Nadar. The collection also includes nearly 200 19th-century vernacular photographs and cased objects, offering insight into the early uses and development of photography.

A black-and-white photo of a quiet, empty cobblestone street in a historic European city, lined with old stone buildings and shuttered windows under a partly cloudy sky.

A stack of produce boxes and bags of onions sits outside “The Falls” storefront. A green car with an open door is parked nearby, surrounded by trucks. The scene appears to be a market or delivery area.

A tall city skyscraper is seen through the large, shadowed arches of a massive concrete structure, creating a dramatic architectural contrast with light and shadow.

The donation also strengthens the museum’s holdings in American photography and documentary traditions, featuring works by influential modern photographers including Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, Berenice Abbott, and Dorothea Lange.

A sepia-toned photograph shows a stone staircase leading to a building’s entrance, surrounded by dense foliage and trees, with sunlight filtering through and a circular path visible in the background.

Two children sit on a bed; one wears a blue dress and looks down while holding a beaded necklace that the other, in a red top and patterned skirt, is wearing. The scene is softly lit with a green wall in the background.

“One of the extraordinary aspects of this gift is that it enables the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to explore the work of so many talented photographers,” Director and CEO Alex Nyerges says in a statement. “Together, these wonderful works will strengthen our ability to present the rich history of photography in focused ways and augment opportunities for display and public programming in the museum’s five new photography galleries, which are scheduled to open in 2027 as part of VMFA’s expansion and renovation project.”

Located in Richmond, Virginia, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. Named the 11th-best art museum in the U.S. by The Washington Post, the museum is also the only art museum in the country open 365 days a year with free general admission.

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