The Legacy of Archives in “Eye of Photogaphy” by Mary Engel and Stephen McCamman
“Over the past century, photography has captured iconic cultural moments and served as a cornerstone of historical documentation, visually framing how we understand our past. However, the rapid pace of technological change has burdened archives and aging photographers, who are passing away at an ever-quickening pace, with the unsustainable responsibility of maintaining our collective memory. If we fail to act, we risk losing an irreplaceable and unique historical record of the 20th Century.
“As the daughter of Ruth Orkin and Morris Engel, renowned photographers and filmmakers, I have witnessed this crisis firsthand. After my mother’s passing in 1985, I inherited her archive at 23 years old. When my father passed away in 2005, I became responsible for their archives, including their landmark film, Little Fugitive (1953).”