When Walt Whitman visited a Brooklyn photography studio in 1846, he declared “You will see more life there—more variety, more human nature, more artistic beauty than in any spot we know.”
The new art form of “writing with light” replaced the daguerreotype, which formed singular images on a silver-coated copper plate treated with iodine, bromine and mercury fumes, seemingly by magic. Because there was no negative involved, each daguerreotype remains unique. There was no way to make prints directly from the original, so a daguerreotype in fact is much like a painted scene or portrait.
Daguerreotypes were thus fragile, expensive, and elite. This all changed radically in the space of one generation, when tech strides made picture-taking democratic and accessible. George Eastman pioneered the use of photographic film, first with paper, then with celluloid, circa 1889, and called his revolutionary, simple box camera with its fixed-focus lens and single shutter speed a “Kodak.” The “Brownie” model followed in 1900, introducing the concept of the snapshot to the wider public.
Affordable roll-format cameras became as ubiquitous as other proofs of modernity, along with the telephone and the motorcar.
In this way, photography became a protean form of communication. The first Polaroid cameras hit the market in 1948, and by the medium’s glitzy Studio 54-era peak, creating a hard-copy print became another form of instant gratification: no flashbulb required, no foul-smelling chemical “soup,” no darkroom, no developing trays and tongs, no “safe light,” no waiting.
The digital explosion quickly obsoleted even that innovation, and the arrival of the iPhone in 2007, along with early Android smartphones in 2008, helped create the modern era of image-capture. Since then, high-quality digital cameras for making art-level photography have been carried in the back pockets of nearly everyone.
Democracy in this space may be defined as not only the access and ability to take photographs, but also the experience of seeing many, many images in the context of sharing and equalization. This spirit of modernity and innovation is the creative fire under the lens-based crucible known as Photographic Arts Council Los Angeles (PAC LA).
We just caught up with Michael Dawson, PAC LA Board President who describes the 11-year-old nonprofit organization as “an idea incubator.”
PAC LA defines its mission as the creation of unique collaborative programming that engages and educates the community in an evolving public conversation about photography and photo-based art. PAC LA’s YouTube channel offers an intriguing glimpse into the workings of this unique arts education organization.
Dawson himself is a writer, gallerist, private dealer and appraiser specializing in rare books and fine art photography. He’s also the scion of the esteemed Dawson’s Book Shop, established by his grandfather in 1905.
He says, “We’re honoring the powerful women who were foundational in the first decade of our organization with our ‘Year of the Woman’ series that will run throughout 2025 and into 2026. These women did a lot of the heavy lifting and provided exceptional leadership, and through their skill and guidance, we’ve turned a lot of corners and made a lot of progress.”
For the next 12 months, “Year of the Woman” live and online events will take place in Santa Monica, DTLA, Hollywood and other locations around Los Angeles, some still TBD as we go to press. “There are lots of moving parts,” says Dawson.
The series will include six flagship (public, free) events and nearly two dozen private events for members. These offerings will highlight the contributions of women across different sectors of photography, including curators, collectors, authors, artists, gallerists and conservators.
In a seemingly merciful turn of kismet, as the current administration recommends extreme cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) among other arts funding sources, two titans in the landscape of the lens have stepped forward as sponsors for PAC’s year-long series. The Eastman Museum of Los Angeles will sponsor the series’ six flagship events between April 2025 and February 2026, while the prestigious Herb Ritts Foundation will sponsor four Hannah Sloan curatorial and advisory-produced online events. It is the support of these funders which enables PAC LA to offer the series programming free to the public.
A key element in what defines PAC LA as a genuinely contemporary player in the volatile cosmos of art-making is a lack of self-grandeur, in spite of the organization’s pedigreed partnerships. “We’re not interested in becoming brick-and-mortar,” says Dawson. “We like finding a space that already exists and bringing ideas to the space while we operate on a lean budget.”
And, membership continues to have its privileges, here as everywhere. Private programming and events for members-only include international travel packages, artist exhibition walkthroughs at galleries and museums, preview receptions with gallery partners, and online conversations and Q&A sessions with artists and curators. Membership dues are tax-deductible, and there is a substantially discounted rate for students and educators.
DEETS
- PAC LA: Women Collectors Panel at Galerie XII Los Angeles
- Bergamot Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Suite B2, Santa Monica 90404
- paclosangeles.com/events-programs
- 424-252-9004
- Three prominent fine art photography dealers at differing points in their career journeys, all women, discuss their role as stewards and custodians in the arts community. Hosted by photography dealer Jennifer DeCarlo, featured guests will be Paula Ely, Alison Bryan Crowell and Sarah Kissell.
- Saturday, April 19, 11:00 AM
- Free admission – Registration required
