Robert Lautman’s Photography Collection: Highlights & Discoveries

Background

Robert C. Lautman (1923-2009) was a famend architectural photographer born in Montana. He found his ardour for images in highschool whereas engaged on the yearbook employees. During World War II, he served as a fight photographer within the Pacific. After the battle, he opened a images studio in Washington, D.C. round 1948. To protect his life’s work, Lautman donated his whole images assortment to the National Building Museum. The assortment incorporates about 50,000 gadgets, together with prints, black-and-white and colour transparencies, negatives, slides, and printed supplies comparable to correspondence, magazines, and books that includes his work.

In summer season 2025, assortment administration intern Jasmine Do inventoried a portion of Lautman’s life’s work, from prints as early as 1949 to as late as 2006. Exploring half a century of things supplied many alternatives to grasp Lautman’s visible perspective and, in some instances, his pursuits past structure.

Understanding the Items within the Collection

Following Lautman’s lead, the Museum used initiatives to categorize his work. Each mission reveals a particular a part of Lautman’s approach. Some strongly characterize his movie course of (pre-print), whereas others supplied a eager sense of his ultimate print picks (post-print). Other initiatives include gadgets that present his full creative course of.

The pre-print stage includes creating the movie, comparable to negatives, transparencies, and colour slides, to disclose and stabilize the photographic picture. When a damaging is developed, gentle areas within the unique scene seem darkish, and darkish areas seem gentle. In distinction, transparencies and colour slides permit gentle to move via, instantly displaying the colours and tones as they seem in actuality. In Lautman’s assortment, the first distinction between transparencies and colour slides is dimension, as most colour slides are mounted in 2×2-inch frames, whereas transparencies differ in format and dimension.

After creating the movie, photographers fastidiously dry the movie in a dust-free setting. The ultimate step within the pre-print stage includes modifying and deciding on the movies. Lightboxes are sometimes used within the modifying/deciding on section to guage the movie’s high quality.

The post-print stage consists of taking the chosen movie to both a photograph lab, a darkroom to enlarge the movie, or a movie scanner to print. The photographer additionally chooses the fabric to print the picture, whether or not it’s picture paper, steel, and even cloth. Other gadgets within the assortment embrace correspondence, magazines, and books. These are supplementary supplies that helped clarify why and when the mission occurred.

Inventory Highlights

The Kintore Point Project (2006)

One standout mission is Kintore Point, which gives an intensive portfolio of Lautman’s visible perspective. This mission options round 100 gadgets (transparencies, negatives, and picture prints) exhibiting each pre- and post-processing levels.

The architect for Kintore Point, a recent waterfront property, was Alfredo De Vido, identified for his residential initiatives on the East Coast. De Vido collaborated together with his good friend and consumer Charles Thornton, a structural engineer well-known for designing a number of the world’s tallest buildings. From the pictures, one can sense their shut collaboration and unified imaginative and prescient from the built-in furnishings, window remedies, and textural stability all through the hallway and front room.

Lautman captured the stable maple particulars superbly, a key function of the design. The colour transparencies present a deep understanding of colour principle, whereas the colour negatives spotlight Lautman’s ability in utilizing pure gentle to emphasise structural particulars and design precision.

The Pink House Project (1979)

Another spotlight is the Pink House Project, constructed by Arquitectonica within the late Seventies. This mission file contained roughly 160 gadgets, primarily colour slides. These slides provide perception into Lautman’s strategy to paint and his approach for capturing putting exteriors.

The Pink House was conceived as a examine of various planes, expressed via various shades of pink, from deep near-red to pale pink. Here, colour was the star, and Lautman’s dedication to capturing it’s clear within the quantity and high quality of slides produced.

Projects Outside of Architecture

Though Lautman is finest identified for his architectural images, he pursued many initiatives outdoors of structure. He documented nature, music, and portraiture, revealing pursuits that reach past buildings. Some initiatives are nonetheless being recognized, whereas others, particularly the portraits, provide a transparent sense of his curiosity and private connections.

Nature Photography Projects

The mission labeled “Ripples” incorporates solely 4 black-and-white negatives. The photographs share related angles, however every body captures a novel water ripple. The sequence evokes a way of scientific examine and led to analysis into attainable connections with hydrology or fluid dynamics packages. The file included the acronym “CIEG,” which could discuss with a civil engineering program. Think you acknowledge these photographs from a textbook or publication? If so, please attain out to the Museum’s collections staff at analysis@nbm.org.

Another mission, “Ruined Gardens,” initially appeared just like the work of one other photographer, but it surely was certainly Lautman’s. This file held 32 gadgets, principally slides. The photographs really feel playful but considerate, showcasing Lautman’s eye for capturing essence past structure, a pleasant and sudden discovery.

An envelope was discovered among the many “Ruined Gardens” gadgets with a be aware written in black ink. It reads, “This is Bob Lautman’s favorite photo he ever took. I heard him say it many times.” The merchandise inside the envelope was a damaging seen under. At a look, it seems like somebody is sitting within the backside left nook, however the determine is definitely a statue. It is surprisingly refreshing how life-like this sculptural backyard seems from Lautman’s perspective.

Portraits & Music Projects

Lautman photographed two well-known musicians who carried out on the Washington National Cathedral. One was Paul Callaway, the distinguished organist who served on the Cathedral for 38 years from 1939 to 1977. Lautman’s portrait captures Callaway comfy and in his factor on the organ.

The different was Robert Barnes, an American carillonist. A carillonist is a musician who performs a carillon, an instrument consisting of 23 bells performed from a keyboard. Barnes carried out on the Cathedral between 1963 and 1975. The assortment holds a single black-and-white print of Barnes, one other relaxed, pure second superbly captured.

Final Reflections

Lautman was an exceptionally gifted photographer, and even this small portion of his work reveals his eager eye and deep understanding of design. His course of and topic decisions reveal a considerate inquisitiveness, whether or not he was photographing portraits, nature, or structure. This curiosity is important to understanding Lautman, enriching the cataloging course of and enhancing future interpretation and analysis far past the gathering itself.

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This submit was written by Jasmine Do, Collections Intern throughout Summer 2025. To be taught extra about internship alternatives on the Museum, click on right here.