A History of Toy and Novelty Cameras

"Camera Crazy" looks back on decades of unusual and unique designs

With a tiny computer equipped with a more than capable camera in our pocket, it’s difficult to consider a time when such image-capturing devices were a luxury—one generally uninvolved with daily life at that. In fact it wasn’t until the 1960s, when a small Hong Kong-based company introduced the Diana, did the era of inexpensive cameras begin. This plastic, lightweight camera shot 120 film and …

John Alcorn: Evolution by Design

A written retrospective of the American illustrator, commercial artist and designer

by Eva Glettner At his untimely death in 1992, John Alcorn left behind a storied legacy as an illustrator and graphic designer. From his start at famed Push Pin Studios with Milton Glaser to apprenticing with Lou Dorfman at CBS, Alcorn pushed boundaries and captivated clients. Celebrating such history is a new book “John Alcorn: Evolution by Design,” delivering a beautiful and thought-provoking journey through …

Constructing Worlds: Photography and Architecture in the Modern Age

From the skyscrapers of NYC to a bridge over the Yangtze River, 18 photographers explore our relationship with manmade structures

In a new exhibition at London’s Barbican art gallery, the enduring and fascinating relationship between photography and architecture is explored through the works of 18 photographers. The images on display show a wide variety of manmade landscapes: the bright lights of newly built New York skyscrapers—seen from above—illuminate the night sky, creating one of the many iconic images that have come to cement the city’s …