The Colorama was one of Eastman Kodak Company’s longest-running advertising campaigns. First conceived in 1949, these massive backlit transparencies were designed to demonstrate the brilliance of color photography and advertise Kodak color film to a mass market. Between 1950 and 1990, a new Colorama was installed every few weeks in Grand Central Terminal in New York City, resulting in a total of 565 colossal transparencies.
Steve Kelly was one of the Kodak photographers whose works were featured in Kodak's Colorama campaign. In 2020, as part of the opening of the Thomas Tischer Visitor Center, the museum installed Kelly's Colorama No. 531 (Taj Mahal) outside the museum on a 48 feet wide by 14.4 feet tall structure. The original work measuring 60 feet by 18 feet was on display in Grand Central Terminal from June 2 to July 9, 1986.
Join us as Steve discusses his 38-year career as a photographer for Kodak (1974-2012) and takes us behind the scenes of what it was like to work on the production of the remarkably innovative Colorama photographs. Additionally, he will share some of his other work done in the studio and around the world for Kodak’s print advertising, television, and corporate campaigns.
Free to members; included with museum admission.
Please note: COVID-19 vaccinations are required for all programs in the Dryden Theatre. Proof of vaccination is required for all patrons regardless of age.
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In Focus: Photographing the Colorama Campaign
Recorded In Focus from 03/19/22