D.C.-based photographer to be focus of new National Building Museum exhibit

A forthcoming exhibit at the National Building Museum will highlight the work of prominent District-based photographer Alan Karchmer, who for decades has captured iconic images of structures around the world. The exhibit will feature more than 40 large-format photos of buildings, bridges, and other projects, and run from November 9 through October 4, 2020.

Karchmer, whose work has been published in various journals, books, and museums, has a master’s degree in architecture—a background that has deeply influenced his photography. The exhibit will also look at his creative process. As the National Building Museum explains:

“A professional architectural photographer plays a critical role in capturing the essence of a building, and the intent of the designer’s work, making critical decisions about which aspects to emphasize and which to suppress or even exclude. Photographs provide the primary, and often the only, way we experience important works of architecture. Such images have a profound influence on how a building is perceived and remembered. They shape public impressions of the structure’s architectural character and even its social value. An extraordinary image of an iconic building may assume iconic status in its own right.”

Karchmer plans to donate his collected work, consisting of thousands of photographs, to the museum. Several images that will be displayed at the roughly year-long exhibit follow below.

Alan Karchmer, courtesy of the National Building Museum

Alan Karchmer, courtesy of the National Building Museum

Alan Karchmer, courtesy of the National Building Museum

Alan Karchmer, courtesy of the National Building Museum

Alan Karchmer, courtesy of the National Building Museum

Alan Karchmer, courtesy of the National Building Museum