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January 3 , 2001
Helios: Online Photography 
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Even at its inception in the mid-1800s, photography was difficult
to define. It encapsulates art, science, and communicationóthree disciplines that
don't always coalesce. While the exhibitions in Helios: Online Photography
showcase the mediumdocumentary nature and varying techniques, the photographs
make an impression with their sheer artistry.
Helios features three exhibitions, beginning with "American Photographs:
The First Century," an assortment of photographers, subjects, and development
processes from 1839 to 1939. "Between Home and Heaven: Contemporary American
Landscape Photography" illustrates the spectrum of U.S. scenery from Niagara
Falls and the Statue of Liberty to wildflowers and polluted rivers. And "Secrets
of the Dark Chamber: The Art of the American Daguerreotype" gives a history
of this specialized process along with a gallery of photos. Additional features,
such as audio clips of art critics in "American Photographs" and historical
texts in "Secrets of the Dark Chamber," further frame these exhibitions.
Most of all, the images throughout Helios are a beautiful account of American
photography.
--Jo
Rosenbohm
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