Transfixed by Light. Photographs from the Menil Foundation Collection. March 21 - May 24, 1981.

Menil Foundation, 1980. Catalog by Kathryn Davison and Elizabeth Glassman. Introduction by Beaumont Newhall. Exhibition catalog for show at Rice University, 1981, with images selected by Beaumont Newhall. Cover by Man Ray. Photographs by Brassai; Henri Cartier-Bresson; Ansel Adams; Paul Caponigro; Frederick Evans; Danny Lyon; Atget; Nadar; Edward Steichen; Gertrude Kasebier; Man Ray; Clarence John Laughlin; James Van Der Zee; Lewis Hine; Andre Kertesz, et al. Includes exhibition checklist of 75 works. Wraps, 46 pages. Very good with crimp on spine and minor shelf wear.  Summary:

Transfixed by Light: Photographs from the Menil Foundation Collection is a 46-page exhibition catalog published on the occasion of a landmark photography exhibition held at the Rice Museum (Institute for the Arts, Rice University) in Houston, Texas, from March 21 to May 24, 1981. The catalog documents a highly curated selection of masterworks from the private photography collection of the Menil Foundation, meticulously selected by the legendary photo historian and curator Beaumont Newhall, alongside curators Kathryn Davidson and Elizabeth Glassman.

Key Content and Structural Themes

• Institutional Collaboration: The catalog reflects an important moment of collaboration in the Houston arts scene, bridging the Menil Foundation's vast art holdings with Rice University's prominent exhibition spaces prior to the opening of the standalone Menil Collection museum building in 1987.

• Curatorial Vision: Selected by Beaumont Newhall—one of the foundational figures in shaping the history of photography as a legitimate fine art medium—the publication acts as a microcosm of early-to-mid 20th-century photographic excellence. It emphasizes photography's unique capability to capture, manipulate, and be "transfixed" by natural and artificial light.

• Visual Survey: The slim, staple-bound volume features 23 full-page, high-quality black-and-white plates showcasing notable photographs from the collection. The imagery is accompanied by brief annotations, historical context, an exhibition checklist, and a list of suggested readings.

• The Menil Philosophical Approach: The catalog opens with a foreword by renowned art patron Dominique de Menil. Her introduction sets a spiritual and humanistic tone for the collection, framing the camera not merely as a mechanical tool for documentation, but as a poetic instrument capable of revealing the deeper, often hidden truths of human life and the natural world.

Significance

Transfixed by Light serves as an important historical record of the Menil Foundation's early investments in photography. Guided by Newhall's premier academic eye and Dominique de Menil's humanistic vision, the catalog emphasizes the transition of photography from a documentary craft into a profound medium of fine art.