“The exhibition features more than 100 photographs and video from a private collection of unusual vintage images of American crowds, rallies, assemblies, teams, organizations, fraternities, unions, clubs, tribes, conventions, and alliances, all made before 1950. This colorful, touching, and often humorous look at American cultural and social history is not, as scholar Alison Nordström writes, ‘an objective survey of a genre but a subjective and personally chosen collection of found photographs, each of which departs in some delightful way from the typical’.” — International Center of Photography

E. J. Kelty (American, 1888–1967), Century Photographers, Hunt’s Three Ring Circus, Northport, Long Island, New York, June 26, 1931

Horner Studio, Men in Costumes with Bow Ties, 1890s

Unidentified Photographer, Ramona, Rebekah Lodge, No. 83, I. O.O.F., late 19th–early 20th century

Poeszler Studio, Baseball Teams, 1912

Unidentified Photographer, 323rd Infantry (seated), n.d.

Mole & Thomas, Arthur Mole (American, born England, 1889–1983), John D. Thomas (American, died 1947), The Human Liberty Bell, 25,000 Officers & Men, at Camp Dix, New Jersey, General Hugh L. Scott, CMDR, 1918

The Press Department, Bell Telephone Department, New York World’s Fair, 1939

Unidentified Photographer, Buy V Bonds, 1940s

Fred Hess & Son, Miss America Pageant—Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, September 7–12, 1953

Exhibition by The International Center of Photography, in collaboration with W. M. Hunt / Collection Blind Pirate and the 1285 Avenue of the Americas Art Gallery. Images courtesy W. M. Hunt / Collection Blind Pirate, New York and International Center of Photography