“The Metropolitan Museum of Art introduces an exhibition of daring work by the fashion photographer and art director Lillian Bassman (American, 1917–2012). Lillian Bassman: Bazaar and Beyond, on view through July 26, 2026, presents Bassman’s provocative vision for the mid-century American magazine. In this exhibition of more than 60 works are inventive layout designs, editorial assignments, and darkroom experiments with which Basman advanced new possibilities for photography in print.”— The Met

“Lillian Bassman: Bazaar and Beyond shows an outstanding photographer and trailblazing art director transforming magazine pages into a premier artistic project of experimentation and impact,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to continue to celebrate extraordinary fashion photography as a catalyst of profound innovation and expression.”

“Lillian Bassman: Bazaar and Beyond represents a homecoming of sorts for Bassman, who spent much of her free time exploring The Met. When she began her career in fashion photography, she had no formal training in design houses or haute couture; instead, she encountered an entire history of dress unfolding in the galleries of the Museum. Recalling frequent visits with her husband, she later observed, ‘We were only interested in getting our education from The Met. That’s where I immersed myself in fashion.’ Decades later, this exhibition places her work back in conversation with the collections that first inspired it.” — The Met

Lillian Bassman: Bazaar and Beyond is curated by Virginia McBride, Assistant Curator in the Department of Photographs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Works from the Estate of Lillian Bassman are the gift of Bassman’s children, Lizzie and Eric Himmel. This acquisition was assembled by Mia Fineman and Virginia McBride, Curator in the Department of Photographs.

Title image:  Lillian Bassman (American, 1917–2012). Solarized fashion study, ca. 1960. Gelatin silver print. 13 × 11 in. (33 × 27.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Lizzie and Eric Himmel, 2025 (2025.889.34) © Estate of Lillian Bassman

Images courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.