Pioneer of color photography created "hidden gem" with Griffin Museum in Massachusetts
WINCHESTER - A photographer whose work defined life in New England during the 20th century started a museum of photography known all over the world, but it's a hidden gem in Massachusetts.
The Griffin Museum of Photography is nestled along an idyllic pond in Winchester. It was created by its namesake, Winchester resident Arthur Griffin, who was a celebrated photographer from the 1930s to the 1960s for the Boston Globe, The Saturday Evening Post and Time and Life magazines.
"He had a dream to build an institution that celebrated photography in all of its forms and by 1992, the Griffin Museum of Photographic Art was built," executive director Crista Dix told WBZ-TV. "It is a pantheon to the creativity and the energy that photography can bring not only to artists, but to hobbyists and patrons who love photographic art."
Who was Arthur Griffin?
Griffin took the very first color photograph of young Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams in 1939.
"He was one of the test photographers for new films for Kodak," Dix told WBZ. "So they sent him rolls of color film so he's like, 'Well, I'll just go ahead and use that instead' and that's history!"
But Griffin was best known for his quintessential scenes of life in New England.
"As a Californian transplanted to Boston, his work is exactly what I think of, when I think of New England," Dix said.
"They never want to leave"
The Griffin Museum quickly developed an elite reputation and has grown to 2,000 members worldwide.
"What he wanted also was to have you be surprised when you walk in the door and find all the ways that photography can be used to talk about contemporary situations," said Dix. "I believe that photography is the easiest and most engaging way in order to capture your own creativity."
Programs and lectures throughout the year are designed for anyone, not just artists. The building itself is charming and can also be rented for community events.
"Arthur wanted to create a space that was iconic of New England of the New England he loved and that he saw," said Dix. "It's a hidden gem. People don't know that we're here and when they get here they never want to leave."
During this election year, all of the exhibits at the Griffin focus on democracy. The next exhibit in the fall is on AI and how images impact our critical thinking and decision making.
