The
Illinois Holocaust Museum and
Education Center (IHMEC) has announced the Midwest premiere of Ruth Gruber: Photojournalist, a fascinating exhibitionthat
celebrates the remarkable life, vision, and heroic tenacity of a 20th century
pioneer and trailblazing photojournalist.
Now
102 years old, Gruber’s work spans more than five decades, and includes her
groundbreaking work in the Soviet Arctic in the 1930s, her iconic images of
Jewish refugees on the ship Exodus 1947, and her later work in the 1980s
documenting Ethiopian Jews in the midst of a civil war. Ruth Gruber: Photojournalistfeatures a selection of vintage prints that are presented alongside contemporary
prints made from original negatives, early film footage, and ephemera from Gruber’s
personal archive.
Gruber’s
life and work have been inextricably bound to the lives of the refugees whose
plight she has showcased, and dedicated to their rescue, sanctuary, and
liberation. Her tools have been her boundless tenacity, empathy, razor-sharp
intellect, a Hermes typewriter, and a camera. With these tools, she has
documented successive waves of migrants from Yemen, Iraq, Romania, Morocco,
Tunisia, and Ethiopia, photographing often perilous journeys of emigration,
small Jewish villages in North Africa and the establishment of new lives in
Israel.
“We are delighted to recognize this
extraordinary woman who used photography as a means to stand up for those in peril,
even if it meant risking her own life in the process,” said Arielle Weininger, Chief
Curator of Collections and Exhibitions. “Not only did Gruber break tremendous barriers
as a female photojournalist, she represented the power of one person to be a voice
for countless voiceless victims.”
Gruber
is the author of 20 books and is the recipient of the 2011 Infinity Awards
Cornell Capa Award. Her reportage and photojournalism have acted as advocate
and witness for her subjects throughout her long career. Ruth Gruber: Photojournalist will introduce the broader photography
community to one of the 20th century’s great humanitarians and
photojournalists.
The
IHMEC’s feature program in conjunction with this exhibition will be held on
Sunday, Feb. 23. A film screening of Ahead
of Time: The Extraordinary Life of Ruth Gruber will be followed by a
discussion with the film’s executive producer, Patti Kenner, and a rare
conversation via Skype with Ruth Gruber.To
register for this event or to learn more, visit www.ilholocaustmuseum.org
or call 847-967-4889.
This
exhibition was made possible by friends of Ruth Gruber, and is a traveling
exhibition of the International Center of Photography, New York. The Golder
Family Foundation is lead sponsor for all Illinois Holocaust Museum special
exhibitions. Additional local support provided by the David C. & Sarajean
Ruttenberg Arts Foundation. This program is partially supported by a grant from
the Illinois Arts Council Agency.