George Tames/The New York Times

Why this artist matters now

George Tames was an American photographer who documented political life in Washington, D.C., for the New York Times from the 1940s through the 1980s. Working primarily in black and white, he captured candid moments of presidents, senators, and congressional proceedings with a directness that avoided both sentimentality and sensationalism. His unflinching approach to political portraiture established a visual record of postwar American governance at the moment of the nation's emergence as a global superpower. Tames' archive represents a foundational model for photojournalistic access and restraint.

Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 1mo ago