Sarah Hermanson Meister

MoMA curator, erstwhile photographer, admirer of old, authentic and curious things

I have been captivated by photography since the sixth grade when I watched my first print emerge in the developing bath beneath a murky golden safelight. Over the years my interest in the medium has grown and changed in ways that loosely parallel the chemical development process itself—transforming anticipation into surprise and (often) satisfaction, rewarding patience and creativity in equal measure. I never imagined that my childhood hobby would become an academic interest studying art history at Princeton University, or that my internship in the Department of Photography at MoMA would (eventually) lead to becoming a full curator at the Museum in 2009. I have a particular passion for vernacular photographs (those not made as fine art), and, more recently, my travel across South America has piqued my interest in a broader view of photography’s history and its future.

I have enjoyed the privilege of working on the exhibitions, publications and acquisitions featured on this website, but to be perfectly clear, all views expressed here are my own. Picking my favorite acquisition would be like picking a favorite child (impossible!), but the images on the home page are ones I like very much, and for which I was responsible for bringing into the Museum Collection. Every once in a while these will change, so please visit again for more treasures.