David Levine, LBJ Scar, ink, 1966
Harry Katz in Virtual Memories #168 by Gil Roth
This week’s podcast: Harry L. Katz, former head curator of prints and photographs for the Library of Congress, joins the show to talk about his new project on David Levine, his love for Herblock, how his work on the Civil War and baseball differs from Ken Burns’ work on same, what it was like to assemble the LoC’s archive of 9/11 photography and pictures (and his untold story of 9/11), the process of learning how to see images critically, the tragic story of Arthur Szyk, the terrifying experience of seeing Feiffer’s “Munro” cartoon as a little kid, and more! Give it a listen!
“What connected Levine and Herblock was the fire in the belly, the outrage against people who try to impose their power over the powerless, who try to disenfranchise people, who try to manipulate the laws for personal gain or prestige.”
“People always see what they expect to see. I first look at face value, then I draw back to start fresh. What is it? What does it portray? What is it made of? If you do that, you’ve got an understanding that’s far richer.”