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Sarah Greenough, Alfred Stieglitz Key Set, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/catalogue/alfred-stieglitz-key-set (accessed March 19, 2024).

Alfred Stieglitz Key Set

In 1949, Georgia O’Keeffe and the Alfred Stieglitz Estate donated 1,311 photographs by Alfred Stieglitz to the National Gallery of Art and placed on deposit an additional collection of 331 portraits of O’Keeffe, which were later given to the Gallery in 1980. This collection, known as the Key Set, is an unparalleled selection of Stieglitz’s photographs, containing at least one print of every mounted photograph in his possession at the time of his death. It remains one of the most important photographic collections in existence. Carefully selected by O’Keeffe to include the finest examples, the Key Set traces the evolution of Stieglitz’s work, from its inception in the 1880s to its rich maturation in the 1930s, and thoroughly documents all aspects of his decisive contribution to the art of photography.

Previously available only in print, the Alfred Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition represents the definitive publication on the artist’s work. Incorporating updated scholarship, including recent conservation findings, as well as overviews of the major periods in his art, robust search functionality, and advanced image viewing and comparison tools, the Online Edition opens up new avenues for researching—and being inspired by—Stieglitz’s work.

Explore highlights of the Key Set, browse by subject or person, or search the Key Set to view all Key Set photographs and filter results by Key Set number, negative date, photographic process, or other criteria.