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Kelsey Named Professor of History of Art and Architecture
Cambridge, Mass. - May 19, 2009 - Robin Kelsey, a leading historian of photography, has been appointed professor of history of art and architecture in Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), effective Jan. 1, 2009.
Kelsey, 48, was previously John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities at Harvard. He has taught in the Department of History of Art and Architecture since 2001.
"Professor Kelsey is a scholar of the highest caliber, whose groundbreaking research on the history of photography has offered new insights into American visual culture," said Diana Sorensen, dean of arts and humanities in FAS. "He is also a conscientious educator and a dedicated mentor, who seeks to reach across disciplines and engage all students in the cognitive powers derived from the study of the arts. Professor Kelsey's contributions to academic life are felt throughout the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and we are delighted he will continue to enliven and enrich our community as professor of history of art and architecture."
Much of Kelsey's research focuses on photography's ambiguous status as an aesthetic, scientific, and industrial way to produce pictures. His first book, "Archive Style: Photographs and Illustrations for U.S. Surveys, 1850-1950" (University of California Press, 2007), offers a path-breaking look at the visual culture of American field science. Kelsey is putting the finishing touches on a second book to be published in 2010 by the University of California Press. Titled "Photography and Chance," the book takes a historical look at accident and happenstance in image-making. In addition, he is currently at work on a manuscript about American photography in the post-war era, titled "Viewed with Suspicion: Photography in Cold-War America, 1945-1989."
Kelsey teaches a variety of courses on the history of photography, including seminars on the work of Alfred Stieglitz and on photography and labor in the 19th century. His course, "Constructing Reality: Photography as Fact and Fiction," is consistently one of Harvard College's most popular offerings. In addition to his duties in the Department of History of Art and Architecture, Kelsey is a faculty member for the Program in the History of American Civilization.
As an educator, Kelsey has been lauded for his vibrant lectures, effective advising and a deep commitment to undergraduate and graduate students. In 2006 he was honored with the Roslyn Abramson Award, which recognizes excellence and sensitivity in teaching undergraduates. The Harvard College Class of 2004 also honored Kelsey by selecting him to deliver the humanities lecture at their Junior Parents' Weekend.
Kelsey holds a B.A. in history of art from Yale College (1984) and a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School (1994). In 2000 he received a Ph.D. in history of art and architecture from Harvard. Kelsey is the recipient of many awards, most notably the 2004 Arthur Kingsley Porter Prize from "The Art Bulletin" and a 2003 Getty Postdoctoral Fellowship.
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