Photo: Cindy Flowers — CC BY 3.0Source
David Vestal
photographer
- March 21, 1924 · Menlo Park
- December 4, 2013
- 89 years
About David Vestal
David Vestal, 89, American photographer, educator, and author.
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Full Biography
|David Vestal (March 21, 1924 – December 5, 2013) was an American photographer of the New York school, a critic, and teacher.
Career
Vestal was born on March 21, 1924, in Menlo Park, California. He studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago but took up photography during the late 1940s after moving to New York where the majority of his street photography and cityscapes were made.
From the mid-fifties Vestal exhibited his photography and was included in eight exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where his work is included in its collections and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He was the recipient of John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships in 1966 and 1973.
A lifelong educator, he taught at Parsons School of Design, the School of Visual Arts, and at Pratt Institute, and also gave numerous lectures and workshops around the country.
A frequent writer on the medium, his column, "Vestal at Large," was a regular feature in Photo Techniques magazine, and his books include The Art of Black and White Enlarging (1984) and The Craft of Photography (1975).
Vestal died on December 14, 2013, at his home in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
Publications
- David Vestal. The Craft of Photography. New York: Harper and Row, 1975. ISBN 0060144971.
- Updated edition. New York: Harper and Row, 1975. ISBN 0060906227.
- David Vestal. The Art of Black and White Enlarging. New York: Harper and Row, 1984. ISBN 0061818968.
- Douglas O. Morgan, David Vestal and William L. Broecker, eds. Leica Manual: The Complete Book of 35mm Photography. 15th ed. Hastings-on-Hudson, New York: Morgan & Morgan, 1973. ISBN 978-0871000033.
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
- Limelight Gallery, David Vestal, January 3-February 14, 1955
- 1987: Galeria del Bosque, Guadalajara, Mexico
- 1987: Salon de la Plastica Mexican, Mexico
- 1988: Casa de la Cultura Jalisciense, Guadalajara, Mexico
- 1989: Daytona Beach Community College, Daytona, FL
- 1989: Casa de la Cultura Jalisciense, Guadalajara, Mexico
- 2001: A Quiet Light, Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY
- 2010: Once Upon A Time In New York, Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY.
Group exhibitions
- The Museum of Modern Art, Steichen Gallery Reinstallation, April 2, 1971
- The Museum of Modern Art, Recent Acquisitions: Photography, October 6, 1965 – January 9, 1966
- The Museum of Modern Art, Recent Acquisitions, December 21, 1960 – February 5, 1961
- The Museum of Modern Art, Photographs for Collectors, October 1–16, 1960
- The Museum of Modern Art, 70 Photographers Look at New York, November 27, 1957 – April 15, 1958
- The Museum of Modern Art, Christmas Photographs, November 29, 1951 – January 6, 1952
- The Museum of Modern Art, Photographs by 51 Photographers, August 1–September 17, 1950
- The Museum of Modern Art, Color Photography, May 9–July 4, 1950
Collections
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
- Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- New York Public Library, New York, NY
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- George Eastman House, Rochester, NY
- RIT, Rochester, NY
- University of New Mexico Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM
- Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM
- Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL
- Museum of Fine Arts Houston, TX
- Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
- University of Louisville, KY
- High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
- Hallmark Collection, Kansas, MO
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
16 Verified Trivia Questions About David Vestal
Every question below is stored in the archive and checked against David Vestal's record and biography. The correct answer and the reasoning behind it are given with each question.
1.In what city was David Vestal born?
- A.New York, New York
- B.Chicago, Illinois
- C.Menlo Park, CaliforniaCorrect
- D.Bethlehem, Connecticut
David Vestal was born on March 21, 1924, in Menlo Park, California.
Source: Career section
2.What subject did David Vestal study at the Art Institute of Chicago?
- A.Photography
- B.Sculpture
- C.Architecture
- D.PaintingCorrect
David Vestal studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago before transitioning to photography.
Source: Career section
3.When did David Vestal pass away?
- A.January 3, 1955
- B.December 14, 2013Correct
- C.December 5, 2013
- D.March 21, 1924
David Vestal died on December 14, 2013, at his home in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
Source: Career section
4.Which educational institution did David Vestal teach at?
- A.Yale School of Art
- B.Pratt InstituteCorrect
- C.Harvard University
- D.Stanford University
David Vestal was a lifelong educator who taught at Parsons School of Design, the School of Visual Arts, and Pratt Institute.
Source: Career section
5.What was the title of David Vestal's column in Photo Techniques magazine?
- A.Vestal at LargeCorrect
- B.New York School Focus
- C.Cityscapes and Streets
- D.The Art of Photography
David Vestal wrote a regular column titled Vestal at Large for Photo Techniques magazine.
Source: Career section
6.David Vestal received John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships in which two years?
- A.1987 and 1988
- B.1966 and 1973Correct
- C.1975 and 1984
- D.1950 and 1960
David Vestal was the recipient of John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships in 1966 and 1973.
Source: Career section
7.In what year was the book The Craft of Photography by David Vestal published?
- A.1984
- B.1975Correct
- C.1955
- D.1973
David Vestal published The Craft of Photography in 1975.
Source: Publications section
8.Which museum held David Vestal's solo exhibition titled A Quiet Light in 2001?
- A.Galeria del Bosque
- B.Museum of Modern Art
- C.Robert Mann GalleryCorrect
- D.Limelight Gallery
David Vestal had a solo exhibition titled A Quiet Light at the Robert Mann Gallery in New York in 2001.
Source: Solo exhibitions section
9.David Vestal is associated with which school of photography?
- A.Modernist school
- B.New York schoolCorrect
- C.California school
- D.Chicago School
David Vestal was an American photographer of the New York school.
Source: Career section
10.Where is David Vestal's photography work held?
- A.Metropolitan Museum of ArtCorrect
- B.British Museum
- C.Louvre Museum
- D.National Gallery of London
David Vestal's work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Source: Career section
11.Which book was authored by David Vestal in 1984?
- A.The Craft of Photography
- B.Vestal at Large
- C.Leica Manual
- D.The Art of Black and White EnlargingCorrect
David Vestal authored The Art of Black and White Enlarging, published in 1984.
Source: Publications section
12.In which city did David Vestal die?
- A.Chicago, Illinois
- B.Guadalajara, Mexico
- C.Bethlehem, ConnecticutCorrect
- D.New York, New York
David Vestal died at his home in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
Source: Career section
13.David Vestal was involved in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in which month of 1951?
- A.NovemberCorrect
- B.August
- C.May
- D.January
The Museum of Modern Art held an exhibition titled Christmas Photographs from November 29, 1951 to January 6, 1952.
Source: Group exhibitions section
14.Which of these institutions holds David Vestal's work in its collection?
- A.Smithsonian Institution
- B.J. Paul Getty MuseumCorrect
- C.Guggenheim Museum
- D.National Portrait Gallery
The J. Paul Getty Museum is listed as one of the collections that holds David Vestal's work.
Source: Collections section
15.David Vestal co-edited which manual on photography?
- A.The Art of Black and White Enlarging
- B.Leica Manual: The Complete Book of 35mm PhotographyCorrect
- C.The Craft of Photography
- D.Vestal at Large
David Vestal was a co-editor of the 15th edition of the Leica Manual: The Complete Book of 35mm Photography.
Source: Publications section
16.David Vestal held a solo exhibition in 1989 at which venue?
- A.Pratt Institute
- B.Whitney Museum of American Art
- C.Art Institute of Chicago
- D.Daytona Beach Community CollegeCorrect
In 1989, David Vestal had a solo exhibition at Daytona Beach Community College in Florida.
Source: Solo exhibitions section
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Vestal
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
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