1990 Photography Until Now; Museum of Modern Art, New
York, New York
1995 Reconsidering the Object of Art: 1965–1975; The
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California
1999 The American Century, 1950–2000; The Whitney
Museum of American Art, New York, New York
2002 Art Inside Out; The Children’s Museum of Manhattan,
New York, New York
Selected Works
Family Combinations, 1972
Reduce/Increase, 1977
Man Ray Portfolio, 1982
Frog/frog II, 1982
Puppy Planter, 1989
Becoming, 1991
Fay Day, 1995
Deposition, 1997
Further Reading
Gross, Michael. ‘‘Pup Art.’’New York(March 30, 1992).
Hempel, Amy. ‘‘William Wegman: The Artist and His Dog.’’
New York Times MagazineNovember 29, 1987: 40–45.
Himmel, Eric, ed.Man’s Best Friend: Photographs by Wil-
liam Wegman. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1982.
Himmel, Eric, ed.William Wegman: Fashion Photographs.
New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999.
Kunz, Martin, ed.William Wegman: Paintings, Drawings, Pho-
tographs, Videotapes. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1990.
Leve ́n, Ulrika, ed.William Wegman. Malmo ̈: Rooseum,
Center for Contemporary Art, 1998.
Owens, Craig. ‘‘William Wegman’s Psychoanalytic Vaude-
ville.’’Art in Americavol. 71, no. 3 (March 1983); 101–109.
Wegman, William.Fay. New York: Hyperion Books, 1999.
Wegman, William.William Wegman Polaroids. New York:
Harry N. Abrams, 2002.
Wegman, William.William Wegman Puppies. New York:
Hyperion Books, 1997.JACK WELPOTT
American
Jack Welpott was one of the pioneers in photo-
graphic education, and a gifted photographer. In
a time of specialization in photography, Welpott’s
photographic interests are diverse. He has photo-
graphed the nude, landscape, both natural and
urban, and made portraits.
Welpott’s approach to education was to provide a
solid basis in technique and an appreciation of the
masters of the medium. He offered one of the first
histories of photography surveys on a college cam-
pus. He was also interested in psychology, especially
the ideas of Carl G. Jung, and integrated Jung’s ideas
into the reading of photographs. His aim was to
determine the needs of the student and provide gui-
dance for the students in fulfilling those needs. Wel-
pott allowed students to find their voice but provided
a nudge when needed. He never imposed his vision
on his students, but rather preferred to dialogue. He
continued and passed on the teaching methods of his
mentor, Henry Homes Smith.
Jack Welpott was born in Kansas City, Kansas
on April 27, 1923, but grew up and was educated in
Bloomington, Indiana. At age ten, a Brownie cam-
era sparked his interest in photography. He then
purchased an Argus 35 mm at the local drugstore
when 12, and two years later an uncle gave him a
2¼3¼ German view camera. Welpott soon had
a darkroom and began a lifelong involvement with
the medium.
After high school, he enrolled at the University
of Indiana, but after a semester he was drafted into
the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943. He served in the
South Pacific as a radio intercept operator with the
13th Intelligence Unit until his discharge in 1946.
He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and was
awarded three combat stars.
Upon discharge from the Air Force, Welpott
took advantage of the G.I. Bill and enrolled at the
University of Indiana, Bloomington. He graduated
with a B.S. in business and an M.S. in 1955 in Visual
Communication. From 1949 to 1959 Welpott was
the Production Supervisor of the Audio-Visual Cen-
ter at Indiana University. His interest in photogra-
phy was rekindled when he enrolled in a
photography class with Henry Holmes Smith, a
former faculty member at the New Bauhaus in
Chicago. In 1959, he completed the M.F.A. degree.
Smith was a major influence on Welpott’s thinking
about photography and photographic education.
Welpott and Jerry Uelsmann were the first M.F.A.
graduates in photography. In addition, Welpott
became acquainted with Harry Callahan, AaronWEGMAN, WILLIAM