Photographer Timothy Duffy, whose tintype portraits of American roots musicians are on view in the exhibition Blue Muse, will sign his companion book of the same title at the Museum Shop from 1 – 2 pm on Wednesday, May 8. Russell Lord, NOMA’s Freeman Family Curator of Photography, wrote the foreword. Arrive early for a Gallery Talk at noon in the exhibition space with Duffy and Lord. New Orleans-based musicians Little Freddie King and Alabama Slim, pictured in the book, are also expected at the book signing.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The tintype is rooted in more than 150 years of photographic method. In this collection of extraordinary portraits, Duffy brings new vitality to this old form, capturing powerful images of musicians who represent the roots of American music. These American blues, jazz, and folk artists are living expressions of a cultural legacy, made and remade by everyday people and passed down through generations. In the hands of the people in Duffy’s portraits, centuries-old traditions find new expression in this digital millennium. Likewise, Duffy’s photographic techniques fuse old forms and the original collodion wet plates with modern lighting. In this collaboration between photographer and artist, music and image meet around a history of struggle, adaptability, and creativity. It is this ethos that Duffy captures in his tintypes. Blue Muse is jointly published by the New Orleans Museum of Art and the University of North Carolina Press.