Peggy, Sidney, and Donald Loving playing. Photo by Grey Villet, © Estate of Grey Villet.

Located on 1133 Avenue of the Americas on 43rd Street is the International Center for Photography, also known as ICP. Here, you can discover photography as old as its origin to collections by artists today.  The photographers on display not only captured a moment, but created a piece of artwork by smartly taking the photograph in a certain angle at a specific time.

Artists such as Weegee (1899-1968), captured the intense decade between 1935 through 1946 in New York City while working as a crime photographer in the exhibition playfully titled, “Weegee: Murder is My Business.” One photograph from April 16, 1942 captured the irony of the moment as the police investigate a dead body sprawled across the pavement in front of a theater showing the movie, “The Joy of Living.” Weegee always focused on the scene rather than on a certain object. His photographs were centered on the incident’s surrounding, rather than the actual incident.

The most poignant exhibition at the ICP was “The Loving Story” photographed by Grey Villet. This exhibition was about an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving, in the 1960’s who arrested for being married in their home state of Virginia. In that time period, it was illegal for interracial couples to marry in Virginia. The appearance of the couple photographed because one would think Richard Loving might have been a typical Southerner in the 60’s that was comfortable with the idea of segregation by his bucolic clothing and solemn facial expression. However, that was far from the truth.

A photograph of their children in their backyard challenged the idea of the “Nuclear Family” at that time. The photographs of children in that time consisted of blonde hair, blue-eyed children, who are also considered ideals of “All-American” children. The picture displayed Sydney, Donald and Peggy Loving and laughing, but instead of blonde hair and blue eyes, viewers saw three children with light colored skin, freckles, and African-American hair.

A visit to the ICP is well worth the travel. Within the building, are collections that will suit the varying tastes of all visitors. (Just make sure not to confuse the ICP Museum Building with its much more attractive sister building across the street, which the ICP School.)