A Life of Light: Judy Glickman Lauder & the Power of Photography

Photography, be it on film or digital, is all about light. The word itself, derived from Greek, translates to drawing with light, and for Judy Glickman Lauder—artist, humanitarian, and philanthropist—capturing the light has been a constant of her entire life.

“I grew up in photography,” she shares, seated in the August morning sun off the kitchen of her coastal Maine home. “I think I had a head start. I really loved photography before it really became known as an art form.” That, in no small part, is due to her father, Dr. Irving Bennett Ellis, a physician by trade but an artist at heart.

Irving Bennett Ellis posing with daughter Judy in front of their Piedmont home, circa 1945. Judy Glickman Lauder Collection/Irving Bennett Ellis Estate

“Dad was incredibly active in photography,” recalls Glickman Lauder. “This was the time of camera clubs and photographic salons and international contests. Everyone was interested in this kind of newfangled thing of photography, but it still wasn't considered an art form. You were a photographer, a professional photographer.” That was certainly true for Ellis, who initially made a name for himself in photographic circles through winning awards—78 major awards in total—and shooting photographs for magazines, companies, and competitions. It was through those pursuits that Ellis’ exploration of the medium, from their Piedmont, California home just outside Oakland, helped move photography forward as an art form. And a young Glickman Lauder often found herself as the subject of her father’s artistic passion.

Whether moments with pets or weekends playing at home, Ellis found inspiration and fulfillment in documenting his daughter’s life. Most famously, for 15 years every February for her birthday, Ellis chronicled Judy’s life through a portrait in front of their home. “We had a Mediterranean, wonderful front door,” Glickman Lauder shares, then chuckles, “and so, from the time I was one year old, I was kind of propped up in front of that door.” The series, a profound work that speaks to the passage of time and uniqueness of childhood, would be right at home today scrolling across Instagram or TikTok. However, at midcentury it was something new, mesmerizing, and unusual. Eastman Kodak—the name in photography—agreed, and licensed the artwork for six years in commercials that aired across the country and during shows like Ed Sullivan's. By that standard, one could say that Glickman Lauder and her father helped define a new era of the “Kodak moment.”

Jerry N. Uelsmann (United States, 1934–2022), Small Woods Where I Met Myself, 1967, gelatin silver print, 10 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches. Promised Gift from the Judy Glickman Lauder Collection, 11.2006.18. Image courtesy Luc Demers. © Jerry N. Uelsmann

A few years before he passed, Ellis brought his daughter to his favorite camera store, where hey purchased an SLR 35 millimeter with lenses.  “I immediately took a local course,” she recounts, “just learning the camera.” By that time, Glickman Lauder was establishing roots in Maine’s artistic community, having visited since the 1960s.  “I went to Maine Photographic Workshops in  the late '70s . . . and being in the dark room,  taking my own images, and seeing them develop—photography really became a mode  for me to express myself and I was hooked.” Photography became a driving force for Glickman Lauder, and she spent most of her time chasing the light, so to speak: “I read everything, I took classes, workshops, in so many cities all over.  I always had my camera with me.” Through the exploration of her own artistic practice, she found herself exploring galleries and studios across the country, experiencing artworks and techniques that were at the forefront of photography’s shift from commercial platform to artistic medium. “I saw things that I'd never seen before. I saw double imagery. I saw negative imagery. I saw solarization, I don't know, it just kind of blew me away.” 

It was at this time, inspired by her peers and fueled through her passion, that Glickman Lauder added another dimension to her photographic life. “I started collecting also in the '70s and I'm very glad I did,” she shares. “At that time, photography was very affordable and, well, I started collecting.” Now nearly 50 years later, that collection has grown into one of the most comprehensive and stunning assortments of photographs in the world. Anchored by works from some of the most beloved and influential photographers of the 20th century, including Berenice Abbott, Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Margaret Bourke-White, Danny Lyon, Sally Mann, Gordon Parks, and James Van Der Zee, the collection is the story of photography, full stop. 

“Well they say,” shares Glickman Lauder speaking about her collection, “that every image a photographer takes is really a self-portrait, but I also think what I've collected is kind of a part of me and my life and what I'm interested in.” Chief among those interests is a commitment to highlighting injustice and creating opportunities for empathy, compassion, and understanding. Throughout the collection are images depicting humanity at its purest, often cruel and indifferent, but also hopeful, proud, and resilient. It’s these images that capture Glickman Lauder’s imagination the most, getting to the heart of what it means to be human. Chasing the light does not mean turning one’s back on the dark. 

Judy during the 1990s when traveling to Europe to photograph Holocaust sites and Danish rescuers. Photo: Melonie Bennett

As an artist herself, beginning in the 1980s, Glickman Lauder spent three decades exploring the depths of humanity through the Holocaust, travelling to Europe, and documenting the people and places that defined the era. “I spent years going back and forth, going to many, many countries, maybe eight or nine,” she recalls, “many, many camps, many, many trains, many former ghettos, many memorials—just the remnants of that period and the inhumanity that us human beings are capable of.” That series, documented in her book Beyond the Shadows: The Holocaust and the Danish Exception, explores the lesser known history of Denmark’s remarkable efforts to protect and evacuate its Jewish citizens. “They were really the only European country that united together and saved their Jewish population,” shares Glickman Lauder. “I was able to meet with these wonderful people . . . fishermen that were risking, not only their lives, but their whole livelihood and everything—the area between Denmark and Sweden was full of mines, and this was all done at night. People all over the state were doing things, hospitals were hiding people and getting them to harbors. And I was able to photograph, to interview—it was such a privilege. And, it gave me kind of a beautiful hope for our humanity, that we can make a difference. That's the soul of my work and what I love to collect.” 

Highlights from her artistic practice and expansive collection form the exhibition Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder, on view at the Portland Museum of Art through January 15, 2023. The exhibition takes its name from the common thread that unites these works— presence of the photographer, the viewer, the subjects, as well as the photographs themselves. Consisting entirely of works from Glickman Lauder’s photography collection, Presence captures the full spectrum of the human experience, from the anonymous to the celebrity and from the everyday to era-defining events such as the Great Depression, the Holocaust, and the Civil Rights Movement. 

In recent years Glickman Lauder has thought more about lasting impact over temporary moments. She believes in the transformative power of giving—of one’s time, of one’s energy, and of one’s means. For decades, Glickman Lauder’s generosity and vision have defined Maine’s communities. One need not look far to see her philanthropic impact across the region, from the University of Maine, to Maine Medical Center, to the Portland Museum of Art, and more. At the museum, Glickman Lauder has  been active on the Board, in committees, and  as a member for decades. And last year, she made a decision that will fundamentally change the PMA’s future: promising her entire photography collection to the museum. The collection, nearly 700 artworks and counting, is among the most significant and transformational in the Portland Museum of Art’s 140-year history. 

“The breadth and quality of this collection is remarkable,” beamed Mark Bessire, the aptly named Judy and Leonard Lauder Director of the Portland Museum of Art, when the gift was announced last year. “Judy’s lifelong love of photography and devotion to Maine comes together through this landmark gift, and our region’s future is immediately strengthened through the universal appeal of these artworks.” The collection’s impact goes far beyond exhibitions like Presence as well, serving as a catalyst for The PMA Blueprint, the museum’s campus expansion and unification project. Much like Charles Shipman Payson’s gift of 17 Winslow Homer paintings in the 1980s made way for campus growth, the Judy Glickman Lauder Collection will serve as a keystone for the next great chapter in PMA history through new and expanded gallery experiences and improved community engagement.

Max Yavno (United States, 1911–1985), Cable Car, San Francisco, 1947, gelatin silver print, 15 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches. Promised Gift from the Judy Glickman Lauder Collection, 7.1998.73. Image courtesy Luc Demers. © Center for Creative Photography, The University of Arizona

“It’s just the way the museum should grow, deserves to grow, and will grow,” states Glickman Lauder. “The Portland Museum of Art is simply very, very special. Portland, Maine, is very, very special. I'm also hoping it's going to attract other collections, because there are a number of people that have some fabulous collections . . . and I'm hoping that this will kind of make things, make things happen in that direction too.” She smiles, and pauses, before adding, “It just makes me happy. I think it's just one of the secrets of life—contributing your time, your energies, you know, there's so many causes. It's not just writing a check—it's everything. And when there's a neighbor in need and you take the time and you're giving—that's what happiness is all about. So, it makes me smile.”

Indeed, through her generosity, vision, and dedication to the arts, Glickman Lauder will surely make visitors to the museum smile—and think, and feel, and grow—for generations to come. But more than that, she also keys us all in on a secret: it’s not just about chasing or capturing the light, it’s about sharing it for all.