Art I'm Seeing #54

There is a wonderful little show, 6 modest galleries and a hallway, at the National Portrait Gallery here in Washington, D.C. It's called "Elvis at 21" and is made up entirely of photographs of the young Elvis taken by Alfred Wortheimer. They are magical. The photos create a rich tapestry of the boy who one day will be called "The King of Rock & Roll". They also give you a glimpse of the year, 1956, in a segregated southern United States. There are the inevitable images of Elvis performing and greeting hoards of adoring fans, but there are also moments of intimacy and playfulness.
Moments like this kiss bodacious and yet innocent. Perhaps these are the words to best describe the 21-year-old Elvis we see in these photographs. A real treat!