George Eastman House recreates 1968 exhibition Conscience the Ultimate Weapon on its 40th anniversary

Original slideshow of 700 images by Benedict J Fernandez to be presented via digital projection; turbulent year included assassinations of King and Kennedy plus Vietnam protests

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — This spring George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film presents the exhibition Conscience the Ultimate Weapon, originally mounted at the museum 40 years ago in the turbulent year of 1968 — which marked the assassinations of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy. The important and groundbreaking exhibition about protest movements of the 1960s features more than 700 images taken by photographer Benedict J. Fernandez. The original slideshow is now a multi-media show presented via digital projection. Conscience the Ultimate Weapon will be on view March 12 through June 1, 2008.

When Conscience opened at Eastman House in 1968 under the direction of Nathan Lyons — who was then associate director and curator of photographs — it was the only audio-visual installation of its kind in the country. The exhibition confronts the conditions of an American society in the midst of racial unrest, a controversial war in Vietnam, and an unpopular draft. A montage of images and sounds, the projected photographs will be accompanied by a soundtrack of the music of the day, as done with the original display.

The photographs serve as an extraordinary account and visual testimony of a dedicated photojournalist who captured a period in this country's history. Featured are Fernandez's powerful photographs of King's last year of life, which invite us to walk the streets with the photographer and sit in King's family home. Also featured are interviews with activists and sound clips, including Sen. Ted Kennedy delivering the eulogy for his brother Robert.

"We didn't know which way America was going in 1968," said Tom Brokaw, who recently presented the History Channel special 1968: The Year That Changed America. "Dr. King had been killed that year; Bobby Kennedy had been killed that year; there was a terrible war in Vietnam; the country was deeply divided about many of these issues; and you really had the feeling that you were in someplace extremely important."

When originally mounted, the exhibition created an intense environmental experience firmly grounded in the conflicts of those times. "The dramatic occurrences of 1968 have had a deep and profound impact on the American landscape of today," said Rick Hock, Eastman House director of exhibitions. "By recreating Conscience 40 years later, Eastman House intends to create an experience for the contemporary viewer to consider both the events of the past and present."

Conscience the Ultimate Weapon is sponsored by American Red Cross and Paychex Inc. It is part of an exhibition series this winter and spring at Eastman House titled Loss/Hope.

About Benedict J. Fernandez
Benedict J. Fernandez was born on April 5, 1936 in New York City, in the Hispanic neighborhood of East Harlem. His father came to America via Puerto Rico, and his mother an Italian American. His photographic education began at age six when he was given a Brownie box camera.

As a crane operator at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Hoboken, Fernandez photographed his fellow shipyard workers, leading to his first major portfolio, "Riggers," and turning his hobby into his life's work. Early in his career he founded the Photo Film Workshop, which taught photography to ghetto youth, free of charge. He went on to build a Photography Department at The New School and found the FOCUS program, an international series of workshops and student exchange programs. Fernandez also founded the prestigious photographic award Leica Medal of Excellence.

During the mid 1960s, Fernandez photographed throughout the streets of New York City, becoming one of the most important street photographers of the time, photographing a variety of socially significant events. His photographs of protest activities in the New York metropolitan area, as well as across the country, served as a photographic diary of the protest movement of the 1960s.

Benedict J. Fernandez at Eastman House
Fernandez will present an illustrated lecture about the exhibition and his work in the 1960s at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 13 in the Dryden Theatre. The lecture, which is included with museum admission, is also part of the museum's "Wish You Were Here" photography lecture series.

Loss/Hope Series
In a series of exhibitions opening throughout winter and spring 2008, George Eastman House focuses on the photograph's unique ability to take its viewers to parts of the world they might not otherwise know. From the slums of 19th-century London, to the Depression dust bowl, to the variety of contemporary lives in black America and the Middle East, the series Loss/Hope informs us and asks for our engagement by considering the notion of loss, both personally and as a result of industrialization and poverty. The Loss/Hope series is sponsored by Nixon Peabody LLP.

Attention Media: For additional information or high-resolution images, please fill out this form to obtain the address of the Press Room's FTP site.