Edward WestonAmerican, 1886–1958MGM Storage Lot
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “MGM Storage Lot” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1959.789
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — © the artist or rights holder
In the life of Edward Weston
The whole life22 March 1937
News of the Guggenheim grant: two thousand dollars
On 22 March 1937 Weston learns he has been awarded a Guggenheim grant, the first ever given to a photographer: $2,000 for one year, a significant sum at the time. He capitalises on it further by arranging to supply the editor of AAA Westway Magazine with 8–10 photographs a month for $50 during their travels, with Wilson earning another $15 a month for captions and short narratives. They buy a new car and set out on Weston’s dream trip to photograph whatever he wants.
1937–1939
Nearly 1,400 negatives in two years on the fellowship
The first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship, he produces nearly 1,400 negatives over the next two years with his 8 × 10 view camera.
24 April 1939
Marries Charis Wilson
Finally relieved of past financial stress and inordinately happy with both his work and his relationship, Weston marries Wilson in a small ceremony on 24 April.
1945
First symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
The year 1945 marks the beginning of significant changes: Weston begins to experience the first symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating ailment that will gradually steal his strength and his ability to photograph. He withdraws from Wilson, who is becoming more involved in local politics and the Carmel cultural scene.
until February 1946
Separation from Charis Wilson
A strength that once brought them together — her lack of interest in becoming a photographer herself — eventually leads to their break-up. While he is working on a major retrospective for the Museum of Modern Art they separate; Weston returns to Glendale, since the land under their cabin on Wildcat Hill still belongs to Wilson’s father. Within a few months she moves out and arranges to sell the property to him. She later wrote that her flight from Edward was partly an escape from photography, which had taken up so much room in her life.
1947
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
He is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and soon stops photographing; he spends the remaining ten years of his life overseeing the printing of more than 1,000 of his most famous images.
