"The Family of Man": An Ode to Humanism Celebrating 70 Years

Lecture series by Paul Lesch organized in collaboration with the CNA on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of The Family of Man

The Family of Man: An Ode to Humanism Celebrating 70 Years

Inaugurated in January 1955 at MoMA in New York, The Family of Man remains the most visited photography exhibition in the world, having welcomed approximately 10 million visitors across five continents over 70 years. Although its humanistic message has sometimes been sharply criticized, its relevance remains striking today. This major exhibition, which Steichen considered the pinnacle of his career, was gifted to Luxembourg in the early 1960s by the U.S. government at the request of the renowned photographer of Luxembourgish origin. Available since 1975 (in an abridged version), it has been displayed in its entirety at Clervaux Castle since 1994. In this lecture, we will explore, with supporting documents and photographs, the origins of the exhibition, its philosophy, messages, scenography, reception, and its unique journey in Luxembourg.

Paul Lesch, PhD, served as Director of the National Audiovisual Center from 2016 to 2023. Since September 2023, he has been the "Commissioner of the Edward Steichen Collections" at the Ministry of Culture. He is the author of several books, including Heim ins Ufa-Reich? NS-Filmpolitik und die Rezeption deutscher Filme in Luxemburg 1933-1944 (WVT, Trier, 2002), Au nom de l’ordre public & des bonnes mœurs. Contrôle des cinémas et censure de films au Luxembourg 1895-2005 (CNA, Luxembourg, 2005), Albert Simon, caricaturiste de l’Escher Tageblatt (Ed. du Phare), D’Stater Kinoen (Binsfeld, 2013), and Alfred Hitchcock, The Brand (Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg, 2022). He is also the director of a documentary film about Perle Mesta, titled Call Her Madam (Samsa, 1997), and curator or co-curator of exhibitions on Hugo Gernsback, Thierry van Werveke, film sets, and Alfred Hitchcock. He is a member of the Governance Council of the University of Luxembourg, a full member of the Grand Ducal Institute, Arts and Letters section, and a corresponding member of the historical section of the same Institute. He is also President of the Board of the Fondation Indépendance.