The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has received a promised gift of more than 6,500 works from German American photography collector Artur Walther and his Walther Family Foundation. The trove spans post-war and contemporary photography from Africa, Japan, Germany, and China, alongside vernacular photos from Europe and the Americas. A special showcase of African photographers' works will debut in the Met's Michael C. Rockefeller Wing when it reopens after renovation later this month. The collection, which has operated exhibition spaces in Neu-Ulm, Germany, and New York's Chelsea district since 2010, includes major names such as Malick Sibidé, Zanele Muholi, Ai Weiwei, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and Thomas Struth.
This gift significantly expands the Met's ability to present a global history of photography, reflecting the medium's diversity across centuries and continents. It underscores the growing institutional recognition of photography as a major art form and highlights the role of visionary collectors in shaping museum collections. The works will also feature in the Met's new Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing, a $550 million modern and contemporary art complex set to open in 2030, ensuring the collection's long-term public impact.