Located next to Capital One Arena, the new gallery, which will be free and open to the public, will showcase over 150 photographs by legendary photojournalist Harry Benson
Opening Late October
Washington, DC [August 8, 2024] – A captivating new exhibit will arrive in downtown Washington, DC this October, when HARRY BENSON: WASHINGTON DC ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE NATION’S CAPITAL opens its doors. Presented by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Ted and Lynn Leonsis, and Jeff Skoll, and produced by Ted Leonsis and Jeff Skoll, the landmark exhibit will showcase over 150 photographs by legendary photojournalist Harry Benson, renowned for his chronicling of culture, politics, music, movies, television and sports through the 20th and 21st centuries.
“We are thrilled to bring the incredible work of our friend and world-renowned photojournalist Harry Benson to downtown Washington, DC,” said Ted and Lynn Leonsis. “This collection of over 150 photographs will span some of the most significant moments in our history through the lens of an incomparable artist. We can’t wait for the community to experience the greatness of Harry’s work and the emotion he captures with each frame. We want to gift the exhibit to the community to show our commitment to revitalizing downtown Washington, DC while activating retail space and increasing foot traffic around Capital One Arena.”
Located next door to Capital One Arena at 707-709 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001, the gallery will span two floors and over 10,000 square feet. The exhibit, which will be free and open to the public, will feature photographs of every president and first lady since Dwight Eisenhower, iconic photographs of athletes including Muhammad Ali, musicians, including a behind the scenes look at The Beatles arrival to the United States, a historic chronicling of the civil rights movement in America, and much more.
The exhibition is scheduled to be open for the duration of the NBA and NHL seasons and will include programming for students from across the DMV, as well as residents, tourists and visiting students from around the world. In addition, the gallery will host special events for fans of the Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics.
Information regarding operating hours is forthcoming.
About Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is America’s leading sports and entertainment family. Our people, players, teams and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans and our people. To learn more, please visit www.monumentalsports.com.
About Harry Benson:
Scottish born photojournalist Harry Benson CBE arrived in America with The Beatles on February 7, 1964, and in his own words – “he never looked back.” In the decades since, the award-winning photographer has demonstrated incredible range in the subjects he has captured on film including the Civil Rights marches and the Watts Riots, and he was on the scene when Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. These powerful photographs not only catapulted Benson’s career, but also incisively capture defining moments of this tumultuous period in history. Harry has covered conflicts in Kosovo, Bosnia, and the Gulf War, and is the only photographer to have photographed the last 13 U.S. presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Joe Biden. Benson has also turned his lens on everyone from Mohammad Ali to Queen Elizabeth II.
His photographs of historic events, political figures, and luminaries have been published in major magazines including LIFE, Time, Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, W, Newsweek, French Vogue, Paris Match, Forbes, The New Yorker, People, Quest, The London Daily Express, and The Sunday Times Magazine. The documentary HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST is available on Hulu. Sixteen books of Benson’s photographs have been published.
In 2009 Harry was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, and an honorary Doctor of Letters from Glasgow University and the Glasgow School of Art, along with an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society. In 2013 Benson received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Harry received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Center of Photography in New York.
Benson’s photographs are in the permanent collections of many museums including The National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian, Washington, DC; The National Portrait Gallery, in London, England; and in Edinburgh, Scotland; The Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover MA.; The Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Harry and his wife, Gigi, are currently working on new book projects and corresponding exhibitions. Their two daughters, Wendy and Tessa, and their families live and work in California.
