Creative Masterpieces (page 2 of 2)

Creative Masterpieces (page 2 of 2)

Treasures of American History

“Martha Graham, Letter to the World (The Kick),” by Barbara Morgan, 1940

This striking image documents the creative collaboration of two modern women artists: photographer Barbara Morgan and pioneering choreographer Martha Graham.

In a series of photographs taken over several years, Morgan sought to portray the rhythm and vitality of Graham’s innovative dance performances. Among the moments she captured was this sweeping kick from Letter to the World, Graham’s ballet based on the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, by Miljenko Grgich, 1973
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, by Warren Winiarski, 1973

In 1976 these two American vintages placed first in an international competition, challenging the conventional belief that fine wine could only come from France.

The 1976 Paris tasting, judged by nine of France’s leading wine experts, pitted California reds and whites against their French counterparts in a blind test. The unexpected victory established California’s Napa Valley as a premier winemaking region and launched the expansion of wine production in the United States.

Manuscript of A Love Supreme, by John Coltrane, 1964

A musical revelation captured on paper, this is the original sketch for John Coltrane’s 33-minute jazz masterpiece, A Love Supreme.

One of the most innovative and emulated saxophonists in jazz history, Coltrane communicated through his music on intellectual, emotional, and spiritual levels. A Love Supreme was inspired by a religious awakening he experienced after overcoming drug addiction. In a suite of four parts—“Acknowledgement,” “Resolution,” “Pursuance,” and “Psalm”—it offers complex and impassioned reflections on prayer, faith, and the search for inner peace.