About this event

Renowned architectural photographer Wayne Thom shared recollections of his illustrious career spanning over 50 years.

The conversation was moderated by Dr. Emily Bills, guest curator of the exhibition After Modernism: Through the Lens of Wayne Thom and author of the book Wayne Thom: Photographing the Late Modern. Together, they discussed his early beginnings and stories of how he captured the spectacular skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles.

Copies of the catalogue, Wayne Thom: Photographing the Late Modern, were available for sale at the Shop@PAM following the program. Guests were encouraged to reserve their books by emailing shop@pam.usc.edu.

Capacity was limited, and protocols were implemented for the health and safety of all guests and staff.

This program was free. Reservations were required.

More about the exhibition:

Wayne Thom was one of the leading architectural photographers of his time. Over the course of his 50-year career, which spanned from 1968 to 2015, he photographed more than 2,600 projects across the Western United States, Hawaii, and Southeast Asia. He was especially prolific in Southern California, where he based his practice and became the preferred photographer for the region’s leading firms.

The exhibition showcased photographs from USC Libraries’ Wayne Thom Photography Collection, which the university acquired in 2015 and held over 250,000 images and thousands of pages of other materials. The exhibition also featured a digital interactive component that allowed visitors to explore materials in the Wayne Thom Photography Collection. Titled “Wayne Thom 50/50,” in reference to 50 standout projects completed over the course of his 50-year career, the interactive component emphasized his breadth of practice that stretched beyond the Late Modern period.

This extensive visual record made Wayne Thom one of the most important contributors to architecture culture in the post-WWII period.

USC PAM Public Programs were made possible by individual and foundation support. To ensure free or low-cost programming, a donation of $10 was suggested. All donations went directly to USC PAM public programs. Thank you for helping us keep art programming accessible to all.

Covid Safety Protocols:

We strongly recommended wearing a mask covering the nose and mouth for all visitors (2+) regardless of vaccination status while indoors.

Guests were asked to practice social distancing from others not in their party.

Guests were reminded to stay home if they were feeling ill or had been exposed to COVID-19.

Please note the above was subject to change in accordance with Los Angeles County, City of Pasadena, and USC Health guidelines.