Roger Mertin

Roger Mertin (1942-2001) studied photography at Rochester Institute of Technology and graduated in 1965 before earning his MFA from Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester in 1972. He taught at the University of Rochester his entire careerMertin is known for his darkroom skills, and his photographs of vernacular and historical subjects that brim with detail. One of his series featured friends' Christmas trees; for another series he set out to document Carnegie libraries in small towns in North America. His work earned him fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. His work was published by the Library of Congress in Eyes of the Nation: A Visual History of the United States. His work is held by the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, and the National Gallery of Canada