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Adelphi Libraries Adds Collection of Work by Photojournalist Peter Turnley

Garden City, NY (05/11/2021) — Adelphi University Libraries has acquired 46 prints by the renowned photojournalist Peter Turnley, whose work has been featured in some of the world's most prestigious publications, including Newsweek, National Geographic, LIFE and Harper's Magazine.

The collection, donated to the University art collection by three anonymous donors, will be available for individual viewing and instructional purposes.

"The work was chosen by us based on Turnley's resume and the academic value of the work based on its subject matter and visual quality," said Violeta Ilik, dean of Adelphi's University Libraries. "We will have an exhibition of the work as an art collection highlight in the future and they will be available online eventually with the rest of the art collection."

Adelphi's new collection is a body of work documenting scenes from Russia and Eastern Europe between 1986 and 1991. The scenes range from the fall of the Berlin Wall and military coups to the daily lives of citizens and outdoor Russian markets. This body of work depicts both the historical uncertainty and the daily banality of a time and place of unique historical significance.

Turley has worked in more than 90 countries documenting some of the most important geopolitical events over the past 35 years. He has photographed most of the world's conflicts during recent decades, such as the Gulf War of 1991, the Balkans (Bosnia and Kosovo), Somalia, Rwanda, South Africa, Chechnya, Haiti, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and the 2003 Iraq war.

He also maintains an ongoing documentation of the major refugee populations of the world. Turnley witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the revolutions in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the liberation of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid in South Africa. He was in New York at ground zero on Sept 11, 2001, New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Haiti after the tragic earthquake of 2011, and Egypt during the toppling of Hosni Mubarak in 2011. In addition to documenting conflict, Turnley has also photographed the daily life of the citizens of the countries he has visited.

View a photo gallery of several of the prints.

See more about photojournalist Peter Turnley and the Adelphi Libraries art collection.

About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university with a personalized approach to higher learning

Adelphi University, New York, is a highly awarded, nationally ranked, powerfully connected doctoral research university dedicated to transforming students' lives through small classes with world-class faculty, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support academic and career success. Adelphi offers exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training, with particular strength in our Core Four-Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness.

Recognized as a Best College by U.S. News & World Report, Adelphi is Long Island's oldest private coeducational university. It serves almost 8,000 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York-just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities-and at dynamic learning hubs in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, as well as online.

More than 116,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, engaged citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities and the world.

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Media Attachments

Peter Turnley, The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, November 1989. Signed on recto in ink. Signed and dated on verso in pencil 20″ x 24″ Archival Pigment Print.

Adelphi University / New York

Taylor Damian, 516-993-5677, tdamian@adelphi.edu

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